How can I improve email deliverability when emails are going to spam?

Summary

Improving email deliverability involves a multi-faceted approach focusing on consent, authentication, reputation, content, and technical configurations. Experts and documentation highlight the critical need for obtaining explicit consent before sending emails and avoiding practices like scraping email addresses. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for authenticating emails and preventing spoofing. Monitoring and maintaining a good sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools is essential. Creating engaging, relevant content while avoiding spam trigger words and providing easy unsubscribe options enhances deliverability. Regularly cleaning email lists to remove inactive addresses and spam traps and testing emails before sending them are also vital. Finally, using a dedicated IP address and checking for and removing the domain from email blacklists contribute to improved inbox placement.

Key findings

  • Consent is Paramount: Obtaining explicit consent before sending emails is the foundation of good deliverability.
  • Authentication is Mandatory: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for authenticating emails and preventing spoofing.
  • Reputation is Key: Maintaining a positive sender reputation is critical for inbox placement.
  • Content Matters: Engaging, relevant content that avoids spam triggers improves deliverability.
  • Hygiene is Vital: Regularly cleaning email lists and removing spam traps is crucial for maintaining deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Data Acquisition Practices: Avoid scraping email addresses and other non-permission-based methods for building your list.
  • DMARC Configuration: Implement DMARC carefully, understanding its implications, as incorrect setup can worsen deliverability.
  • Google Postmaster Tools: Register your domain with Google Postmaster Tools to monitor domain/IP reputation and identify potential issues.
  • Regular List Cleaning: Implement a system for regularly cleaning and validating email lists to remove inactive addresses and spam traps.
  • Content Testing: Test your emails before sending them to your entire list to ensure they render correctly across different email clients and devices.
  • Dedicated IP Address: Consider using a dedicated IP address for sending emails to build a positive sender reputation.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

To improve email deliverability when emails are going to spam, several key actions are recommended by email marketing experts. These include authenticating emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC; cleaning email lists to remove inactive addresses; segmenting lists for targeted content; creating engaging content; avoiding spam trigger words; providing easy unsubscribe options; using a dedicated IP address; testing emails before sending; and checking for and removing the domain from email blacklists. Additionally, avoiding practices like scraping email addresses from LinkedIn and monitoring domain reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools are crucial.

Key opinions

  • Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is critical for verifying email authenticity and improving deliverability.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists by removing inactive or invalid addresses reduces bounce rates and enhances sender reputation.
  • Content Engagement: Creating engaging content that prompts interaction signals value to ISPs, boosting deliverability.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring domain and IP reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools helps identify and address deliverability issues.
  • Segmentation: Segmenting email lists and sending targeted content increases relevance and improves engagement.

Key considerations

  • Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is the most critical factor. Continuously monitor and take steps to improve it.
  • Engagement Metrics: Actively track email engagement metrics (opens, clicks, replies) as indicators of email value and deliverability health.
  • Avoid Spam Triggers: Be mindful of content and subject lines, avoiding spam trigger words and misleading information.
  • Unsubscribe Process: Ensure a simple and clear unsubscribe process to avoid spam complaints.
  • Data Acquisition: Avoid scraping email addresses or using other non-permission-based methods for building your list, as this can severely damage your reputation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from SuperOffice recommends checking if your domain is on any email blacklists. If it is, take steps to get removed from the list, as being blacklisted can significantly impact your email deliverability.

January 2022 - SuperOffice
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow user TechBloke88 mentions using a dedicated IP address for sending emails. This helps build a positive sender reputation with ISPs, as your email activity isn't influenced by other senders sharing the same IP.

May 2022 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus recommends providing an easy and straightforward way for recipients to unsubscribe from your emails. Making it difficult to unsubscribe can lead to recipients marking your emails as spam, negatively impacting deliverability.

November 2023 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Constant Contact recommends segmenting your email list based on demographics, behavior, or purchase history. Sending targeted content increases engagement and shows ISPs that your emails are relevant to recipients, which improves deliverability.

August 2023 - Constant Contact
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that sending from Gmail or Marketo IPs means PTRs are unlikely the problem. Recommends registering the domain with Google Postmaster Tools to assess domain/IP reputation.

April 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid explains to avoid using spam trigger words in your email subject lines and body copy. Words like 'free,' 'guarantee,' or 'urgent' can flag your emails as spam and prevent them from reaching the inbox.

October 2023 - EmailOnAcid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel explains to test your emails before sending them to your entire list using tools like Litmus or Email on Acid. This ensures that your emails render correctly across different email clients and devices, preventing potential deliverability issues.

March 2025 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares the importance of cleaning your email list regularly to remove inactive or invalid email addresses. This reduces bounce rates and improves your sender reputation, making it more likely that your emails reach the inbox.

March 2024 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailExpert123 shares that creating engaging content that encourages recipients to interact with your emails, such as clicking links or replying to messages is important. High engagement rates signal to ISPs that your emails are valuable, improving deliverability.

August 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks states that scraping from LinkedIn is a classic cause for bad domain reputation.

May 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains to authenticate your emails by setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. These protocols verify that your emails are genuinely sent from your domain and haven't been tampered with, significantly boosting deliverability.

