Summary
Troubleshooting email deliverability in SFMC requires a comprehensive approach addressing sender reputation, authentication, list hygiene, and content optimization. Sender reputation, encompassing IP/domain/brand, is crucial, and Google Postmaster Tools is essential for monitoring it. Authentication via SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is vital to prove legitimacy, with Salesforce's SAP and dedicated IPs offering enhanced control. Content Detective within SFMC aids in identifying spam triggers. Proper list hygiene through regular cleaning and segmentation based on engagement improves deliverability. Avoiding URL shorteners, conducting pre-deployment testing, monitoring bounce rates, setting up feedback loops, and a gradual IP warm-up are also recommended best practices.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation Importance: A positive sender reputation (IP, domain, brand) is crucial for email deliverability.
- Email Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential to prove sender legitimacy.
- List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning and segmenting email lists improves engagement and deliverability.
- Content Optimization: Avoiding spam triggers and optimizing email content is critical to bypassing spam filters.
- Monitoring & Analysis: Continuous monitoring of sender reputation, bounce rates, and feedback loops is necessary.
Key considerations
- Google Postmaster Tools: Utilize Google Postmaster Tools for diagnostics and error message analysis.
- Salesforce SAP and Dedicated IPs: Consider using Salesforce SAP and dedicated IPs for enhanced control over sender reputation.
- SFMC Content Detective: Use Content Detective within SFMC to scan email content for spam triggers.
- IP Warm-up Strategy: Implement a gradual IP warm-up process for new IPs to build a positive sending reputation.
- Pre-Deployment Testing: Conduct pre-deployment testing to identify and resolve potential issues before sending.
- Email Segmentation: Segment your audiences so you can make sure that what your sending will be welcomed by the audience.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Troubleshooting emails landing in spam within Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) involves a multi-faceted approach encompassing technical configurations, list management, content optimization, and continuous monitoring. Experts recommend leveraging tools like Google Postmaster Tools to diagnose deliverability issues, ensuring proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and maintaining impeccable list hygiene by removing unengaged subscribers. Furthermore, content should be carefully crafted to avoid spam triggers, and the use of URL shorteners should be avoided. Establishing feedback loops with ISPs and consistently monitoring bounce rates and sender reputation metrics are also crucial. Gradual IP warm-up processes, especially for new dedicated IPs, can help build a positive reputation. Email segmentation helps target specific demographics to improve user engagement.
Key opinions
- Google Postmaster Tools: Utilize Google Postmaster Tools to diagnose deliverability issues by analyzing spam rates, IP reputation, and feedback loops.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean subscriber lists by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers to maintain a good sender reputation.
- Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for email authentication to verify sender identity and improve deliverability.
- Content Optimization: Optimize email content to avoid spam trigger words and broken links, ensuring a positive user experience.
- Bounce Rate Monitoring: Monitor bounce rates and categorize them (hard vs. soft) to identify issues with email addresses or sending practices.
- IP Warm-up: Implement gradual IP warm-up strategy for new IPs.
Key considerations
- ESP Data Integration: Integrate ESP data (bounces, opens, clicks, unsubscribes) with Google Postmaster Tools for comprehensive insights.
- Sender Reputation: Proactively monitor and manage sender reputation using tools like Sender Score or Talos Intelligence.
- Feedback Loops: Establish feedback loops (FBLs) with major ISPs to receive notifications about spam complaints.
- URL Shorteners: Avoid URL shorteners due to their association with spam; use full, branded URLs instead.
- Pre-Deployment Testing: Conduct pre-deployment testing to identify and resolve potential rendering issues and spam triggers.
- Email Segmentation: Segment email lists to send targeted content to improve user engagement.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that tools alone won't reveal why emails go to spam. Access to Google Postmaster Tools and ESP data (bounces, opens, clicks, unsubscribes) is needed to determine the cause.
18 Aug 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks adds to Laura's answer, advising to check Google Postmaster Tools and the specific error message in the spam folder. If the error indicates similarity to past spam, reputation can be salvaged. However, a domain-wide spam identification requires a fresh domain.
6 Jun 2023 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Troubleshooting email deliverability issues, particularly in platforms like SFMC, requires addressing several key areas. Firstly, sender reputation is paramount, influenced by factors like IP and domain reputation, recipient engagement, and email content. Secondly, maintaining excellent list hygiene by removing inactive or invalid addresses is vital. Thirdly, email authentication via SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential to prove legitimacy to ISPs. Continuous monitoring of sender reputation through metrics like spam complaints and bounce rates, coupled with strategic content optimization, are also key to prevent emails from being marked as spam.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation: Sender reputation, encompassing IP, domain, and brand aspects, significantly affects deliverability.
- List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean email list by removing inactive or invalid addresses is crucial for a good sender reputation.
- Email Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps verify email legitimacy and improves deliverability.
- Content Optimization: Optimizing email content to avoid spam trigger words, broken links, and excessive images is important.
- Recipient Interaction: Recipient engagement, such as opens and clicks, influences deliverability.
Key considerations
- Gmail Spam Filtering: Gmail spam filtering relies on source reputation and problematic content.
- List Maintenance: Regularly scrub lists to remove unengaged recipients.
- Authentication Setup: Ensure correct configuration of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
- Reputation Monitoring Tools: Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score to monitor reputation.
- Content Testing: Test and optimize email content regularly.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource shares that the content of your emails plays a significant role in deliverability. Avoiding spam trigger words, excessive use of images, and broken links can help ensure your emails are not flagged as spam. Regular testing and optimization of your content are recommended.
30 May 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that Gmail spam filtering is mainly based on two concepts: (1) the source's reputation (IP, domain, brand) and recipient interactions, which can be improved by mailing to engaged recipients; and (2) problematic content within the email (links, phrases, patterns) that may be associated with unwanted mail, which requires removing the offending data.
19 Mar 2025 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Troubleshooting email deliverability in SFMC involves several technical aspects primarily focused on authentication and content. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for verifying sender identity and preventing spoofing. Salesforce also recommends using Sender Authentication Package (SAP) for branding and dedicated IPs to enhance control over sender reputation. Furthermore, utilizing Content Detective within SFMC can help identify and remove spam triggers from email content. In addition to using the Content Detective tool to identify spam trigger words and phrases, email senders need to understand how to properly configure SPF records for their sending domains. The implementation of DMARC is also important as it protects domains from spoofing and phishing.
Key findings
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC: Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for improving deliverability.
- SAP and Dedicated IPs: Sender Authentication Package (SAP) and dedicated IPs provide better control over sender reputation.
- Content Detective: Content Detective in SFMC helps identify potential spam triggers in email content.
- Domain Protection: DMARC implementation protects against email spoofing and phishing attacks.
Key considerations
- Authentication Configuration: Ensure proper configuration of SPF records to prevent spoofing.
- SAP Branding: Utilize SAP for branding to improve recognition and trust with recipients.
- Content Scanning: Regularly scan email content with Content Detective to avoid spam filters.
- DMARC Implementation: Follow steps to implement DMARC for enhanced domain protection.
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org details the steps to implement DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) to protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks, which can greatly improve email deliverability.
22 Oct 2021 - DMARC.org
Technical article
Documentation from Salesforce Help emphasizes the importance of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for improving deliverability in SFMC. They also recommend using Sender Authentication Package (SAP) for branding and dedicated IPs for better control over reputation.
21 Mar 2022 - Salesforce Help
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