Why are my transactional emails going to spam?

Email marketer from Reddit explains that inconsistent sending volume can negatively impact sender reputation, especially for new domains or IPs. Suddenly sending a large volume of transactional emails after a period of low activity can trigger spam filters.

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that certain content characteristics, such as excessive use of spam trigger words (e.g., 'free,' 'guarantee'), large images with little text, or misleading subject lines, can cause transactional emails to be flagged as spam.

Marketer from Email Geeks warns that emails sent through Sendgrid are more likely to encounter deliverability issues compared to other email services.

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that a poor IP reputation is a primary reason for transactional emails landing in spam. This can occur due to sending high volumes of unsolicited emails, inconsistent sending patterns, or being listed on blocklists.

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests examining individual campaign reports to identify affected mailbox providers. For Gmail issues, LoriBeth recommends focusing on the email handle (e.g., welcome@ or confirmation@) instead of immediately implementing a dedicated IP or subdomain, aligning with Gmail's sender guidelines.

Email marketer from Litmus suggests proactively monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools or Microsoft SNDS. This allows senders to identify and address potential issues affecting deliverability before they escalate.

Email marketer from Gmass shares that sharing an IP address with spammers can lower your sending reputation and cause your transactional emails to go to spam. They suggest if you are sending a large volume of emails, using a dedicated IP address can improve your sending reputation, if configured correctly.

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor details that low subscriber engagement (e.g., low open rates, high complaint rates) can negatively impact sender reputation and increase the likelihood of transactional emails being marked as spam. Regularly cleaning email lists and focusing on engaging subscribers is crucial.

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid details that being listed on blocklists (also known as blacklists) is a significant reason for transactional emails being marked as spam. Monitoring blocklists and taking prompt action to delist is crucial for maintaining deliverability.

Email marketer from StackOverflow shares that a strict DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) policy (e.g., p=reject) without proper SPF and DKIM alignment can inadvertently cause legitimate transactional emails to be rejected or sent to spam if they fail authentication checks.

Email marketer from Warrior Forum explains that some Email Service Providers (ESPs) put sending limits on newer users. Throttling the volume that you're sending, and slowly increasing that limit over time, will improve your sending reputation.

Marketer from Email Geeks advises that if deliverability issues are specific to Hotmail or Yahoo, then the sending IP should be suspected.

Expert from Spam Resource details that the content of transactional emails, including the subject line and body, plays a significant role in spam filtering. Using clear, concise language and avoiding spam trigger words is essential for ensuring deliverability.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that if the domain used for transactional emails is new or has a poor reputation due to previous spam activity, mailbox providers are more likely to filter those emails as spam. Building a positive domain reputation requires consistent, legitimate email practices.

Expert from Email Geeks questions the need for three separate transactional emails, suggesting they could be combined into one, especially since two of them contain mostly the same content. This is in response to a user describing their transactional email setup.

Documentation from AWS explains that when using Amazon SES (Simple Email Service) for sending transactional emails, it's important to follow AWS's best practices for sending, including verifying sender identities, monitoring bounce and complaint rates, and adhering to sending limits. Failure to do so can result in account suspension or decreased deliverability.

Documentation from RFC explains that SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records, if not configured correctly, can cause deliverability issues. A missing or improperly configured SPF record can lead receiving mail servers to consider emails as potentially spoofed.

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that Gmail's spam filters analyze various signals including sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), user reports, and content characteristics to determine whether an email is spam. Missing or misconfigured authentication is a common cause for emails being marked as spam.

Documentation from Microsoft Support details that Outlook's junk email filter evaluates sender reputation, content, and user preferences to classify emails. Senders with low reputation or emails matching spam patterns are likely to be delivered to the junk folder.

Documentation from DKIM.org explains that a failing DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) signature can indicate that the email has been tampered with during transit or that the signing process is misconfigured, leading to increased spam filtering.