Why are important product emails going to spam and how can I fix it?

Summary

Important product emails are often flagged as spam due to a multifaceted combination of issues related to sender reputation, authentication protocols, content, list management practices, and sending infrastructure. A central theme across these insights is the significance of sender reputation, largely affected by user engagement levels, complaint rates, and blacklisting occurrences. Proper email authentication via SPF, DKIM, and DMARC emerges as a critical measure to verify the sender's identity and prevent spoofing. Content quality and relevance also play a vital role, as spam trigger words, poor formatting, and irrelevant messaging contribute to deliverability problems. Effective list management involves regular cleaning to remove unengaged recipients and segmenting the audience for more targeted content delivery. In terms of sending infrastructure, aspects like IP address reputation, consistent IP usage, and appropriate warm-up procedures influence whether emails reach the intended inbox. Scaling email volume too quickly, particularly for senders functioning as intermediaries, also impacts deliverability, as email providers scrutinize such practices. Finally, domain importance for placement can be more important than IP addresses.

Key findings

  • Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is a critical determinant of deliverability, influenced by engagement, complaints, and blacklisting.
  • Email Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for authenticating emails and preventing spoofing.
  • Content Quality: The presence of spam trigger words, poor formatting, and irrelevant content can negatively impact deliverability.
  • List Management: Regular list cleaning and audience segmentation are crucial for maintaining a healthy email list and improving engagement.
  • Infrastructure & Sending Practices: Aspects such as IP address reputation, consistent IP usage, and scaling practices influence email deliverability.
  • Email engagement: Use links instead of attachments and try different subject lines

Key considerations

  • Authentication Setup: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your sending domain.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Monitor sender reputation via tools like Google Postmaster Tools and address any issues promptly.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email lists and segment audiences based on engagement.
  • Content Optimization: Refine email content to eliminate spam trigger words and ensure proper formatting.
  • Sending Infrastructure Review: Maintain a valid PTR record, use a consistent IP address (or dedicated IP), and warm up new IP addresses correctly.
  • Volume Throttling: Throttling batch sends as much as possible.

What email marketers say
18Marketer opinions

Important product emails often end up in spam due to a combination of factors related to sender reputation, authentication, content, and list management. A poor sender reputation, often stemming from low engagement or high complaint rates, is a primary culprit. Lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) makes it easier for email providers to flag emails as suspicious. The content itself can trigger spam filters through the use of certain words or poor formatting. Inadequate list management practices, such as sending to unengaged recipients or not regularly cleaning the list, also contribute to deliverability problems. Scaling sending volume too rapidly, especially when acting as an intermediary sender, can negatively impact reputation. Corrective measures include improving sender reputation, implementing proper authentication, using engaging and relevant content, cleaning and segmenting email lists, and warming up IP addresses correctly. Exploring dedicated IPs versus shared IPs is also worth exploration.

Key opinions

  • Sender Reputation: A poor sender reputation is a major factor in emails going to spam. Low engagement, high complaint rates, and being blacklisted contribute to this.
  • Email Authentication: Lack of proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) makes it easier for emails to be flagged as spam.
  • Content: Spam trigger words, poor formatting, and irrelevant content can cause emails to land in the spam folder.
  • List Management: Sending to unengaged recipients and not regularly cleaning the email list negatively impacts deliverability.
  • Scaling: Scaling sending volume too quickly, especially as an intermediary sender, can damage reputation.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Setup: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate your emails and improve deliverability.
  • Content Optimization: Review your email content for spam trigger words, ensure proper formatting, and focus on relevance and engagement.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list of inactive subscribers and segment your audience for more targeted sending.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Monitor your sender reputation and take steps to address any issues.
  • Warm-up IP Addresses: Correctly warm up IP addresses to avoid deliverability issues.
  • Sending Practices: Use links instead of attachments
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests trying links instead of attachments, ensuring domain authentication is in place, emails are encrypted, and PTR record is set up for the sending IP address.

August 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from GlockApps shares that key reasons for emails going to spam include poor IP or domain reputation, being blacklisted, spam trigger words in the subject line or body, incorrect HTML formatting, and high complaint rates. Using a tool to test deliverability is recommended.

October 2021 - GlockApps
Marketer view

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that getting emails delivered requires authentication, sending wanted emails, segmentation, testing, and maintaining a good sender reputation.

August 2023 - Campaign Monitor
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that improving sender reputation, authenticating your email (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and cleaning your email list are crucial steps to improve email deliverability and prevent emails from going to spam.

October 2024 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks asks whether the sender is using a dedicated IP or shared IP, suggests seed testing, and checking IP/domain reputation via Google Postmaster Tools.

July 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that he had deliverability issues related to not warming up the IP correctly. Once warmed up, deliverability issues went away

January 2024 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suspects the issue is scaling too quickly from a sending domain. Explains that the sender is functionally in the position of being an ESP sending on behalf of someone else, which means they've got to consider all the same types of problems they run into.

February 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that changing IPs rarely helps unless in extreme situations and that Gmail cares more about domain reputation. Also suggests that plain text content might be an issue if there isn’t enough to engage with.

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOctopus shares that to avoid the spam folder, senders should use a reputable email service provider, authenticate their email with SPF and DKIM, avoid spam trigger words, and regularly clean their email list of inactive subscribers.

