Why does SFMC show email as delivered when it's not in inbox, spam or quarantine?

Email marketer from StackExchange discusses that there can be delays in delivering messages and the message may be stuck somewhere in the delivery queue.

Email marketer from EmailGeeksForum shares that 'Delivered' status in SFMC means the message reached the recipient's mail server, but could be caught in aggressive spam filters, corporate firewalls, or routing rules. The user suggests checking bounce logs, engaging with the recipient IT team, and ensuring proper sender authentication.

Email marketer from Reddit suggests the email address might be on a suppression list within SFMC. This can happen due to previous unsubscribes or complaints, preventing the email from reaching the inbox despite showing as delivered.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that delivered in SFMC usually means delivered to the MTA for sending, not necessarily to the recipient domain. The message could be in queue, held in quarantine or for spam analysis, deleted by a filter, or sorted to a different folder.

Expert from Word to the Wise (Jeanniey Walden) explains that simply achieving 'delivered' status does not guarantee inbox placement. Factors like sender reputation, content quality, and recipient engagement significantly influence whether an email reaches the inbox or is filtered into spam or other folders. She notes that active management of sender reputation is critical.

Expert from Spam Resource (Laura Atkins) explains that a 'delivered' status often only means the email reached the receiving mail server, but further filtering may occur. This includes graymail filtering, where the email is delivered but not prominently displayed, and handling of promotional emails. This means it might go into a promotions or 'other' tab.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that email delivery depends on the receiving infrastructure. Google tries not to throw emails away, while Microsoft might discard them based on spam scores. Office365 tenants can also set their own rules. Some MTAs mark emails as delivered when the recipient's MTA takes it, even if it doesn't reach the inbox. Individual user filters also affect delivery. If the exchange server is self-managed the IT team should investigate the filters.

Documentation from Sendgrid explains that when an email is deferred, SFMC shows a delivered status until the 72 hour retry period expires. So in some cases delivery rate can drop after 3 days as it becomes undelivered

Documentation from Salesforce Help explains that a 'Delivered' status in SFMC means the email was successfully handed off to the recipient's mail server, but not necessarily placed in the inbox. Issues such as spam filters or recipient server policies can prevent inbox placement.

Documentation from Microsoft explains that they may just throw the message away if the spam score is high enough. And if it’s Office365 the individual tenants can decide to throw away mail on their own.