Why are my email newsletters being marked as spam in Gmail despite double opt-in, and how can I improve inbox placement?
Summary
What email marketers say14Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor answers to include permission reminders in your emails. Briefly remind subscribers why they are receiving the email, which can help reduce spam complaints from people who may have forgotten they subscribed.
Email marketer from Reddit states to focus on the content being sent; even with double opt-in, if the content doesn't match what subscribers expect or find valuable, they're more likely to mark it as spam.
Email marketer from Email Geeks recommends continuous and automated list hygiene based on email and website engagement, dynamically segmenting and re-evaluating subscribers with each send. They also advise purging the list and assuming the reputation needs rebuilding.
Email marketer from Neil Patel shares to avoid spam filters by not using spam trigger words, maintaining a clean email list, providing value in every email, and ensuring a clear and easy unsubscribe process.
Email marketer from Quora answers that if you're using a new IP address, you need to 'warm it up' gradually by sending emails to engaged subscribers first, slowly increasing volume over time to build a positive reputation.
Email marketer from ZeroBounce shares to regularly check your IP reputation using tools like Sender Score or Talos. A poor IP reputation can directly affect deliverability, even with double opt-in.
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that a 5% complaint rate with a high sending volume (150k Gmail addresses) is a clear indicator of unwanted email, regardless of subscriber status. It signals the need to revise the email marketing strategy.
Email marketer from Gmass says personalization is crucial. Use subscriber data to send relevant and customized emails, making sure they don’t appear generic or mass-produced.
Email marketer from Litmus highlights the importance of making emails accessible. Ensure your emails are readable on all devices and email clients, and that they adhere to accessibility guidelines. Poorly designed emails can be flagged as suspicious.
Email marketer from Email Geeks recommends to check unsubscribe routes for clarity and visibility. Difficult unsubscribing options often leave subscribers no choice but to mark emails as spam.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares to assess the frequency of your emails. Sending too many emails too often can lead to subscriber fatigue and increased spam complaints. Ensure you set expectations about frequency upon sign up.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign answers that segmenting your email list allows you to send more targeted and relevant content to specific groups of subscribers, increasing engagement and reducing spam complaints.
Email marketer from HubSpot states that regular email list cleaning is crucial. Remove bounced emails, unsubscribed contacts, and inactive subscribers to maintain a healthy sender reputation.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests investigating whether the sending infrastructure has been compromised and is sending spam without the sender's knowledge. A high spam rate (5% from 150K) could indicate a broader issue than just content.
What the experts say8Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource answers that it is important to sign up for and monitor feedback loops (FBLs) offered by ISPs like Gmail. FBLs provide data on which subscribers are marking your emails as spam, allowing you to identify and remove problematic addresses from your list.
Expert from Email Geeks highlights the importance of matching subscriber expectations with the email content. A disconnect between what subscribers expect and what they receive leads to spam reports, emphasizing a need to review the content and opt-in process.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that inbox placement testing tools rely on probe accounts and test the non-personal reputation of your mail. They don't accurately reflect individual customer experiences.
Expert from Word to the Wise answers that monitoring your sender reputation is critical. A poor sender reputation, even with legitimate subscribers, can lead to deliverability issues. Use tools to track your reputation and address any negative trends promptly.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that high spam reports indicate recipients don't want the emails being sent, and fixing the underlying issue (content, audience, etc.) is more important than relying on testing services.
Expert from Spam Resource explains to look into whether you could be experiencing a list bomb. Where there are people who are signing up other people to your newsletter, who never opted in. If this is the case you need to add CAPTCHA, and confirm subscription email, and review the list for suspicious signups.
Expert from Word to the Wise suggests examining your sending practices, stating that even with double opt-in, sending irrelevant or low-quality content can lead to spam complaints. Focus on providing value and meeting subscriber expectations.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that Gmail delivery is based on the relationship between the recipient and the sender. Testing tools don't have this relationship, so their results don't reflect actual subscriber delivery.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that Gmail's spam filters consider many factors, including user reports, authentication, sender reputation, and content. Even with double opt-in, if users mark emails as spam, Gmail learns from this feedback.
Documentation from SendGrid emphasizes the importance of setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your emails. This helps ISPs verify that the email is genuinely from your domain and reduces the likelihood of it being marked as spam.
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that improving deliverability involves authenticating your domain, using a consistent sending IP, maintaining list hygiene by removing inactive subscribers, and creating engaging, relevant content that recipients want to read.
Documentation from Microsoft Support states that Outlook's junk email filter learns from user actions. If users frequently mark emails from a specific sender as junk, future emails from that sender are more likely to be filtered.
Documentation from RFC explains Sender Policy Framework (SPF) which specifies the technical standard that authenticates senders IP addresses. If a sending IP is not listed in the SPF record, emails are more likely to be filtered.