Why is Gmail deliverability down despite good reputation?

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that while a good sender reputation is crucial, consistent email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene (removing inactive subscribers), and providing value to recipients are essential for maintaining Gmail deliverability. Inconsistencies in these areas can lead to deliverability issues even with a positive reputation.

Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that the issue may be a result of the pixel being clipped at Gmail on new templates. In addition, the marketer suggests checking conversion rates to see if there's a dip.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that poor list hygiene is a common cause of deliverability problems, even for reputable senders. Sending emails to old, unengaged addresses or spam traps can hurt your sender reputation and lead to Gmail filtering emails as spam.

Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that issues with email rendering and coding can trigger spam filters. Errors in HTML code, especially with preview text, can cause emails to be flagged as spam, impacting deliverability regardless of sender reputation.

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that despite a good sender reputation, the content of the emails themselves can trigger spam filters. Using spam trigger words, having a high image-to-text ratio, or including broken links can negatively affect deliverability and cause emails to land in the spam folder.

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that even with a good sender reputation, factors like poor email content, sending frequency, and recipient engagement can negatively impact Gmail deliverability. Low engagement signals to Gmail that the emails are not valuable to recipients, leading to placement in the spam folder despite a good reputation.

Email marketer from StackOverflow answers that a previously used or shared IP address might have a poor reputation. Even if the current sender has a good sending reputation, the IP address's past history can affect deliverability at Gmail.

Email marketer from Litmus shares that lack of personalization and segmentation can lead to low engagement, which can signal to Gmail that emails are not valuable, even if sender reputation is good. Generic, un-targeted emails are more likely to be filtered as spam.

Email marketer from HubSpot shares that low subscriber engagement rates, such as low open rates and click-through rates, can cause deliverability issues even with a good reputation. Gmail considers engagement metrics when determining where to place emails.

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that sudden changes in sending volume, frequency, or content can raise red flags with Gmail. Even with a good reputation, drastic shifts in sending behavior can trigger spam filters and negatively impact deliverability.

Expert from Email Geeks states that Google Postmaster Tools is the authoritative source for understanding reputation with Google, and also clarifies that emails can still be marked as spam even with a high reputation if the email contains problematic elements.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that poor list quality, meaning sending to addresses that are unengaged, invalid, or spam traps, damages your sender reputation. This harms deliverability at Gmail despite your other sending activities.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that authentication issues, particularly with SPF and DKIM alignment, can cause deliverability problems even with a good sender reputation. She also notes that Gmail is increasingly strict about authentication.

Expert from Email Geeks suggests a potential cause for Gmail deliverability issues: a specific link in the email might have triggered Gmail's spam filters. She also notes that this could be an isolated incident or the beginning of a decline in reputation.

Documentation from RFC explains that SPF records are critical for email authentication. If an SPF record is not properly configured, or if it does not include all sending sources, Gmail may treat emails as suspicious, leading to deliverability issues despite a good overall sender reputation.

Documentation from Microsoft explains the concept of feedback loops (FBLs). If a sender is not actively monitoring and responding to FBLs, they may be unaware of spam complaints, which can negatively impact their reputation and deliverability, even if their initial reputation was good.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that sender reputation is a key factor for deliverability, but it's not the only one. Even senders with a high reputation can experience deliverability issues if their emails violate Google's sender guidelines, such as sending unsolicited emails or having a high spam complaint rate.

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that a DMARC policy helps protect against email spoofing and phishing attacks. If a domain does not have a DMARC policy in place, or if the policy is not properly configured, Gmail may be more likely to filter emails as spam, even if the sender has a good reputation.