Why are my emails going to the promotions tab in Gmail? - Knowledge Base

Summary

To improve email deliverability, newsletter senders must address several key areas. Authentication through SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial, alongside monitoring sender reputation using tools and feedback loops. Implementing feedback loops helps manage complaints and maintain list hygiene. Validating email addresses and regularly cleaning lists minimizes bounce rates. Content should be relevant to subscribers' expectations, and email volume should be throttled, especially when starting new campaigns. IP addresses must be warmed up gradually. Segmentation enables targeted content, while avoiding spam trigger words, providing preference centers, optimizing for mobile, using double opt-in, ensuring consistent sender information, and A/B testing further enhance deliverability.

Key findings

Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication proves emails are genuinely from your domain.
Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring sender reputation identifies and mitigates potential deliverability issues.
Feedback Loops: Feedback loops help address user complaints and improve email list quality.
List Hygiene: Validating and cleaning email lists reduces bounce rates and improves sender reputation.
Content Relevance: Relevant content that aligns with subscriber expectations boosts engagement.
Volume Throttling: Gradually increasing sending volume prevents triggering spam filters.
IP Warm-Up: Warming up new IP addresses establishes a positive sender reputation with ISPs.
Segmentation: Segmented lists enable targeted, relevant content, increasing engagement.
Spam Avoidance: Avoiding spam trigger words and maintaining ethical sending practices reduces the risk of being flagged as spam.
Preference Centers: Subscriber preference centers allow users to control the type and frequency of emails they receive.
Mobile Optimization: Optimized emails for mobile devices increase engagement and improve deliverability.
Double Opt-In: Double opt-in confirms genuine interest and reduces spam complaints.
Consistent Info: Consistent sender information builds trust and avoids confusion.
A/B Testing: A/B testing optimizes campaigns for better engagement and deliverability.

Key considerations

Technical Expertise: Implementing authentication methods (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) requires technical knowledge.
Proactive Monitoring: Regularly monitor sender reputation metrics and address issues promptly.
Complaint Handling: Efficiently manage feedback loops to quickly address and resolve complaints.
Data Accuracy: Use reliable email validation services and regularly update email lists.
Audience Knowledge: Understand your audience's preferences to deliver truly relevant content.
Gradual Rollout: Scale up sending volume gradually to avoid triggering spam filters with sudden spikes.
Long-Term Investment: IP warm-up requires patience and a consistent sending strategy.
Segmentation Strategy: Develop a robust segmentation strategy based on engagement and demographics.
Content Review: Regularly review email content for potential spam triggers.
User Experience: Ensure preference centers are user-friendly and easily accessible.
Mobile Compatibility: Thoroughly test emails on different mobile devices and email clients.
Compliance: Ensure compliance with opt-in regulations and data privacy laws.
Trust Building: Maintain consistent sender information to build trust with recipients.
Continuous Improvement: Routinely A/B test and refine your email campaigns based on performance data.

What email marketers say

10 marketer opinions

To improve email deliverability, newsletter senders should focus on several key areas. These include warming up IP addresses gradually, segmenting email lists for more relevant content, avoiding spam trigger words, regularly cleaning email lists, maintaining a consistent sending schedule, providing preference centers for subscribers, optimizing emails for mobile devices, using double opt-in for new subscribers, ensuring consistent sender information, and A/B testing email elements.

Key opinions

IP Warm-up: Gradually increasing sending volume when starting with a new IP address can establish a positive sender reputation.
List Segmentation: Segmenting email lists based on engagement and demographics allows for more targeted and relevant content, increasing engagement.
Spam Words: Avoiding spam trigger words in subject lines and email bodies can prevent emails from being flagged as spam.
List Cleaning: Regularly cleaning email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation.
Sending Schedule: Establishing a consistent sending schedule helps ISPs learn your sending patterns, improving deliverability.
Preference Centers: Providing preference centers enables subscribers to manage their email preferences, reducing unsubscribes and spam complaints.
Mobile Optimization: Optimizing emails for mobile devices can improve engagement and deliverability.
Double Opt-In: Using double opt-in for new subscribers confirms their interest and reduces spam complaints.
Sender Consistency: Ensuring consistent sender information across all campaigns avoids confusion and prevents spam filters.
A/B Testing: A/B testing email subject lines, content, and send times helps optimize campaigns for engagement and improve deliverability.

