Why is Gmail sending mail to spam folders?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that using a free email address, sending emails from a dynamic IP, or not having proper authentication records can cause emails to go to spam. They advise using a professional email address and configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that reasons for emails landing in spam include a poor sender reputation, spam trigger words in the content, a high spam complaint rate, and missing or incorrect authentication records.
Email marketer from GlockApps details how factors such as IP reputation, domain reputation, content filters, engagement rates, and spam complaints significantly impact whether emails land in the inbox or spam folder. Regular monitoring and optimization are essential.
Email marketer from Gmass shares that improving Google Workspace deliverability involves warming up your Gmail account, avoiding sending emails with URL shorteners, and ensuring your email content is relevant and engaging. They also advise monitoring your sending limits and following Google's best practices.
Email marketer from EasyDMARC explains that email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) is crucial for improving email deliverability. Proper authentication helps email receivers verify the authenticity of incoming emails and reduces the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that common reasons for emails going to spam include using a shared IP address with a poor reputation, having a low engagement rate (opens and clicks), and sending emails to unengaged contacts. They recommend cleaning your email list and improving email content.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that improving email deliverability involves warming up your IP address, segmenting your email list, personalizing your emails, and removing inactive subscribers. They also advise monitoring your sender reputation and avoiding spam traps.
Email marketer from EmailOctopus explains that improving email deliverability rates involves using a custom tracking domain, cleaning your email list regularly, and testing your emails with different email clients. They also suggest warming up your IP address before sending large volumes of emails.
Email marketer from Reddit user spambegone420 shares that using a dedicated IP address, authenticating your domain with SPF and DKIM, and avoiding spam trigger words can help avoid spam filters. They also recommend monitoring your sender reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that factors that impact email placement include sender reputation, authentication, engagement, and spam complaints. They recommend monitoring these factors and taking steps to improve them to ensure emails reach the inbox.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares that this is an entirely legitimate issue, just not one that affects email marketing.
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that factors in content, such as excessive use of certain phrases or formatting, can contribute to emails being flagged as spam. Focusing on delivering valuable and relevant content is key to avoiding filters.
Expert from Word to the Wise, Dennis Dayman, explains that maintaining a clean and engaged email list is critical. Sending to inactive or uninterested subscribers increases the risk of spam complaints and harms your sender reputation, potentially leading to more emails landing in spam folders.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that the Forbes article misses a giant piece and it’s not incoming mail, it’s your sent mail that is being affected.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that proper authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is vital. Without it, your emails are more likely to be marked as spam because mailbox providers can't verify that you are who you claim to be.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft explains that specific Enhanced Status Codes (ETR) and Non-Delivery Reports (NDR) can indicate spam-related issues. Reviewing these codes helps identify reasons for delivery failures, such as blocked senders or spam filtering.
Documentation from RFC-Editor details that DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) uses digital signatures to allow a person taking responsibility for a message to sign it, providing message integrity and authentication.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC helps prevent email spoofing and phishing by allowing domain owners to specify how email receivers should handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks. It also provides reporting mechanisms for domain owners to monitor their email authentication performance.
Documentation from Google explains that to prevent mail to Gmail users from being blocked or sent to spam, you should authenticate your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Ensure your sending IP has a valid reverse DNS record, keep spam rates reported in Postmaster Tools low, and avoid sending unwanted mail.
Documentation from OpenSPF explains that SPF (Sender Policy Framework) helps prevent email spoofing by allowing domain owners to specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of their domain. Email receivers can then check the SPF record to verify the authenticity of incoming emails.