Why are my emails going to spam in Gmail even though everything seems technically correct?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from GMass shares that low engagement rates (opens, clicks) can signal to Gmail that your emails are unwanted. Focus on sending relevant content to engaged subscribers and pruning inactive users from your list to improve deliverability.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that even if everything seems technically correct, the sender's reputation plays a crucial role. If your domain or IP address is new or has a history of sending spam, Gmail will likely filter your emails. Warming up your IP and domain gradually is vital.
Email marketer from Constant Contact responds that maintaining a clean email list is crucial for deliverability. Regularly remove inactive subscribers, bounce addresses, and users who have unsubscribed to reduce spam complaints and improve your sender reputation.
Email marketer from Woodpecker explains that A/B testing subject lines, sender names, and email content can help you identify what resonates with your audience and avoid spam filters. Continuously optimize your emails based on performance data.
Email marketer from Email Geeks agrees with Steve on the image hosting and links using multiple domains and advises aligning these with the sending domain.
Email marketer from Email Geeks questions the 'from' name mi.ua, asking if it's a brand name.
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that even if your email setup seems technically correct, Gmail might still mark your emails as spam due to issues with authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and sender reputation. Ensure these are properly configured and monitored.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that high spam complaint rates can negatively impact deliverability. Enrolling in feedback loops (FBLs) allows you to identify and remove subscribers who mark your emails as spam, which can improve your sender reputation.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that as of June 1, 2024, Google requires that email headers support RFC 8058 one-click list-unsubscribe. If you don't comply, Gmail will not deliver your emails
Email marketer from Mailjet responds that a poor IP address reputation can lead to emails being marked as spam. If you're using a shared IP, the actions of other senders can affect your deliverability. Consider using a dedicated IP address to control your reputation.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that content can be a significant factor in triggering spam filters. Using spam trigger words, excessive capitalization, or misleading subject lines can cause emails to land in spam. Review your email content to avoid these triggers.
What the experts say8Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that missing 8058 could be an immediate problem, especially without a history of sending wanted email, even if existing mail is being sent successfully elsewhere without it.
Expert from Word to the Wise answers that Gmail's spam filtering algorithms are complex and consider numerous factors beyond technical configurations. Content quality, relevance to the recipient, and engagement metrics (opens, clicks, replies) all play a significant role. Even seemingly minor issues can trigger spam filters.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that using links from a campaign sent by one ESP (e.g., Bloomreach) while mailing through another ESP (e.g., Selzy) would look suspicious and could trigger spam filters.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that if the customer's email is landing in the spam folder on Gmail, the reason "similar to messages identified as spam" means that the content looks like unwanted email to Google.
Expert from Email Geeks notes that not having RFC8058 one-click unsubscribe won't help avoid spam filters.
Expert from Email Geeks points out the mix of image hosting on cloudfront, i.mi.us, brxcdn.com and cdn.exponea.com and suggests to check if this intentional.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that using cdn.exponea.com to host images could be a problem because it's a shared domain.
Expert from SpamResource explains that mailbox providers are constantly updating their algorithms to identify spam, so even if you've implemented best practices, changes in these algorithms can affect your deliverability. Monitor your metrics and adjust your strategies as needed.
What the documentation says6Technical articles
Documentation from DKIM.org details that using DKIM signatures to authenticate emails is essential to prove that the message was sent and authorized by the owner of the domain. This helps prevent spoofing and improves deliverability.
Documentation from SparkPost details how warming up your IP address and domain gradually by increasing sending volume over time to establish a positive sending reputation. This is especially important for new IP addresses and domains.
Documentation from Microsoft support explains that Outlook and other email clients use various factors to determine if an email is junk, including the sender's reputation, the content of the email, and user feedback. If many users mark your emails as junk, your emails are more likely to be filtered.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that implementing a DMARC policy and monitoring DMARC reports can help you identify and address unauthorized use of your domain, which can protect your sender reputation and improve deliverability. Review your DMARC reports regularly to detect and prevent spoofing attacks.
Documentation from RFC 2369 details about the importance of including a List-Unsubscribe header in your emails as this allows users to easily unsubscribe, which can improve your sender reputation.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that Gmail's spam filters consider a variety of signals, including user reports, content analysis, and sender reputation. Even with proper technical setup, negative signals can cause emails to be filtered as spam.