How to troubleshoot emails going to spam in SFMC?

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that tools alone won't reveal why emails go to spam. Access to Google Postmaster Tools and ESP data (bounces, opens, clicks, unsubscribes) is needed to determine the cause.

Marketer from Email Geeks adds to Laura's answer, advising to check Google Postmaster Tools and the specific error message in the spam folder. If the error indicates similarity to past spam, reputation can be salvaged. However, a domain-wide spam identification requires a fresh domain.

Email marketer from StackOverflow advises avoiding the use of URL shorteners in emails, as they are often associated with spam and can negatively impact deliverability. Using full, branded URLs is recommended.

Email marketer from Email on Acid emphasizes the importance of pre-deployment testing using tools like Litmus or Email on Acid to identify potential rendering issues, broken links, and spam triggers before sending to your entire list.

Email marketer from MarketingProfs explains how segmenting email lists based on engagement, demographics, or other criteria can help send more relevant content to each recipient, improving engagement rates and reducing spam complaints.

Email marketer from SendGrid recommends a gradual IP warm-up process for new dedicated IPs, starting with low volumes and slowly increasing the amount of sent email over time to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs.

Email marketer from Mailjet shares the importance of setting up feedback loops (FBLs) with major ISPs to receive notifications about spam complaints, enabling prompt identification and resolution of deliverability issues.

Email marketer from EmailGeek Community suggests checking the sending IP's reputation using tools like Sender Score or Talos Intelligence to identify if the IP is blacklisted or has a poor reputation, which could be causing spam issues.

Email marketer from Reddit highlights the importance of regularly cleaning your subscriber lists by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers to improve sender reputation and reduce spam complaints.

Email marketer from Litmus recommends monitoring bounce rates and categorizing them (hard vs. soft bounces) to identify potential issues with email addresses or sending practices, allowing for timely cleanup and adjustments.

Expert from Spam Resource shares that the content of your emails plays a significant role in deliverability. Avoiding spam trigger words, excessive use of images, and broken links can help ensure your emails are not flagged as spam. Regular testing and optimization of your content are recommended.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that Gmail spam filtering is mainly based on two concepts: (1) the source's reputation (IP, domain, brand) and recipient interactions, which can be improved by mailing to engaged recipients; and (2) problematic content within the email (links, phrases, patterns) that may be associated with unwanted mail, which requires removing the offending data.

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that authenticating your email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential. These protocols help verify that the emails you send are legitimate, preventing spoofing and improving your deliverability rates. Proper setup is key for ISPs to trust your messages.

Expert from Word to the Wise states that Monitoring your sender reputation involves tracking metrics like spam complaint rates, bounce rates, and engagement levels. Tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score can help you identify issues and take corrective action to maintain a healthy reputation.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that ensuring list hygiene is critical. This involves removing invalid email addresses, unsubscribed users, and those who haven't engaged with your emails in a while. Maintaining a clean list improves your sender reputation and reduces the likelihood of being marked as spam.

Documentation from DMARC.org details the steps to implement DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) to protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks, which can greatly improve email deliverability.

Documentation from Salesforce Help emphasizes the importance of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for improving deliverability in SFMC. They also recommend using Sender Authentication Package (SAP) for branding and dedicated IPs for better control over reputation.

Documentation from Salesforce Help details how Content Detective in SFMC can be used to scan email content for words or phrases that might trigger spam filters, allowing users to adjust their content accordingly.

Documentation from RFC details how to configure SPF records correctly to authenticate your sending domains and prevent spoofing, ensuring that receiving mail servers recognize your emails as legitimate.