June 2022 - Mailjet

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

Experts emphasize that improving email deliverability when emails are going to spam requires addressing the root causes and implementing best practices. Acquiring email addresses ethically is critical, as sending unsolicited emails damages domain reputation. Proper email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for verifying email authenticity and preventing spoofing. Maintaining email list hygiene by removing spam traps and inactive addresses is essential. Furthermore, understanding and managing sender reputation is vital, as ISPs use reputation metrics to assess trustworthiness. Addressing these areas helps improve inbox placement and overall deliverability.

Key opinions

  • Ethical Acquisition: The primary reason emails are marked as spam is because recipients didn't opt-in. Focus on ethical email address acquisition practices.
  • Authentication: Properly configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for authenticating emails and preventing spoofing.
  • Sender Reputation: Understanding and managing your sender reputation is critical, as ISPs use it to determine trustworthiness.
  • Email Hygiene: Maintaining a clean email list by removing spam traps and inactive addresses is essential for good deliverability.
  • Impact of Spamming: Spamming activities damage domain reputation, and enterprise spam filters are less forgiving.

Key considerations

  • Domain Reputation: Regularly monitor and address any issues affecting your domain reputation.
  • Data Analysis: Use data points, like GPT, to gain insights into deliverability performance, but consider it only one data point.
  • Strategic Authentication: Implement DMARC carefully, understanding its implications, as incorrect setup can worsen deliverability.
  • List Maintenance: Implement a system for regularly cleaning and validating email lists to avoid spam traps.
  • Consent: Ensure that all recipients have explicitly consented to receive emails.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource, Laura Atkins, explains the importance of sender reputation, suggesting that understanding and managing your sending reputation is crucial. She highlights that ISPs use reputation metrics to assess the trustworthiness of email senders, affecting whether emails land in the inbox or spam folder.

May 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains the spamming activity has damaged domain reputation. Suggests stopping the spamming to allow it to recover, but notes enterprise spam filters are less forgiving. Recommends using GPT as a data point.

July 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise staff emphasizes the role of email authentication in ensuring deliverability. They stress the importance of properly configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify the authenticity of your emails and prevent spoofing, which can significantly improve inbox placement.

January 2025 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains the main reason emails get marked as spam is because people didn’t ask for them, suggesting to start by evaluating how email addresses are acquired. He notes that PTR records aren't the primary cause and that adding DMARC records without understanding their function can worsen the situation.

December 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource, Steve Linford, answers the question of what spam traps are, how they affect deliverability and how to avoid them. He says that it is important to maintain email hygiene and to regularly clean your email list to avoid sending to email addresses that could turn into spam traps.

April 2023 - Spam Resource

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Improving email deliverability, as highlighted in various technical documentation, centers around email authentication, reputation monitoring, and security protocols. Implementing SPF records specifies authorized mail servers, preventing spoofing. DKIM uses cryptographic signatures to verify email authenticity. DMARC builds upon SPF and DKIM, providing policies for handling authentication failures, enhancing security and deliverability. Google Postmaster Tools and services like Sender Score/Return Path are crucial for monitoring domain reputation and identifying deliverability issues. These measures collectively help ensure emails reach the inbox rather than the spam folder.

Key findings

  • SPF Implementation: Implementing Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records is essential for specifying authorized mail servers and preventing email spoofing.
  • DKIM Signatures: DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) uses cryptographic signatures to verify the authenticity of email messages.
  • DMARC Policies: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) provides policies for handling emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, improving deliverability and security.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Using Google Postmaster Tools or services like Sender Score/Return Path is crucial for monitoring domain reputation.
  • Authentication Suite: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work together to establish trust and prevent malicious actors from impersonating legitimate senders.

Key considerations

  • Ongoing Monitoring: Continuously monitor domain reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and adjust practices based on the insights gained.
  • Proper Configuration: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are configured correctly to avoid unintended consequences, such as legitimate emails being rejected.
  • Policy Enforcement: DMARC allows setting policies for handling authentication failures, allowing senders to indicate how recipient mail servers should treat unauthenticated messages.
  • Regular Audits: Regularly audit email sending practices and authentication setups to ensure they remain effective and up-to-date.
  • Third-Party Tools: Utilize third-party services to gain additional insights into email deliverability and potential issues.
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org highlights Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. DMARC policies instruct email providers on how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, enhancing deliverability and security.

December 2023 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor specifies DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is crucial to implement. DKIM uses cryptographic signatures to verify the authenticity of email messages. By signing your emails with DKIM, you demonstrate to email providers that your messages are legitimate and haven't been tampered with during transit.

June 2023 - RFC Editor
Technical article

Documentation from Google explains that using Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your domain's reputation and identify deliverability issues is important. It provides data on spam rates, domain reputation, and feedback loop information, enabling you to address any problems that impact deliverability.

February 2025 - Google Support
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft shares the importance of implementing Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records in your DNS settings. SPF records specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain, preventing spammers from forging your email address.

June 2022 - Microsoft Docs
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains the value of monitoring your sender reputation regularly with services like Sender Score or Return Path. This allows you to identify any issues affecting deliverability and take corrective action promptly.

February 2025 - SparkPost