Key considerations

New IPs: Warming up a new IP address requires patience and a structured approach to avoid being flagged as spam.
Data Privacy: When segmenting lists, ensure compliance with data privacy regulations.
Spam Filter Evolution: Spam filter algorithms are constantly evolving, so continuous monitoring and adaptation are necessary.
List Hygiene: Regular list cleaning requires a strategy for identifying and removing inactive subscribers without losing valuable contacts.
Testing Cadence: Establishing a good cadence for A/B testing will ensure that there is enough data to make a decision on the changes.
Preference Center Design: Preference centers should be user-friendly and clearly communicate the options available to subscribers.
Mobile Responsiveness: Ensuring email templates are responsive across various mobile devices and email clients is essential.
Opt-In Process: The opt-in process should be clear and transparent to avoid confusion and reduce the likelihood of spam complaints.
Sender Reputation: A bad sender reputation can lead to deliverability problems, so proactive monitoring and remediation are crucial.
Testing Scope: A/B testing should be approached systematically to ensure reliable and actionable results.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that warming up an IP address by gradually increasing sending volume helps establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs. This prevents your emails from being flagged as spam when starting with a new IP address.

24 May 2024 - Mailjet

Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit recommends regularly cleaning your email list to remove inactive or invalid email addresses. Sending to these addresses can hurt your sender reputation and lower deliverability.

14 Dec 2023 - Reddit

What the experts say

5 expert opinions

To enhance email deliverability, newsletter senders should prioritize relevant content that aligns with subscriber expectations, especially focusing on promises made during signup. Senders using dedicated IP addresses must diligently monitor and maintain their IP reputation by adhering to deliverability best practices and avoiding spam traps. Additionally, throttling email volume, particularly when initiating campaigns, is crucial to prevent triggering spam filters due to sudden high-volume sending. Webinars and educational resources offer further insights into improving deliverability strategies.

Key opinions

Content Relevance: Content should match recipient expectations and deliver on signup promises to improve engagement and deliverability.
IP Reputation: Senders using dedicated IPs must actively monitor and maintain their IP reputation by avoiding spam traps and following best practices.
Volume Throttling: Throttling email volume, especially when starting new campaigns, is essential to prevent triggering spam filters.
Educational Resources: Webinars and shared knowledge can give useful guidance on deliverability.

Key considerations

Subscriber Expectations: Regularly assess and adapt content to ensure it consistently meets subscriber interests and expectations.
Proactive Monitoring: Implement tools and processes for continuous monitoring of IP reputation and deliverability metrics.
Gradual Scaling: Develop a strategic plan for gradually increasing email volume while maintaining engagement and avoiding spam triggers.
Resource Availability: Webinars can be useful, but don't forget to check what the product they are offering is before attending.

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that for senders using their own IP addresses (not shared), they need to monitor the reputation of those IPs and take steps to maintain a good reputation. This involves following deliverability best practices and avoiding spam traps.

3 May 2024 - Word to the Wise

Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource, George Schlossnagle, explains that throttling your email volume, especially when first starting, can help improve deliverability. Sending large volumes of email suddenly can trigger spam filters.

22 Jul 2021 - Spam Resource

What the documentation says

4 technical articles

To improve email deliverability, newsletter senders should authenticate their emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Monitoring sender reputation through services like Sender Score and feedback loops is also crucial for avoiding spam filters. Implementing Feedback Loops (FBLs) enables senders to address user complaints and improve list hygiene, while validating email addresses at entry and before sending reduces bounce rates and enhances deliverability.

Key findings

Email Authentication: Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records authenticates emails, proving they are genuinely sent from the domain.
Sender Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring sender reputation helps avoid spam filters and maintain good standing with email providers.
Feedback Loops (FBLs): Implementing FBLs allows for addressing user complaints and improving list hygiene.
Email Validation: Validating email addresses at entry and before sending reduces bounce rates and improves deliverability.

Key considerations

Implementation Complexity: Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC requires technical expertise and careful configuration to avoid errors.
Reputation Fluctuations: Sender reputation can fluctuate based on various factors, requiring continuous monitoring and proactive measures.
FBL Management: Effectively managing FBLs requires processes for identifying and addressing issues promptly.
Validation Tools: Selecting and integrating the right email validation tools is crucial for accurate and efficient validation.

Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor explains that Feedback Loops (FBLs) allow mailbox providers to forward complaints from their users back to the sender, enabling the sender to remove complaining users from their list and improve list hygiene. This prevents future deliverability problems.

8 Jul 2023 - RFC Editor

Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft recommends monitoring your sender reputation by using services like Sender Score and also through feedback loops provided by email providers. Maintaining a good reputation is crucial for avoiding spam filters.

19 Jan 2025 - Microsoft