Why are Gmail users not receiving order confirmation emails?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that if order confirmation emails aren't reaching Gmail inboxes, it could be due to content triggering spam filters, issues with IP reputation, or problems with email infrastructure setup. They recommend testing emails with GlockApps or Mail-Tester.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests that Gmail's spam filters are highly sensitive, especially for new senders or domains. Recommends starting with a low sending volume and gradually increasing it while monitoring deliverability.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that improving email deliverability to Gmail requires cleaning email lists, warming up IP addresses, monitoring sender reputation, and adhering to email best practices. Suggests using double opt-in to ensure subscribers are genuinely interested.
Email marketer from Hubspot shares that your sending IP address reputation plays a big factor in whether or not your emails get delivered. It also shares that if you are on a shared IP sending too many emails can hurt your deliverability as well.
Email marketer from Email Geeks Forum responds that the issue could be related to the content of the order confirmation emails being flagged as promotional. Recommends simplifying the design and reducing the number of links and images.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that the order confirmations might be getting throttled, and taking longer to deliver due to IP volume load/mail stream reputation.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that Gmail could be blocking emails due to poor sender reputation or low engagement rates. Suggests improving email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and segmenting email lists to send targeted content.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that deliverability issues can arise from inconsistent sending patterns. They recommend maintaining a consistent volume and frequency of emails to establish a reliable sender reputation with Gmail.
Email marketer from StackOverflow points out that a strict DMARC policy can cause issues if SPF or DKIM are not correctly implemented. Suggests checking DMARC reports to identify and fix any authentication failures.
Email marketer from Gmass shares that your email content may be the reason why your emails aren't getting through. Using spammy words can trigger spam filters and send your email straight to the junk folder.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that Gmail doesn't tend to bounce most messages unless they're really annoyed, but more often it is adjusting mail flow to spam.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that feedback loops are essential for identifying and addressing deliverability problems. By monitoring complaints from Gmail users, senders can identify and fix issues that may be causing order confirmation emails to be marked as spam.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that deliverability problems with transactional emails, like order confirmations, can stem from improper authentication, poor IP reputation, or content that triggers spam filters. They emphasize the importance of monitoring deliverability metrics and addressing issues promptly.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that if gmail is bouncing messages, it will be known. States they’re very good at distinguishing between different mailstreams, so they’d be able to handle order confirmations separately from marketing, newsletters and password resets.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that it's unusual for Gmail to just throw away mail. Suggests having customer support suggest customers look in their spam folder and move the mail out, and testing to determine if mail is going to spam. Also suggests putting a note on the order page to add the sender's address to the address book.
Expert from Email Geeks asks if confirmations have been tested to personal gmail accounts and newly created ones?
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from RFC explains that SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records are essential for email authentication, verifying that sending mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. Incorrect SPF configurations can lead to deliverability issues.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks by providing instructions to email receivers on how to handle unauthenticated messages.
Documentation from DKIM.org specifies that DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) signatures provide a way to verify the integrity of email content and authenticity of the sender, crucial for avoiding spam filters and ensuring email deliverability to Gmail inboxes.
Documentation from Google's Bulk Sender Guidelines specifies that senders must authenticate their email using SPF and DKIM, maintain a good sender reputation, and ensure they are not sending unsolicited emails. Failure to comply may lead to delivery issues.