Summary
Effectively avoiding spam filters involves a multifaceted approach. Technical configurations like SPF, DKIM, and PTR records are crucial for authentication. Content should be relevant, personalized, and avoid spam trigger words and URL shorteners. Maintaining a good sender reputation through engaged subscribers, consistent sending volume, and double opt-in processes is essential. Regular list cleaning and segmentation improve deliverability, while feedback loops and spam checkers help monitor and resolve issues. Ensuring mobile-friendliness and testing emails across different clients further enhance deliverability.
Key findings
- Technical Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and PTR records are fundamental for authenticating your email sending infrastructure.
- Content Optimization: Avoid spam trigger words, URL shorteners, and create relevant, personalized content to improve engagement.
- Sender Reputation Management: Maintain a good sender reputation through consistent sending practices, engaged subscribers, and double opt-in.
- List Hygiene and Segmentation: Regularly clean your email list, segment subscribers based on engagement, and send targeted content.
- Monitoring and Testing: Implement feedback loops, use spam checkers, and test emails across different clients to identify and resolve issues.
- Mobile-Friendliness: Optimizing email for mobile is essential for a positive user experience
Key considerations
- Prioritize Authentication: Ensure proper SPF, DKIM, and PTR record configuration for email authentication.
- Refine Content Strategy: Develop a content strategy that focuses on relevance, personalization, and avoids spam triggers.
- Cultivate Engagement: Focus on building and maintaining a list of engaged subscribers through a double opt-in process and valuable content.
- Implement Feedback Mechanisms: Set up feedback loops and regularly monitor spam complaints to identify and address issues proactively.
- Continuous Improvement: Continuously test and optimize your email sending practices based on data and feedback.
- Testing and Previews: Send previews and use testing tools to ensure message deliverability and rendering are correct.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
To effectively avoid spam filters, several strategies are recommended. These include using spam checkers like Litmus, authenticating emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and gradually increasing sending volume while maintaining a consistent schedule. Avoiding spam trigger words, regularly cleaning email lists, and testing emails with various clients are also crucial. Additionally, ensuring emails are mobile-friendly, using a double opt-in process, checking for blacklisting, avoiding URL shorteners, and sending email previews are vital for improving deliverability and maintaining a positive sender reputation.
Key opinions
- Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is critical for verifying sender identity and improving email deliverability.
- Content: Avoiding spam trigger words and URL shorteners in email content can prevent emails from being flagged as spam.
- List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists by removing inactive and unsubscribed users helps maintain a high engagement rate and sender reputation.
- Testing: Testing emails with different email clients and using spam checkers can identify and fix issues before sending to the entire list.
- Sender Reputation: Gradually increasing sending volume, maintaining consistency, and using double opt-in contribute to building a positive sender reputation.
- Previews: Sending preview messages can help identify potential problems before a broadcast.
Key considerations
- Spam Checkers: Utilize tools like Litmus to proactively identify and resolve potential issues.
- Mobile Friendliness: Ensure emails are mobile-friendly to improve user experience and deliverability.
- Blacklisting: Monitor your IP address for blacklisting and take prompt action to resolve any issues.
- Opt-in Process: Implement a double opt-in process to ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive emails.
- Engagement: Focus on sending relevant and engaging content to maintain high open and click-through rates.
- Relevance: The content and subject of the email should be relevant to the target audience.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email on Acid recommends regularly checking if your IP address is on any blacklists and taking steps to get removed if necessary, as being blacklisted can significantly impact your email deliverability.
28 Oct 2023 - Email on Acid
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that avoiding the use of spam trigger words (e.g., 'free,' 'guarantee,' 'urgent') in your subject lines and email body can help prevent your emails from being flagged as spam.
