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

Summary

Fixing a low IP and domain reputation with a high spam rate requires a comprehensive strategy encompassing authentication, list hygiene, engagement, spam complaint management, and technical security. This involves implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication; cleaning email lists to remove unengaged subscribers and invalid addresses; improving engagement through relevant and wanted content; analyzing and addressing spam complaints; deploying CAPTCHAs and email verification to combat botnet activity; and continuously monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS. Consistency and adherence to best practices are essential for long-term improvement, focusing on domain reputation, maintaining a spam rate below 0.1%, and addressing potential issues such as bought lists and domain spoofing.

Key findings

Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for verifying email legitimacy and improving sender reputation.
List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists by removing unengaged subscribers and invalid addresses improves engagement metrics and sender reputation.
Engagement: Focusing on engagement by sending relevant, personalized content improves reputation with mailbox providers.
Spam Management: Analyzing spam complaints, implementing easy unsubscribe processes, and avoiding spam trigger words reduces spam rates and enhances sender reputation.
Security: Implementing security measures like CAPTCHAs and email verification prevents botnet activity and malicious signups.
Monitoring: Monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS helps identify and address issues promptly.
Domain Focus: Prioritizing domain reputation is essential, as it significantly impacts IP reputation.
Spam Rate Threshold: Maintaining a spam rate below 0.1% is critical for a positive sender reputation.
Long-term effort: Repairing reputation takes consistent effort and may not have instant fixes; long term strategies are key.
Compliance and best practices: A variety of things may be at play from compliance not being setup to bad sending practices.

Key considerations

Holistic Strategy: A comprehensive approach involving authentication, list hygiene, engagement, and security measures is necessary for effective reputation management.
Root Cause Analysis: Addressing the root causes of low reputation, such as purchased lists, poor sending practices, and lack of authentication, is crucial.
Implementation Complexity: Implementing DMARC and other authentication protocols requires technical expertise and careful configuration.
Ongoing Maintenance: Email authentication, list hygiene, and reputation management require continuous monitoring and adjustments.
Compliance: DMARC needs to be properly set up to avoid domain spoofing and spam.
Engagement: Ensuring content is wanted and valued by subscribers is vital for engagement metrics.
Email Volume: Maintaining consistent email sending volumes is important for sender reputation.

What email marketers say

19 marketer opinions

Fixing a low IP and domain reputation with a high spam rate requires a multifaceted approach focused on improving authentication, engagement, and list hygiene. Key steps include implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, cleaning email lists to remove unengaged subscribers, warming up IP addresses gradually, and monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS. It's crucial to analyze spam complaints, avoid spam trigger words, segment email lists based on engagement, and use email verification services to minimize bounce rates. Consistent action and adherence to best practices are essential for long-term improvement.

Key opinions

Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication is crucial for verifying email legitimacy and reducing the likelihood of being marked as spam.
List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists to remove unengaged subscribers and invalid addresses improves engagement metrics and sender reputation.
IP Warm-up: Gradually warming up new IP addresses by increasing sending volume helps establish a positive sending history.
Monitoring: Monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS is essential for identifying and addressing issues early.
Spam Analysis: Analyzing spam complaints and addressing the underlying reasons can reduce future complaints and improve reputation.
Content Optimization: Avoiding spam trigger words and phrases in email content helps prevent emails from being flagged as spam.
Segmentation: Segmenting email lists based on engagement and sending targeted content improves engagement rates and reduces spam complaints.
Email Verification: Using email verification services to remove invalid addresses minimizes bounce rates and improves sender reputation.
Engagement is Key: Engagement metrics such as opens, clicks, and positive interactions significantly impact your reputation.
Holistic Approach: Addressing root causes, implementing best practices, and continuous monitoring are crucial for improving domain reputation over time.

Key considerations

Consistency: Repairing reputation takes consistent effort and may not result in instant fixes. Long-term strategies are key.
Spam Rate Thresholds: Maintaining a spam rate below 0.1% is essential, as rates above 0.3% are considered detrimental.
Potential Issues: Consider potential issues like unconsented lists, bought lists, bad sending practices, botnet activity, and domain spoofing.
DMARC setup: Ensure DMARC is properly set up to avoid the risk of domain spoofing and spamming.
Domain Focus: Focus on improving domain reputation, as it significantly influences IP reputation.

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that a high spam rate coupled with a bad domain reputation indicates issues such as a list that is not opted-in or bought lists. He recommends tightening the segment and asking about purchased lists.

