Is it possible to use custom code to prevent emails from going to the promotions tab?
Summary
What email marketers say14Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailchimp advises to ensure your 'from' name is one your subscribers recognise as the messages will be filtered if a subscriber cannot recognize where it's coming from.
Marketer from Email Geeks warns trying to outsmart google will always come back to bite you.
Email marketer from Sender.net highlights the importance of avoiding spam trigger words in email content. They provide a list of words and phrases that are commonly flagged by spam filters.
Email marketer from Hubspot suggests that you should segment your email lists to ensure that your messages are relevant to each subscriber's interests.
Marketer from Email Geeks warns against using certain code to avoid the promotions tab. States clients WILL be blocked and will lose their ESP accounts.
Email marketer from EmailOctopus explains that personalization and segmentation are key to avoiding the promotions tab. They advise sending targeted emails to smaller segments of your audience.
Email marketer from Sendinblue advises to ensure your emails are mobile-friendly, as many users check their email on mobile devices. Poorly formatted emails can lead to lower engagement and potential filtering.
Email marketer from Mailjet suggests best practices for email deliverability, which indirectly helps in avoiding the promotions tab. This includes using a dedicated IP address, warming up the IP, and monitoring sender reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that user engagement (opens, clicks, replies) is a crucial factor in determining email placement. They recommend focusing on creating engaging content and optimizing send times.
Marketer from Email Geeks states 'No' to the suggestion of custom code preventing emails from going to the promotion tab. Recommends to not pay attention to scammers.
Email marketer from Quora states that while some techniques like using specific HTML structures or avoiding certain keywords might reduce the likelihood of emails landing in the promotions tab, there's no guaranteed method using custom code to completely bypass Gmail's filtering system.
Email marketer from Gmass explains that building a strong sender reputation through consistent sending habits and good email practices is essential for inbox placement. They recommend warming up new IP addresses.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests focusing on sending valuable, engaging content to subscribers and optimizing email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve deliverability. They say that focusing on sending high quality emails improves reputation.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign suggests avoiding excessive use of images and links in emails, as this can trigger spam filters. They recommend using a balanced ratio of text to images.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that trying to game the system can result in ending up in the spam folder. He suggests sending emails people want and encouraging customers to drag emails to the inbox.
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) emphasizes the importance of using authentication correctly and ensuring that you are not doing things that will damage your sender reputation. The focus is on being a good sender.
Expert from Email Geeks says that if someone "cracked the code," Google will simply change the code the next day.
Expert from SpamResource.com explains that inbox placement isn't just about code; it's a complex interplay of factors including authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), sender reputation, list hygiene, content quality, and user engagement.
Expert from SpamResource.com states that focusing on sending wanted mail and building a good reputation are the only ways to avoid the promotional tabs in the long term. They advise that you cannot 'trick' your way into the inbox.
Expert from Email Geeks identifies the anti-filter technique as hashbusting, a very old technique.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC helps prevent email spoofing and phishing, which can improve sender reputation and reduce the chances of emails being filtered into spam or promotions tabs.
Documentation from RFC details the technical specification for SPF records. Implementing SPF correctly authenticates the email's origin and improves deliverability.
Documentation from DKIM explains how to implement DKIM to digitally sign your emails, which improves authentication and helps prevent tampering.
Documentation from Google Support explains that Gmail filters emails based on various factors, including sender reputation, content, and user engagement. Google also use Machine Learning.