1 Aug 2024 - HubSpot
What the experts say
6 expert opinions
To effectively avoid spam filters, strategies include creating stylized links in signature files (though its effectiveness may vary), maintaining a good sender reputation by sending relevant content to engaged subscribers, cleaning email lists by removing invalid and inactive addresses, and implementing feedback loops to monitor and address spam complaints. Sending relevant and personalized content is crucial for improving engagement and reducing spam likelihood.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation: Maintaining a good sender reputation is vital; send relevant content to engaged subscribers and monitor your IP address and domain reputation.
- List Hygiene: Cleaning email lists by removing invalid and inactive addresses is crucial for deliverability.
- Content Relevance: Sending relevant and personalized content improves engagement and reduces the likelihood of being marked as spam.
- Feedback Loops: Implementing feedback loops helps monitor spam complaints and address potential issues.
- Stylized Links: Some delivery consultants recommend stylized links in signatures, but efficacy may vary.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation Monitoring: Regularly check your IP address and domain reputation to identify and address any issues proactively.
- Targeted Content: Tailor your messaging to your audience's interests and needs to improve engagement.
- Proactive Issue Resolution: Address spam complaints and feedback loop issues promptly to maintain a positive sender reputation.
- Testing New Techniques: Carefully evaluate the effectiveness of stylized links, as their impact on spam filtering can vary.
- Inactive Subscribers: Consistently remove addresses of users who don't engage with email content.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that cleaning your email list by removing invalid and inactive email addresses is an important step toward deliverability, therefore avoiding spam filters. Also important is to target active users and avoid sending to those who haven't engaged with your content.
10 Mar 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that maintaining a good sender reputation by sending relevant content to engaged subscribers is vital for avoiding spam filters. They also recommend monitoring your IP address and domain reputation to identify and address any issues.
13 Sep 2023 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
To effectively avoid spam filters, several technical aspects are emphasized. Sender reputation, email content, user feedback, and proper authentication via SPF and DKIM records are important factors considered by Gmail's spam filters. Essential practices include using a dedicated IP address, monitoring and reducing bounce rates, promptly removing invalid email addresses, and setting up a reverse DNS (PTR) record to verify identity. Segmenting email lists based on engagement and demographics allows for more targeted and relevant emails, improving deliverability and reducing spam complaints.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation Factors: Gmail's spam filters consider sender reputation, email content, and user feedback.
- Authentication: Using SPF and DKIM records helps authenticate emails and verify the sender's identity, improving trust.
- List Management: Removing invalid email addresses and monitoring bounce rates are crucial for maintaining list health.
- Infrastructure: Using a dedicated IP address and setting up a reverse DNS (PTR) record verify identity and improve deliverability.
- Segmentation: Segmenting email lists based on engagement and demographics allows for more relevant emails and reduces spam complaints.
Key considerations
- Monitor Reputation: Continuously monitor and manage your sender reputation by ensuring positive engagement and addressing negative feedback.
- Technical Setup: Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and PTR records to authenticate your email sending infrastructure.
- List Hygiene: Implement a process to regularly clean your email list of invalid and unengaged addresses.
- Targeted Content: Create targeted content that is relevant to specific segments of your audience to increase engagement.
- Bounce Rate: Keep bounce rates low by monitoring issues and removing problem addresses.
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft shares that using a dedicated IP address, monitoring bounce rates, and promptly removing invalid email addresses from your list are essential practices for avoiding spam filters.
19 Aug 2022 - Microsoft
Technical article
Documentation from RFC explains that setting up a reverse DNS (PTR) record for your sending IP address can help verify your identity and improve your email deliverability.
23 Aug 2024 - RFC
Are email list cleaning services useful for improving email deliverability, and how do they work?
Are no-reply email addresses bad for customer experience and deliverability?
Are spam trigger word lists accurate and should I be concerned about them?
Are spam trigger word lists still relevant for email deliverability?
Do PDF attachments negatively impact email deliverability and what are the best practices?
Do SPF and DKIM records need to be aligned for all email service providers?
How can I improve my email deliverability?
How do SPF, DKIM, and DMARC email authentication standards work?
What are spam trigger words and how do they impact email deliverability?
What are the best practices for email deliverability and avoiding spam filters?