March 2022 - EmailOctopus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that to fix email deliverability issues, senders should authenticate their email, maintain a clean email list, monitor their sending reputation, and test their email content and code for spam triggers.

September 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that to prevent spammers and hackers from being able to exploit the system it's only possible to scale your volume capacity for a domain so quickly. Recommends throttling batch sends as much as possible.

July 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid shares that reasons for emails landing in the spam folder include a poor sender reputation, lack of email authentication, high spam complaint rates, sending to unengaged recipients, and using spam trigger words.

March 2025 - SendGrid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Hubspot shares that improving email deliverability involves ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), avoiding spam trigger words, cleaning your email list, sending relevant content, and monitoring your sender reputation.

October 2024 - Hubspot
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that it is best practice to use two different IP addresses for transactional emails and marketing emails.

November 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailchimp shares that to improve email deliverability, you should authenticate your domain, use a recognizable 'From' address, segment your audience, clean your list regularly, and monitor your results.

November 2021 - Mailchimp
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign suggests that improving email deliverability includes focusing on proper list management, sending relevant and engaging content, setting up authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and monitoring sending reputation.

October 2022 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that a domain is typically more important than IP addresses in determining email placement.

January 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that consistently sending emails to spam can be due to several factors, including a poor sender reputation, lack of proper email authentication, or being listed on a blocklist. Suggests checking your IP/domain reputation, setting up SPF/DKIM/DMARC records, and ensuring your content isn't triggering spam filters.

March 2024 - Reddit

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

Emails often land in spam due to a combination of engagement, authentication, sender reputation, content, and sending practices. Low engagement can be addressed by improving subject lines and content and following up with purchasers. Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and sender reputation are critical for inbox placement. Sending practices, such as email volume, and unwanted or unauthenticated emails contribute to deliverability problems.

Key opinions

  • Engagement: Low engagement (e.g., uninteresting subject lines, irrelevant content) can lead to emails being marked as spam.
  • Authentication & Reputation: Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and sender reputation are key factors determining email deliverability.
  • Sending Practices: High email volume, sending unwanted emails, and not authenticating emails can cause deliverability issues.

Key considerations

  • Improve Engagement: Change subject lines or content to be more engaging; follow up with purchasers to confirm receipt.
  • Implement Authentication: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate your emails.
  • Manage Sender Reputation: Monitor and actively manage your sender reputation.
  • Review Sending Practices: Ensure emails are wanted by the recipient, volume is appropriate, and content is not spammy.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that issues such as email volume being too high, emails not being wanted by the recipient, not authenticating the emails and sending spammy content can all cause emails to land in the junk folder.

July 2021 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests improving engagement by changing the subject line or content of the emails and sending a follow-up to the purchaser asking them to confirm that the recipient received the ticket.

November 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and sender reputation are key factors determining whether emails land in the inbox or spam folder. Senders need to implement proper authentication and actively manage their reputation to ensure delivery.

December 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Emails are often marked as spam due to issues with sender authentication, reputation, and adherence to email standards. Google and Microsoft both emphasize the importance of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), maintaining a good sender reputation by keeping complaint rates low, and avoiding unwanted emails. Google highlights the need for a valid PTR record and consistent IP usage, while Microsoft recommends using a dedicated IP and providing an easy unsubscribe option. DMARC.org focuses on DMARC as a tool to protect against email spoofing and control how recipient mail servers handle authentication failures. The RFC Editor specifies the technical standards which email messages must adhere to.

Key findings

  • Authentication is Critical: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for verifying sender identity and preventing spoofing.
  • Sender Reputation Matters: Maintaining a good sender reputation by minimizing complaints and avoiding unwanted emails is crucial for deliverability.
  • Compliance with Standards: Adhering to email formatting standards, such as RFC 5322, ensures proper message handling.
  • Infrastructure Setup: Having a valid PTR record and a consistent/dedicated IP address can improve deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Implement Authentication: Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your sending domain.
  • Monitor Reputation: Track your sender reputation and complaint rates; take action to address any issues.
  • Adhere to Email Standards: Format your emails according to RFC 5322 and other relevant standards.
  • Review IP Configuration: Ensure your sending IP has a valid PTR record and consider using a dedicated IP address.
  • Provide Unsubscribe Option: Always include an easy-to-find unsubscribe mechanism in your emails.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Support explains that to prevent mail to Gmail users from being blocked or sent to spam, ensure that your sending IP has a valid PTR record, use a consistent IP address to send mail, keep complaint rates low, and authenticate email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. It also specifies to avoid sending unwanted email, check blocklists, and format messages according to RFC 5322.

March 2025 - Google Support
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, is an email authentication protocol. It allows domain owners to protect their domain from unauthorized use, commonly known as email spoofing. By implementing DMARC, domain owners can instruct recipient mail servers on how to handle messages that fail authentication checks, providing enhanced security and control over their email traffic.

June 2023 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor specifies Internet Message Format describing the syntax for electronic mail messages. It provides technical detail on header fields and body structure.

July 2023 - RFC Editor
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains that to ensure email delivery, senders should authenticate their email, use a dedicated IP address, monitor their sender reputation, comply with junk email policies, and provide an easy unsubscribe mechanism.

May 2023 - Microsoft

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