Why are SFMC emails showing as delivered but not received by the subscriber?

8 Marketer opinions 4 Expert opinions 4 Technical articles 3 Resources

Summary

SFMC emails showing as 'delivered' but not received by subscribers can be attributed to a multitude of factors. B2B recipients might quarantine emails post-acceptance, while Yahoo rarely discards intentionally, requiring a ticket to Verizon Media if widespread. After acceptance, recipients have full control. Recipient-side filtering, spam traps, blocklisted IPs, and recipient server issues also play a role. Content issues (spam triggers, excessive images), authentication problems (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), IP/domain reputation issues, poor list hygiene, lack of feedback loop processing, and the absence of IP warm-up further contribute. Hard bounces must be immediately removed, and infrastructure needs proper setup (rDNS).

Key findings

B2B Quarantine: B2B senders may quarantine emails even after SFMC reports delivery.
Recipient Control: Recipients have full control over messages after acceptance by their MTA.
Recipient-Side Filtering: Recipient-side filtering prevents emails from reaching inboxes.
Spam Placement: Emails land in spam folders due to various triggers.
Authentication Issues: Missing or incorrect SPF, DKIM, and DMARC cause filtering or blocking.
Reputation Problems: Poor IP and domain reputation affects deliverability.
Blocklisting: Being on a blocklist leads to emails being silently dropped.
Lack of Feedback Loops: Not processing feedback loops hurts sender reputation.
List Hygiene Issues: Sending to old or unengaged addresses damages reputation.
Infrastructure Problems: Incorrectly configured rDNS, SPF, DKIM, DMARC leads to suspicious filtering or blocking.
IP Warm-Up Neglect: Not warming up a new IP can hurt deliverability.
Content Triggers: SPAM filter due to content of email.

Key considerations

Troubleshoot Yahoo: If all Yahoo recipients are affected, open a ticket with Verizon Media.
Review B2B Filters: Investigate custom B2B filters if applicable.
Regular Spam Checks: Check spam folder placement across providers to diagnose issues.
Authentication Validation: Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are valid and properly configured.
Engagement Enhancement: Increase subscriber engagement through relevant content.
Content Optimization: Review email content for potential spam triggers.
IP Warm-Up Strategy: Gradually warm up new IPs by increasing sending volume over time.
Hygiene Practice: Clean the list with hard bounces.
Blocklist Check: Monitor blocklists.
Infrastructure Fixes: Ensure rDNS setup to prevent any issues.

What email marketers say
8Marketer opinions

SFMC emails may show as 'delivered' but not reach subscribers for various reasons. B2B recipients might quarantine emails post-acceptance. Emails can land in spam folders, necessitating spam folder placement checks. Missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records can lead to flagging. Low engagement, spam triggers in content (keywords, images, HTML), and lack of IP address warm-up contribute to deliverability issues. Hard bounces should be promptly removed, and email content should be reviewed for spam triggers.

Key opinions

B2B Filtering: B2B recipients may filter or quarantine emails after they've been marked as 'delivered' by SFMC.
Spam Placement: Emails can be delivered to the spam folder instead of the inbox.
Authentication: Missing or incorrect SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records can cause emails to be flagged as spam.
Engagement: Low engagement rates (lack of opens, clicks, or positive engagement) can negatively impact deliverability.
Content Triggers: Certain keywords, excessive images, and poorly formatted HTML can trigger spam filters.
IP Warm-up: Using a new IP address without properly warming it up can lead to deliverability problems.
Hard Bounces: Hard bounces should be immediately removed from the mailing list.
Content Issues: Too many images, spammy language, dodgy links, or too many colours in the email.

Key considerations

Check Spam Folders: Regularly check spam folder placement across different email providers.
Verify Authentication: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured and valid.
Improve Engagement: Implement strategies to increase subscriber engagement, such as sending relevant content and encouraging interaction.
Optimize Content: Review email content for potential spam triggers and optimize HTML formatting.
Warm Up IP: If using a new IP address, gradually warm it up by increasing sending volume over time.
List Hygiene: Ensure you clean your mailing lists by removing hard bounces.
Content Analysis: Review the content of the email for anything that would trigger a SPAM filter.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit suggests that even if an email isn't bouncing, it could be landing in the spam folder. They recommend checking spam folder placement across various email providers to diagnose the issue.

July 2021 - Reddit

Marketer view

Email marketer from MailerQ explains that if you have hard bounces you should immediately remove them from the sendlist to avoid issues with deliverability

April 2024 - MailerQ

Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that certain keywords, excessive use of images, or poorly formatted HTML can trigger spam filters, preventing delivery even if the sending platform reports 'delivered' status.

November 2021 - Litmus

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Hippo explains that an email being marked as spam could be down to the email content - so things like lots of images, spammy language, dodgy links, too many colours etc.

June 2023 - Email Hippo

Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass shares that many of the common deliverability issues occur when a new IP address is used without first warming it up. Warming up is the process of slowly building your reputation with recipients and mailbox providers.

February 2022 - Gmass

Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow shares that missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records can cause emails to be flagged as spam or blocked by recipient servers, even if SFMC reports them as delivered. Verifying these records is crucial.

