IOL is the leading Internet Service Provider (ISP) on the Italian market. Before launching email campaigns to an Italian audience, your first step should be to learn about IOL. And you're in the right place!
Summary- What is IOL, the major player in Italian email?
- IOL certification: essential and limited?
- Deliverability and compliance benefits
- Who can get IOL certified?
- IOL certification at a glance
What is IOL, the major player in Italian email?
IOL stands for Italia OnLine and includes several Internet Service Providers. In 2012, Telecom Italia sold Matrix and its portal Virgilio.it to Libero.it. The merger of the two brands gave birth to Italia OnLine in 2013. IOL now encompasses 6 webmail domains:
- blu.it
- giallo.it
- inwind.it
- iol.it
- libero.it
- virgilio.it
IOL certification: essential and limited?
Email senders with large volumes only
An IOL certification allows you to get your volumes delivered either to the primary inbox or the promotions tab. The outcome depends on your email quality and the chosen IOL certification.
You must send a minimum volume: 50 million emails per month exclusively to IOL. The certification is therefore intended for bulk senders.
Although it has a cost, it's quickly offset by the deliverable volumes.
A certification tied to email best practices
This certification is not a free pass. It does not allow for spammer behavior that would hurt the quality of IOL mailboxes.
For example, if you send to too many hard bounces or generate too many complaints, IOL will reject the emails and return a DNS error highlighting the issue.
If this continues, the certification may be revoked on the affected IPs.
🔗 Blacklisted? Here's how to unblock your emails
A certification that email professionals trust
At first, this certification raised concerns among senders. People closely watched the filtering quality to ensure no illegitimate messages would sneak through.
More than ten years later, the certification has proven reliable. Best practices are monitored as they are on all major webmails, and violators are blocked.
Who can get IOL certified?
What kind of senders are eligible?
Senders who send at least 50 million emails per month to IOL are eligible for IOL certification.
With such a high volume, few companies qualify. This is why some ESPs (Email Service Providers) choose to obtain a group certification for their clients targeting the Italian market.
The 50-million minimum still applies, but it can be pooled across users.
Mindbaz has certified several IPs so its Italian clients can send campaigns with peace of mind.
2 IOL certifications available
The Italian provider IOL offers 2 certification options for inbox placement:
- 1 for media companies sending newsletters to land in the primary inbox
- 1 for monetization agencies to place emails in the promotions tab
Is IOL certification required for email senders?
While not mandatory, it depends on your email type.
It's highly recommended for monetization campaigns.
Given the promotional nature of the content, building sender reputation can take time—while inbox placement is critical from day one.
Certifying your campaigns with IOL is a valuable investment considering the ISP's reach in Italy.
Newsletters: certification not needed
Your sending consistency and frequency will naturally build your reputation.
Consistent engagement from your recipients is what truly helps with inbox placement.
📩 Planning to target Italy? Book a call with our Italian email expert, Alessandro.
Meet Alessandro, Country Manager for Italy at Mindbaz
In short: IOL certification criteria for sending emails in Italy
| Company type | Experienced email senders |
|---|---|
| Minimum email volume | 50 million emails/month to IOL |
| Regulatory compliance | Meets data protection standards (GDPR, explicit opt-in) |
| Best practices | List hygiene, low bounce rate, easy opt-out |
| Technical support | Commitment to work with IOL for setup and maintenance |
Why do some senders need IOL certification to send emails?
Because in France, some Internet Service Providers require IOL certification to ensure strong deliverability. It’s essential for routers and professional senders managing large volumes.
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