Why are emails from a new .uk domain going to spam folders?
Summary
What email marketers say8Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that new TLDs often face skepticism due to a lack of data and inherent risk. TLDs carry reputation, with some considered riskier based on the amount of malicious activity originating from them.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that spam filters analyze various factors, including sender reputation, email content, and authentication. To avoid spam filters, they advise using a dedicated IP address, warming up your IP/domain gradually, and monitoring your sender reputation. They also stress the importance of CAN-SPAM compliance.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that new IPs or domains have no sending history, making it difficult for ISPs to assess their trustworthiness. They recommend a gradual warm-up process, starting with small batches of emails to engaged subscribers and gradually increasing the volume over time. Monitoring bounce rates and spam complaints is also crucial.
Email marketer from Gmass states the best ways to improve deliverability, including proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), maintaining a clean email list, sending relevant content, and avoiding spam trigger words. They recommend segmenting your audience and personalizing your emails to increase engagement and reduce spam complaints.
Email marketer from SparkPost Blog explains that new domains lack a sender reputation, which is crucial for inbox placement. Email providers are cautious of new senders until they establish a positive track record. They suggest warming up the domain gradually by sending low volumes of emails to engaged subscribers.
Email marketer from SendPulse shares that several reasons can cause emails to land in the spam folder, including a low sender reputation, lack of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), high spam complaint rates, and sending to unengaged recipients. They also advise regularly cleaning your email list and avoiding spam trigger words.
Email marketer from StackExchange mentions that domain age can influence deliverability, with newer domains often facing more scrutiny from spam filters. They recommend focusing on building a positive sender reputation by sending valuable content, segmenting your audience, and actively managing bounces and unsubscribes.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that when setting up a new domain, it's common to experience deliverability issues initially. They suggest warming up the domain slowly, ensuring SPF/DKIM/DMARC records are correctly configured, and monitoring your sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools. Engaging with subscribers who mark your emails as 'not spam' can also help.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that a new domain's reputation is built over time by consistently sending legitimate emails that recipients engage with. To improve domain reputation, implement authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), avoid purchasing email lists, and monitor deliverability metrics closely.
Expert from Spam Resource (John Levine) explains that new domains often suffer from poor reputation because they haven't built a history of sending legitimate mail. ISPs are cautious of unknown senders. Therefore emails are filtered more aggressively to protect their users from spam and phishing.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that many filter operators are skeptical of new TLDs, with some even blocking them outright. New domains and low email volume can make inbox placement difficult, especially with Microsoft. Microsoft is very sensitive to new domains and suggests warming up the domain by sending to known recipients and asking them to mark the emails as 'not spam'.
Expert from Word to the Wise details that many things effect email deliverability including sender reputation, authentication, list hygiene, engagement and content. All of these are key factors to consider when launching a new domain.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft details that factors contributing to spam filtering include sender reputation, email content, and recipient engagement. They recommend using the Junk Email Reporting Program (JMRP) to identify and address spam complaints. Ensuring your domain is not on any blocklists and following best practices for email authentication are also important.
Documentation from RFC defines the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) standard. SPF allows domain owners to specify which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of their domain. This helps prevent email spoofing and improves deliverability by verifying the sender's authenticity.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools highlights the importance of authenticating your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to improve deliverability. They also emphasize the need to maintain a low spam complaint rate and avoid sending unwanted emails to users. Google recommends monitoring your sender reputation using Postmaster Tools.