When emails end up in recipients' spam folders, it can disrupt communication and reduce engagement. Spam filtering by email providers, like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo, is designed to protect users, but legitimate messages can sometimes be misclassified. This guide outlines common causes for emails landing in spam and practical steps you can take to improve deliverability, ensuring your messages reach the inbox.
Common Reasons Emails End Up in Spam
Understanding why emails are flagged as spam is the first step to preventing it. Common reasons include:
Sender Reputation: Email providers assess the reputation of your sending domain and IP address. A poor reputation—often from high bounce rates, low engagement, or past spam reports—can lead to messages being flagged as spam.
Email Content and Formatting: Certain phrases, excessive use of links, or overuse of images in email content can trigger spam filters. Even formatting choices, like using all caps or too many exclamation points, can raise flags.
Authentication and Configuration Issues: If your domain’s authentication settings (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records) aren’t correctly configured, email providers may classify messages as untrustworthy, landing them in the spam folder.
High Volume or Frequency of Emails: Sending a high volume of emails, particularly from a relatively new domain or IP, can make email providers suspicious, leading to spam placement.
Steps to Prevent Emails from Landing in Spam
To improve deliverability and reduce the likelihood of emails ending up in spam, follow these recommended steps:
1. Test Your Email Setup Using Mail-Tester
Use Mail-Tester to test your email’s deliverability score. This tool checks for common issues, such as missing SPF or DKIM records, blacklisting, or content-based spam triggers. Mail-Tester provides a score and specific feedback on areas to improve.
How to Use Mail-Tester:
Send an email through Myphoner, to the address provided by Mail-Tester.
Check your report on Mail-Tester’s website for a detailed breakdown of your email’s deliverability score and any configuration errors.
2. Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records
Setting up your email domain’s SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records correctly helps authenticate your emails, signaling to email providers that your messages are legitimate.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Lists which IP addresses are allowed to send emails from your domain.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to your messages to confirm they weren’t tampered with in transit.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Provides instructions for handling unauthenticated emails, helping prevent spoofing.
Your email provider or web host typically provides instructions for configuring these records.
3. Avoid Common Spam Trigger Words and Formatting
Certain phrases and formats are commonly associated with spam. Avoid using too many “spammy” words like free, urgent, click here, or buy now. Additionally, keep formatting clean—avoid all caps, excessive punctuation, and too many images relative to text, which can lower your spam score.
4. Warm Up Your Domain for High Volume Sending
If you’re sending a high volume of emails, gradually increase the number of emails you send daily. This “warming up” process helps build a positive sending reputation, particularly important if your domain or IP address is relatively new. Consistent, positive engagement (opens, clicks) from recipients also improves reputation.
5. Encourage Recipients to Add You to Their Contacts
Emails from known senders (contacts) are more likely to reach the inbox. Encourage your subscribers or contacts to add your email address to their contact list, which can help prevent your emails from being marked as spam in the future.
6. Monitor Your Sender Reputation
You can use tools like Google Postmaster Tools (for Gmail) or other email reputation monitoring services to track your domain’s reputation over time. If your reputation is low, it could be an indicator that some aspect of your email practices needs adjustment.
7. Regularly Clean Your Email List
Sending emails to invalid or unengaged recipients can harm your reputation. Regularly clean your list to remove inactive contacts or email addresses that consistently bounce. Many email service providers offer list hygiene tools or integrations to help with this.
Additional Resources
For more detailed guidance on email deliverability, here are a few helpful resources:
Mail-Tester: A free tool to analyze your email’s spam score and identify potential issues.
Google Postmaster Tools: Monitor Gmail-specific metrics like spam rate, IP reputation, and domain reputation.
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Guide: Learn more about setting up these records to authenticate your emails.
Conclusion
Improving email deliverability requires a combination of good sending practices, domain authentication, and avoiding common spam triggers. By following these steps, you can reduce the chances of your emails landing in spam and ensure more recipients see your messages in their inbox. If you have further questions or need additional assistance, please contact our support team.