Why is my customer service email being flagged as spam by Google even with DKIM and SPF?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that Gmail sometimes displays phishing warnings when the 'reply-to' domain differs from the authenticated sending domain.
Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that the content of customer service emails, even if individually written, can sometimes trigger spam filters if they contain certain keywords or phrases commonly associated with spam or phishing attempts.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that sometimes, even when following all best practices, emails can still end up in spam due to overly aggressive spam filters. They suggests checking if your domain is blacklisted and contacting Google support for assistance.
Email marketer from Gmass explains that Gmail's spam filters are influenced by factors like the number of recipients, the presence of unsubscribe links, and the ratio of images to text in the email. They suggest limiting the number of recipients and optimizing your email content for deliverability.
Email marketer from EmailGeeks Forum shares that inconsistent 'From' names or email addresses can trigger spam filters, even with proper authentication. Using a consistent and recognizable sender identity is key to building trust with email providers and recipients.
Email marketer from HubSpot emphasizes the importance of list segmentation for deliverability. By sending targeted emails to specific segments of your audience, you can improve engagement and reduce the likelihood of spam complaints.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign suggests avoiding using shared IP addresses, as another sender could negatively impact the shared reputation. By switching to a dedicated IP address, senders can gain greater control over their reputation and deliverability.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog shares that improving sender reputation is key. He suggests warming up your IP address, cleaning your email list to remove inactive subscribers, and consistently sending valuable content to avoid spam complaints. Authentication is important but sender behavior and engagement matter more.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that spam traps can negatively impact your sender reputation. They suggest practicing permission-based marketing, using double opt-in, and regularly cleaning your email list to avoid sending to spam trap addresses.
Email marketer from EmailOnAcid Blog highlights that email content can significantly affect deliverability. Using spam trigger words, excessive punctuation, or poor HTML coding can cause emails to be flagged as spam, even if authentication is correctly configured.
Email marketer from SuperOffice emphasizes the importance of maintaining a consistent sending volume and frequency. Sending large volumes of emails sporadically can trigger spam filters, even if your emails are properly authenticated.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that deliverability problems can be caused by poor list hygiene, low engagement, content issues, or infrastructure problems even when authentication is properly set up. They advise to monitor metrics and actively manage sender reputation.
Expert from Spamresource.com highlights that authentication (DKIM, SPF, DMARC) is necessary but not sufficient for reaching the inbox. Content, reputation, and list management are also crucial factors impacting deliverability.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that even if sending from a specific email address, the domains used for authentication (SPF, DKIM) and the URLs within the email can impact spam flagging. Google can also associate different domains if they appear to belong to the same company. It's not necessarily the sending domain that's the problem, but it can't be ruled out, especially at Gmail.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that the domains authenticated with SPF and DKIM don't necessarily have to be connected to the email address being sent from.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that emails can land in spam for several reasons even with proper authentication. These include the recipient marking it as spam, filters identifying it as spam, or the sender's IP address being on a blocklist. Content, formatting, and sender reputation also play significant roles.
Documentation from SendGrid explains that to ensure deliverability, senders need to actively manage their sender reputation. This involves monitoring IP and domain reputation, keeping complaint rates low, and proactively addressing any deliverability issues. They also advise against using URL shorteners as they can negatively impact reputation.
Documentation from RFC Editor describes that the Reply-To header is an optional field that indicates an alternate address for replies. If this address has low reputation it might affect deliverability of the original sender.
Documentation from Mailjet explains that deliverability issues can stem from factors beyond authentication. It highlights the importance of maintaining a clean sending reputation by monitoring bounce rates, spam complaints, and engagement metrics. Mailjet advises segmenting your audience and tailoring content to improve engagement.