How does Gmail calculate compliance on their dashboard?
Summary
What email marketers say8Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that reverse engineering the dashboard might not be the best use of time, because the calculation includes data we don't have access to and rates are for the whole domain and not subdomains. She adds that the spam rate is calculated daily, but the overall number considers activity over a period between a day and a year.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that factors such as sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), consistent sending volume, low spam complaint rates, and engaged subscribers all influence Gmail's deliverability assessment.
Marketer from Email Geeks says the Gmail compliance threshold is .3% and suggests it might be a day-by-day calculation. He mentions a tool he posted that does compliance checks following the guidelines.
Email marketer from GlockApps shares that actively monitoring deliverability using tools that track inbox placement, spam folder placement, and authentication results can provide insights into how Gmail perceives email and inform strategies for improvement.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that list hygiene, targeted segmentation, personalized content, and consistent sending schedules contribute to improving engagement metrics, which ultimately influence Gmail's assessment of sender reputation and deliverability.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that warming up IP addresses gradually when starting new email campaigns, segmenting lists based on engagement, and removing inactive subscribers are crucial for avoiding spam filters and enhancing deliverability to Gmail inboxes.
Email marketer from Neil Patel emphasizes the importance of maintaining a good sender reputation. He advises consistently monitoring sender reputation tools provided by Gmail to identify and address any deliverability issues.
Email marketer from EmailGeeks Forum discusses that Gmail's filters consider a mix of factors like sender reputation, user engagement, and content relevance. High spam scores, low open rates, and irrelevant content can trigger spam filters.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that Gmail heavily relies on sender reputation when determining compliance. Factors such as spam complaints, engagement rates, and authentication practices contribute to the overall sender reputation, directly impacting deliverability to Gmail inboxes and compliance with their guidelines.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that spam complaints significantly impact Gmail compliance, and that it’s important to monitor feedback loops. She adds that maintaining low complaint rates is crucial for ensuring deliverability to Gmail and compliance with their sender guidelines.
What the documentation says7Technical articles
Documentation from DMARC.org clarifies that DMARC policies give guidelines on how receiving mail servers (like Gmail) should deal with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, and DMARC reports offer vital insight into authentication results and prospective deliverability issues.
Documentation from Gmail Help details Google's bulk sending guidelines including authentication requirements, list management best practices, and spam complaint monitoring. Adhering to these guidelines is essential for maintaining a positive sender reputation and ensuring reliable deliverability to Gmail users.
Documentation from Gmail Help explains that the user-reported spam rate should be kept below 0.10% and never exceed 0.30%. If the rate is too high, emails are more likely to be marked as spam.
Documentation from DKIM.org explains that implementing DKIM signatures validates email authenticity and integrity, decreasing the chance of emails being classified as spam by Gmail's filtering mechanisms.
Documentation from RFC 4408 specifies how SPF records are utilized for authenticating email sources, aiding in confirming the legitimacy of emails and thereby impacting sender reputation and deliverability in Gmail.
Documentation from EasyDMARC explains the roles of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC in authenticating email, which ultimately impacts whether Gmail perceives an email as legitimate and delivers it to the inbox or marks it as spam. Proper configuration is key.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools states that sender reputation is based on several factors, including user complaints, spam trap hits, authentication practices, and adherence to Gmail's sender guidelines.