16 May 2024 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus recommends avoiding spam trigger words and phrases in your email content. Use a spam checker tool to identify and remove potential triggers before sending to avoid spam filters.

14 Jun 2024 - Litmus

What the experts say

5 expert opinions

Fixing a low IP and domain reputation with a high spam rate involves focusing on engagement, addressing root causes, reducing spam complaints, and preventing botnet activity. Key strategies include improving engagement metrics by sending relevant content, implementing robust list hygiene practices by removing inactive subscribers and invalid addresses, ensuring easy unsubscribe processes, and deploying CAPTCHAs and email verification to combat malicious signups. Continuous monitoring and adherence to best practices are crucial for long-term improvement.

Key opinions

Engagement Focus: Prioritizing engagement by sending relevant and wanted content improves reputation with mailbox providers.
Root Cause Analysis: Addressing the root causes of low reputation, such as poor list hygiene, lack of authentication, and unwanted content, is essential.
Spam Complaint Reduction: Implementing easy unsubscribe processes and relevant content reduces spam complaints and improves sender reputation.
Botnet Prevention: Deploying CAPTCHAs and email verification helps prevent botnet activity and malicious signups, reducing spam rates.
List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists to remove inactive subscribers and invalid addresses is critical for maintaining high deliverability.

Key considerations

Content Relevance: Ensuring content is highly relevant and wanted by subscribers is vital for improving engagement metrics.
Unsubscribe Ease: Providing a clear and easy unsubscribe process is essential to minimize spam complaints.
Monitoring Metrics: Continuously monitoring sending metrics is crucial for identifying and addressing reputation issues proactively.
Security Measures: Implementing security measures like CAPTCHAs is important to protect against botnet activity and malicious signups.
Long-Term Improvement: Long-term adherence to best practices is necessary to achieve sustained improvements in IP and domain reputation.

Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource recommends cleaning your email list regularly to remove inactive subscribers and invalid email addresses. Good list hygiene helps maintain high deliverability rates and avoids sending to potentially harmful or inactive accounts.

22 May 2022 - Spam Resource

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise Staff advises that fixing a low domain reputation involves addressing the root causes of the problem, such as poor list hygiene, lack of authentication, or sending unwanted content. They recommend implementing best practices and continuously monitoring your sending metrics to improve your reputation over time.

1 Sep 2023 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says

3 technical articles

To fix a low IP and domain reputation with a high spam rate, documentation emphasizes authentication, monitoring, and adherence to best practices. Google recommends authenticating email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, using TLS encryption, maintaining spam rates below 0.1%, and keeping consistent sending volumes. Microsoft suggests monitoring IP and domain reputation with tools like Sender Reputation Data (SRD) and implementing best practices for authentication, list hygiene, and feedback loops. The RFC Editor documentation explains that DMARC helps prevent email abuse by allowing domain owners to specify how receivers should handle authentication failures and providing reporting mechanisms.

Key findings

Authentication Protocols: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are crucial for authenticating email and improving sender reputation.
Spam Rate Threshold: Maintaining a spam rate below 0.1% is essential for positive sender reputation.
Reputation Monitoring: Regular monitoring of IP and domain reputation using tools like SRD helps identify and address issues promptly.
DMARC Enforcement: DMARC allows domain owners to control how email receivers handle authentication failures.
TLS Encryption: Using TLS encryption is recommended for secure email transmission.

Key considerations

Consistent Sending: Maintaining consistent email sending volumes can positively impact sender reputation.
Holistic Approach: Combining authentication, list hygiene, and feedback loops is necessary for effective reputation management.
Implementation Complexity: Implementing DMARC and related authentication protocols requires technical expertise and careful configuration.
Data Interpretation: Effectively interpreting data from reputation monitoring tools like SRD is vital for taking corrective actions.
Ongoing Maintenance: Email authentication and reputation management require continuous monitoring and adjustments.

Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft suggests monitoring your sending IP and domain reputation using tools like Sender Reputation Data (SRD). They also advise implementing best practices for email authentication, list hygiene, and feedback loops to improve deliverability and sender reputation.

18 May 2025 - Microsoft

Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor explains that DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) helps prevent email abuse by allowing domain owners to specify how email receivers should handle messages that fail authentication checks (SPF and DKIM). It also provides reporting mechanisms to monitor authentication results.

29 Oct 2021 - RFC Editor