Why has Gmail deliverability dropped recently and emails are going to spam?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from StackExchange points out that a shared IP address with a poor reputation can negatively impact deliverability. If other users on the same IP are sending spam, your emails may be affected.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that they saw deliverability drop after a recent list import. They recommend validating email lists to remove old emails. A lot of soft bounces can cause you to be flagged
Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that low engagement rates (opens, clicks) signal to Gmail that your emails aren't valuable to recipients. Cleaning your email list and targeting engaged subscribers can improve deliverability.
Email marketer from GMass explains that Gmail has daily sending limits, and exceeding these limits can lead to temporary blocks and deliverability issues. Stay within the limits to avoid triggering spam filters.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that not properly authenticating your emails can cause deliverability problems. Gmail may view unauthenticated emails as suspicious, leading to spam filtering. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that they've cut back on recent openers who haven't clicked in a while to fix any deliverability issues. They theorize Gmail is cracking down on senders concentrating on openers who aren't actually engaging, and this seems to be helping overall.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that a poor sender reputation is a major reason for deliverability issues. Low engagement, high bounce rates, and spam complaints negatively impact your sender reputation, causing Gmail to filter emails as spam.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that if you recently started using a new IP address, it's important to gradually increase your sending volume (warm-up) to establish a good reputation with Gmail. Sending too many emails too quickly can trigger spam filters.
Email marketer from EmailToolTester explains that poor list hygiene (sending to inactive or invalid email addresses) damages your sender reputation and leads to higher spam placement rates. Regularly clean your list to remove unengaged subscribers.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that spam trigger words, broken HTML, and a poor text-to-image ratio in your email content can lead to deliverability issues. Optimize your content to avoid spam filters.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that they've noticed Gmail getting more rigid with the spam filters, seeing some changes and having to adapt. They mention it's a continuous game of cat and mouse.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares their opinion to never count google open pixels for any engagement factor, as they feel it is safer to use verifiable metrics without third party adding methods.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that there isn't enough detail to answer the question, and Gmail blocks for many reasons, some old, some new. Testing and reviewing data is needed, and bounce messages should be read closely to understand what is happening. Research should start there.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that deliverability can drop due to a 'list bomb' where a large number of spam complaints are generated in a short period. This can happen if your list contains old or unengaged addresses, or if you've been targeted by a spam attack.
Expert from Word to the Wise mentions that while not spam, ending up in the promotions tab can hurt overall deliverability as the emails are less likely to be read.
Expert from Spam Resource discusses the new Gmail sending requirements announced in October of 2023 and how they affect deliverability. Senders need to authenticate and allow unsubscriptions
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from RFC 4871 explains that DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is an email authentication method that uses a digital signature to verify the sender and prevent email spoofing. Implementing DKIM can significantly improve deliverability by assuring Gmail that your emails are legitimate.
Documentation from DMARC.org shares that Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) is an email authentication protocol that allows senders to tell receiving mail servers what to do if an email fails SPF or DKIM checks (e.g., reject, quarantine). Implementing DMARC provides an extra layer of protection against email spoofing and phishing, improving deliverability.
Documentation from Google's Sender Guidelines highlights the importance of following their bulk sending guidelines. This includes authenticating your email, setting up feedback loops, and providing easy unsubscribe options. Non-compliance can lead to deliverability issues.
Documentation from RFC 4408 explains that a Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record is a type of DNS record that identifies which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. Properly configuring SPF helps prevent spammers from forging your domain in the 'From' address.