Why are Google Postmaster Tools spam rates suddenly spiking?

Email marketer from StackExchange answers that poor IP reputation can lead to deliverability issues, including increased spam rates. They recommend monitoring IP reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and working with your ESP to improve it.

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that you should improve your sender reputation by consistently authenticating emails (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), segmenting lists to send relevant content, and regularly cleaning your email list to remove unengaged recipients.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares questions to consider, such as whether inboxing has just started, if there was significant send volume, if DKIM was enabled on new streams, and if volume has changed to give Gmail more data.

Email marketer from EmailOctopus Blog shares that a sudden increase in spam complaints may be caused by list hygiene problems (sending to old or unengaged addresses), changes in email content that trigger spam filters, or sending to newly acquired lists without warming them up.

Email marketer from Litmus explains that spam filters analyze email content for certain keywords, formatting issues, and suspicious links. They recommend avoiding overly promotional language, using a reasonable link-to-text ratio, and testing your emails with spam filter tools before sending.

Email marketer from Sender explains that list cleaning involves removing inactive subscribers and email addresses from your contact list, improving your deliverability metrics. The advice is to filter and delete unengaged subscribers who haven't opened your emails in a certain period of time.

Email marketer from ZeroBounce explains that using purchased email lists is highly detrimental to deliverability, as these lists often contain outdated or invalid addresses, and recipients are unlikely to have opted in to receive your emails. This leads to high bounce rates, spam complaints, and damage to your sender reputation.

Email marketer from GlockApps explains that several factors can cause emails to land in the spam folder, including poor list quality, missing or incorrect authentication records, spammy content, and high complaint rates. Regular deliverability testing can help identify these issues.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that sudden spikes might come from changes in sending frequency, content, or the recipient list. They suggest checking recent email campaigns for problematic elements (links, keywords) and monitoring the unsubscribe rate.

Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that Gmail doesn't publish a complaint threshold and the change is in how they are reporting data, not a change in how they internally measure reputation. The expert also mentions how people are making statements about acceptable complaint rates and that 0.3% is the rate where deliverability issues start, rather than a hard-and-fast threshold.

Expert from Email Geeks, supported by marketer from Email Geeks, believes the Google Postmaster Tools spam rate calculation change involves 'active users,' meaning the spam rate is now calculated based on users who have actively engaged with their Gmail mailbox recently. The spike would indicate that the target contains too many inactive users.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that the spam rate spike is likely a signal that the sender's reputation has been falling and they've reached a threshold where Google is bulk foldering the mail. They advise checking for changes in links, CDNs, or new content providers that might be causing the issue.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that low user engagement, like infrequent opens or clicks, signals to mailbox providers that your emails may not be relevant or desired, potentially leading to deliverability problems and increased spam rates. Keeping your lists engaged is key.

Expert from Spamresource explains that several factors can cause a sudden increase in spam complaints, including changes in sending practices, content triggers, or a decline in list hygiene. They emphasize investigating recent changes and monitoring feedback loops.

Documentation from Google Support explains that the spam rate is the percentage of emails marked as spam by users, divided by the number of emails sent to the inbox. A high spam rate can negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability.

Documentation from Microsoft answers that the SNDS (Smart Network Data Services) program provides data about your sending IP address and the volume of complaints associated with it. Monitoring SNDS can help identify and address deliverability problems.

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that allows senders to indicate that their emails are protected by SPF and DKIM, and tells receivers what to do if authentication fails, such as reject the message.

Documentation from RFC explains that SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records are DNS records that specify which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. Having a proper SPF record helps prevent spammers from forging your 'From' address.