Sending
Outbound Email to AOL
America Online (AOL)
is performing a reverse DNS (Domain Name Server)
lookup not only on the email address headers,
but on every link in the email that it receives.
If any link is unresolvable,
the email may be discarded altogether, with no
bounce or explanation. Not having a resolvable
name for the public IP address will affect the
click-thru and open email tracking of AOL users.
It is safe to assume that other large email providers
will begin to do the same thing.
In the click-thru and
open email marker construct, Campaign uses the
IP address or server name entered in the Default
Campaign Configuration page to generate the link.
When the customer opens an email, or clicks on
a link, a request is made to the Campaign server,
which marks the record in the database then forwards
the customer to the destination URL. When using
an IP address, the link will look something like
this:
<ahref="http://204.227.211.239:81/CT00000501NTYA.HTML">
Click Here
< /a>
A reverse DNS lookup
on this link may not resolve properly to the Domain
Name Server. Instead, a name should be assigned
to the public IP address and used in the Default
Campaign Configuration. The link would then look
like this:
<a
href=
" http://www.arialsoftware.com:81/CT00000501NTYA.HTML">
Click Here
< /a>
AOL (or any other provider)
will be able to perform the test and allow the
message to come through.
Example of the Default
Campaign Configuration section to update:
If Campaign Enterprise
sits behind a firewall, specify the resolvable
name of the firewall in the default settings.
To find the name of
the firewall, use the following online utility
and enter the IP address of the firewall machine.
http://www.dnsstuff.com/
Contact the DNS administrator
for further assistance.
More
AOL Tips:
- Each mailing must specifically state how
AOL members' e-mail addresses were obtained
(i.e., purchase from Acme tools, sign up for
Travel discounts, etc.) and must state whether
this is a one-time mailing or a reoccurring
mailing. Additionally, such details as the date
and time when the e-mail address was obtained,
along with the IP address, must be available
upon request.
- All mailings must have valid list removal
instructions in the text of every e-mail. Removal
instructions must be obvious, clear, and easily
understood—preferably a workable link
to a one-click unsubscribe mechanism located
at the top of the e-mail. If the removal process
is via the "reply to:" e-mail address,
the address to which the e-mail is being sent
must be valid.
- All e-mail must have a valid non-Internet
(phone number, snail e-mail address, etc.) contact
in the text of every e-mail. If this is not
available, there must be a direct link in the
text of the e-mail that is directed to such
information on the organization's web page.
For more tips on sending
via AOL, review their whitelist requirements at
http://postmaster.info.aol.com/guidelines/enhanced.html.
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