ActiveGate email service provider (ESP)
According to Live Direct Marketing's daily Tranco top-1M scan (September 12, 2026), ActiveGate is the email service provider (ESP) for 398 domains — 0.06% of 629,828 SPF-publishing domains. Detection method: include: mechanisms in the SPF record.
Key facts
- 398 domains in the Tranco top-1M use ActiveGate (0.06% of SPF-publishing domains).
- Snapshot date: 2026-09-12 — recomputed every day.
- Strongest TLD: .co.jp (43.2% of its domains).
- Most co-used service: Google Workspace.
- Directory category: email security gateway.
Why ActiveGate appears in this category
ActiveGate — Japanese email security gateway.
We classify it as a email security gateway from include: mechanisms in the SPF record matching a maintained provider rule. This is infrastructure attribution from public DNS, not evidence of a direct contract or exclusive use.
ActiveGate is an email service provider operated out of Japan that offers mail infrastructure, hosting, and related services primarily to smaller and mid-market organisations. It is most commonly encountered through SPF include mechanisms in DNS records, where it appears alongside authentication signals from Google Workspace and other business platforms.
The prevalence of ActiveGate across the long tail of websites—particularly on Japanese top-level domains—means that email senders targeting international audiences, especially those with Japanese customers or partners, are likely to encounter it in recipient infrastructure. This distribution pattern reflects its regional strength rather than dominance among the world's largest platforms, and it typically signals smaller, regionally anchored mail deployments rather than global enterprises.
Where ActiveGate sits in the Tranco ranking
| Tranco rank band | Domains | Share of its base |
|---|---|---|
| Top 1,000 | 1 | 0.3% |
| Top 10,000 | 9 | 2.3% |
| Top 100,000 | 53 | 13.3% |
| Top 1,000,000 | 334 | 83.9% |
| Unranked | 1 | 0.3% |
Top-level domain split
| TLD | Domains | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| .co.jp | 172 | 43.2% | |
| .jp | 80 | 20.1% | |
| .com | 78 | 19.6% | |
| .or.jp | 21 | 5.3% | |
| .net | 11 | 2.8% | |
| .ac.jp | 10 | 2.5% | |
| .ne.jp | 6 | 1.5% | |
| .com.ph | 3 | 0.8% | |
| .mn | 2 | 0.5% | |
| .biz | 2 | 0.5% |
What ActiveGate users also use
Cross-tabulated from the same daily snapshot — the other email services seen on the same 398 domains.
| Type | Service | Domains | Share of ActiveGate users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailbox | Google Workspace | 199 | 50.0% |
| Mailbox | Microsoft 365 | 104 | 26.1% |
| Mailbox | Self-Hosted | 27 | 6.8% |
| Mailbox | Unknown / Other | 19 | 4.8% |
| Mailbox | Generic / unmatched (mx*.*) | 13 | 3.3% |
| Mailbox | SecureMX (JP) | 8 | 2.0% |
| ESP | Amazon SES | 76 | 19.1% |
| ESP | Salesforce | 44 | 11.1% |
| ESP | Repica WebCAS | 36 | 9.0% |
| ESP | CrmStyle | 23 | 5.8% |
SPF and authentication patterns with ActiveGate-adjacent senders
When ActiveGate appears in a recipient's SPF record, it often sits within a layered authentication setup that includes Google Workspace or other third-party mail services. This stacking of authorised senders is common among smaller organisations managing multiple mail functions across different platforms. Senders should be aware that bounce handling, feedback loops, and authentication evaluation can vary depending on whether the ActiveGate infrastructure is the primary recipient mail server or an auxiliary service; understanding which layer processes the inbound message helps clarify delivery outcomes when issues arise.
See the full ActiveGate data page (KPI cards, trend, sample domains) →
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Frequently asked questions
What is ActiveGate and why does it appear in SPF records?
ActiveGate is a Japanese-based email service provider that appears in SPF records because recipient organisations use it to handle mail infrastructure. Its presence typically indicates a smaller or regionally focused business, particularly in Japan and neighbouring markets, using it alongside Google Workspace or other mail platforms.
How many domains use ActiveGate?
398 domains in the Tranco top-1M use ActiveGate as their email service provider (ESP) as of September 12, 2026 (0.06% of SPF-publishing domains), according to Live Direct Marketing's daily DNS scan.
Is ActiveGate common enough to affect email deliverability testing?
ActiveGate accounts for 0.06% of SPF-publishing domains in the top 1M. Whether you should seed a test mailbox there depends on how much of your audience it represents — the co-usage table above shows the services it appears alongside most.
Which countries or TLDs use ActiveGate most?
ActiveGate's largest TLD is .co.jp (43.2% of its domains); it appears across 20 TLDs in total.