Why do emails from a shared domain from Klaviyo go to spam for Google Workspace but not personal Gmail accounts?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from EmailGeeks Forum suggests that shared IP reputation matters; if Klaviyo's shared IP has been used to send spam, Google Workspace is likely to be stricter due to business compliance.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign User suggests that Google workspace is actively testing the new email regulations, impacting deliverability for workspace accounts more than gmail accounts.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares they ran into a client recently switched to them where mail sent from their workspace domain to other gmail domains goes to spam every time.
Email marketer from Sendgrid User suggests that Google Workspace accounts consider subscriber engagement (opens, clicks) more heavily than personal Gmail, so low engagement may push emails to spam.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that rather than Workspace being "more strict", they filter content sent to business mailboxes differently than that sent to consumer addresses.
Email marketer from EmailOnAcid user shares that specific content in the email might trigger spam filters differently in Workspace vs. personal Gmail, such as links or certain keywords.
Email marketer from Mailchimp user explains that your campaign content might be more spam-filter prone on workspace accounts than personal, due to different scanning algos.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that they've had 4 recent clients with Google Workspace spam issues both internally and externally all due not being authenticated properly, and that proper authentication resolved the problem.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests that if the shared domain from Klaviyo has a poor reputation, emails sent to Google Workspace accounts are more likely to be flagged as spam. Personal Gmail accounts may be more lenient.
Email marketer from Email Vendor Selection user suggests that Google Workspace is more sensitive to proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) than personal Gmail accounts. If the shared domain isn't properly authenticated, Workspace accounts are more likely to treat the emails as spam.
Email marketer from StackExchange mentions that Google Workspace accounts sometimes use different filtering rules than regular Gmail accounts due to corporate security policies. These policies often prioritize security and anti-spam measures.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that they have started to see some filtering differences based on content between Gmail and Google Workspace, similar to the differences between Hotmail and Office 365.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks states that DMARC gets you the delivery you are entitled to.
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Belinsky, suggests that differences in filtering stem from Gmail's use of domain reputation, which is more heavily weighted in Workspace accounts.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that Google Workspace has a higher threshold for spam triggers than personal Gmail, leading to different filtering outcomes for the same sender.
Expert from Email Geeks responds that there are different filtering rules for Gmail and Google Workspaces, just like the difference in Outlook and Office 365.
Expert from Email Geeks says the spam is "this is not what we expect to be valid".
What the documentation says7Technical articles
Documentation from M3AAWG provides guidelines on email best practices, explaining that Workspace accounts are typically configured to adhere more closely to these best practices, which can result in stricter spam filtering.
Documentation from RFC explains the technical standards for SPF records, which are a key part of email authentication. Incorrect or missing SPF records can cause emails to be flagged as spam, especially in stricter environments like Google Workspace.
Documentation from Sparkpost shares that a new or low-volume IP can trigger spam filters more aggressively in Workspace due to stricter monitoring of new senders. Warming up the IP can help.
Documentation from Klaviyo Support explains that using a shared sending domain can negatively impact deliverability, especially if other users on the domain are sending spam. Klaviyo recommends using a dedicated sending domain to improve deliverability.
Documentation from Microsoft explains that Exchange Online Protection (used by Microsoft 365/Workspace) has different and possibly more aggressive spam filtering than Hotmail/Outlook.com.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC policies can instruct email providers to reject or quarantine emails that fail authentication checks. Google Workspace may be enforcing DMARC policies more strictly than personal Gmail accounts.
Documentation from Google Support explains that Gmail's spam filters use a variety of signals to determine whether an email is spam, including the sender's reputation, the content of the email, and the user's past interactions with the sender. Workspace accounts may have stricter spam filters than personal Gmail accounts.