October 2021 - StackOverflow

Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailGeeks explains that B2B recipients may filter/quarantine emails after acceptance (showing as delivered in SFMC). Yahoo rarely discards mail, but if all Yahoo recipients are affected, a ticket with postmaster.verizonmedia.com should be opened. Custom filters may be the issue.

November 2024 - EmailGeeks

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that low engagement is one of the key reasons why your subscribers may not be receiving your email, this can mean people don't open them, or engage and mark your emails as important or move them out of the SPAM folder.

September 2024 - Email on Acid

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

SFMC emails might appear as 'delivered' but not be received for several reasons. B2B recipients may quarantine messages, while Yahoo rarely discards them intentionally. Post-acceptance, recipients control their messages. Poor list hygiene damages sender reputation, leading to filtering. Properly configured sending infrastructure (rDNS, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for deliverability; misconfiguration results in suspicious filtering or blocking.

Key opinions

B2B Quarantine: B2B senders may quarantine emails after SFMC reports delivery.
Recipient Control: Recipients have full control over emails after they're accepted by their MTA.
List Hygiene: Poor list hygiene significantly impacts deliverability.
Infrastructure Setup: Incorrectly configured sending infrastructure (rDNS, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) leads to filtering or blocking.

Key considerations

Troubleshoot Yahoo: If all Yahoo recipients are affected, open a ticket with postmaster.verizonmedia.com. Investigate custom B2B filters.
Review B2B Filters: Identify the filters B2B customers are using and address them.
Maintain Clean Lists: Regularly remove inactive subscribers to maintain a clean sending list.
Verify Infrastructure: Ensure rDNS, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are valid and properly configured to avoid filtering or blocking.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that B2B senders might quarantine mail after acceptance. Yahoo rarely discards mail intentionally. More details are needed for troubleshooting, such as whether the issue affects one or many Yahoo recipients. If it's one, the recipient might have forwarding rules. If it's all, open a ticket with <http://postmaster.verizonmedia.com>. For B2B, identify the filter used. If it affects one business, it's a custom filter; if it affects all, contact the filter maintainer.

October 2024 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that proper setup of your sending infrastructure, specifically rDNS, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for deliverability. If these are configured incorrectly, email providers may consider your messages suspicious and filter them into the spam folder or outright block them, regardless of what SFMC reports. Ensure these records are valid and properly configured.

September 2021 - Word to the Wise

Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that poor list hygiene (sending to old or unengaged addresses) can significantly impact deliverability. Even if emails are 'delivered' by SFMC, recipient servers may filter them if the sender's reputation is damaged by sending to problematic addresses. Maintaining a clean list and removing inactive subscribers is crucial.

September 2022 - Spam Resource

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that once an email is accepted by the recipient's MTA (given a 250OK), the recipients can do anything they want with the message.

December 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Deliverability issues in SFMC, despite 'delivered' status, stem from various factors. These include recipient-side filtering, content triggering spam filters, authentication problems (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), IP and domain reputation issues, blocklisted IPs, spam traps, and recipient server issues. Not processing feedback loops also negatively impacts sender reputation, leading to filtering or blocking.

Key findings

Recipient Filtering: Recipient-side filtering can prevent emails from reaching the inbox.
Content Issues: Email content can trigger spam filters, preventing delivery.
Authentication: Missing or misconfigured authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) can lead to deliverability problems.
Reputation Issues: Poor IP and domain reputation can cause emails to be filtered or blocked.
Blocklists: Being on a blocklist can result in emails being silently dropped.
Feedback Loops: Failure to process feedback loops negatively affects sender reputation.

Key considerations

Review Content: Analyze email content for potential spam triggers.
Verify Authentication: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured.
Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor IP and domain reputation.
Check Blocklists: Check if the sending IP is on any blocklists and take steps to get removed if necessary.
Implement Feedback Loops: Set up and monitor feedback loops to identify and address complaints.

Technical article

Documentation from Mailjet explains that being on a blocklist can cause emails to be silently dropped by recipient servers. They recommend checking blocklist status and taking steps to get removed if listed.

December 2023 - Mailjet

Technical article

Documentation from Salesforce Help explains that deliverability issues can occur even when emails are marked as 'delivered' in SFMC. This can be due to recipient-side filtering, content issues triggering spam filters, authentication problems, or IP reputation issues.

March 2025 - Salesforce Help

Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid explains that reasons emails may not be received include blocklisted IPs, domain reputation problems, spam traps, content issues, missing authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and recipient server issues.

May 2021 - SendGrid

Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains that not processing feedback loops (complaints) can hurt sender reputation and lead to emails being filtered or blocked. Implementing feedback loops is crucial for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.

April 2022 - SparkPost

Difference between "Sent" and "Delivered" email? - HubSpot ...

What is the difference between "Sent" and "Delivered" email? Is my Sent email just floating around in cyberspace? Caught by their spam filter but not a true bounce? I am assuming all my mail is sent unless I get a bounce notification. Do I need to create a notice setting for "Sent" to see what emai...

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