Why was my Google Workspace email sending name suspended and how do I fix it?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial to prevent spoofing and ensure emails are delivered. The marketer also details how to set up these records and monitor DMARC reports to identify potential authentication issues.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that a Google Workspace suspension can occur if the account is sending a high volume of unsolicited emails, even if unintentional. They advise checking user activity logs for any unusual patterns and implementing stricter outbound email policies.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that high bounce rates can signal deliverability issues and potentially lead to account suspension. They advise regularly cleaning email lists to remove invalid or inactive email addresses and implementing proper opt-in processes to ensure subscribers are genuinely interested.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that using spam trigger words and phrases in your email content will trigger suspension, so avoid terms related to money, guarantees, or anything overly sales-y, and avoid using all caps.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that maintaining a healthy email list is vital for preventing suspensions. They suggest regularly cleaning the email list by removing inactive subscribers, handling bounces promptly, and using a double opt-in process.
Email marketer from SendPulse shares that improving sender reputation involves warming up your IP address, consistently sending valuable content, segmenting your audience, removing inactive subscribers, and closely monitoring your bounce rate and spam complaints.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog shares that to avoid email suspension, it's crucial to maintain a clean email list, avoid spam triggers in email content, authenticate your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and monitor your sender reputation to ensure high deliverability and compliance with email sending policies.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests the domain could be spoofed and sending spam to other Google users and a DMARC record could help identify the issue. However Google likely has telemetry data indicating that the account is compromised.
Email marketer from an Email Marketing Forum shares that a possible reason for suspension is a compromised account sending spam without your knowledge. They suggest running a malware scan on all devices that access the email account and changing the password immediately.
Email marketer from Gmass shares that exceeding Google Workspace's sending limits can lead to suspension. The marketer advises understanding and adhering to these limits, staggering email sends, and using throttling features to avoid triggering suspension alerts.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks mentions that Google is unlikely to suspend an account for reasons other than mail being sent via Google. He suggests Klaviyo is probably not involved and to review the CX platform and mailbox for suspicious activity, as well as checking the Google Apps management interface and contacting Google for more information.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that implementing DMARC is essential for protecting your domain from spoofing and phishing. This helps prevent unauthorized use of your email address, which can lead to suspension. They recommend starting with a 'p=none' policy to monitor your email streams and gradually move to stricter policies as you gain confidence.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that proper bounce processing is crucial. They recommend identifying and removing hard bounces immediately to maintain a good sender reputation and avoid suspension due to high bounce rates. Ensure your ESP is handling bounces correctly.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that gradually increasing your sending volume can help build a positive sending reputation. They advise against sending large volumes of emails all at once, especially when starting with a new IP address or domain. Consistent and moderate sending practices can prevent triggering spam filters and suspensions.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests disabling the email address immediately as someone is likely using it and has compromised the workspace. Then run a full security sweep on any systems that have ever logged into that account.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from MXToolbox explains that a common cause of email sending issues is being blacklisted. The documentation advises using MXToolbox's blacklist check tool to see if your domain or IP address is listed on any major blacklists and provides steps to request removal from those lists.
Documentation from Google Support explains that a Google Workspace account can be suspended for violations of the Google Workspace Acceptable Use Policy, such as spamming, phishing, or other malicious activities. The documentation advises checking the Admin console for specific reasons and following the provided steps to resolve the issue, which may involve contacting Google Workspace support.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Guide explains that preventing abuse involves setting up alerts for suspicious activity, implementing two-factor authentication, regularly auditing user permissions, and educating users about phishing and malware threats.