Summary
Gmail deliverability issues for bulk senders using Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) are multifaceted. Several SFMC-specific configurations can cause problems, including shared IP/domain sends without a fully implemented Sender Authentication Package (SAP), improper SAP assignment across business units, and unresolved bounce handling issues. Broadly, sender reputation, influenced by IP/domain history and spam complaints, is crucial. Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential. List hygiene, including removing unengaged or invalid addresses, prevents reputational damage. Email content triggering spam filters and poor email design can also cause issues. Other factors include sending frequency, list segmentation, IP warming, and the ease of unsubscribing. Finally, inconsistent sending volumes and failing to monitor sending reputation or implement complaint feedback loops can contribute to deliverability problems. DMARC policies must be appropriately set to prevent spoofing.
Key findings
- SFMC SAP & Configuration: Issues within SFMC, such as incomplete SAP implementation, improper business unit configuration, and bounce handling problems, impact deliverability.
- Sender Reputation: Poor sender reputation (IP/domain history, spam complaints) significantly hinders inbox placement.
- Authentication: Lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) prevents verification of sender legitimacy.
- List Hygiene: Sending to unengaged or invalid addresses harms sender reputation.
- Content & Design: Email content triggering spam filters and poorly designed emails negatively impact deliverability.
- Frequency & Segmentation: High sending frequency and poor list segmentation lead to low engagement and increased spam complaints.
- IP Warming: Improper IP warming can negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability.
- Unsubscribe Process: A difficult unsubscribe process leads to higher spam complaints.
- Sending Volume: Inconsistent sending volumes can raise red flags with ISPs.
- Monitoring & Feedback Loops: Failure to monitor reputation or implement complaint feedback loops limits problem detection and resolution.
- DMARC Policy: DMARC policies set to 'none' provide no protection against domain spoofing.
Key considerations
- SFMC Setup Review: Thoroughly review SFMC settings, including SAP implementation, business unit configurations, and bounce handling procedures.
- Reputation Monitoring: Regularly monitor sender reputation metrics using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
- Authentication Implementation: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured and validated.
- List Hygiene Practices: Enforce regular cleaning of email lists by removing unengaged, invalid, and bounced addresses.
- Content Optimization: Optimize email content to avoid triggering spam filters and ensure email is not marked as spam.
- Segmentation Strategies: Segment email lists to tailor content and adjust sending frequency based on user engagement.
- Proper IP Warming: Implement a gradual IP warming strategy for new dedicated IPs.
- Simplified Unsubscribe: Ensure a clear and easy unsubscribe process is provided.
- Consistent Sending Schedule: Maintain consistent sending volumes to avoid raising red flags with ISPs.
- Feedback Loop Implementation: Implement complaint feedback loops (FBLs) to promptly remove users who mark emails as spam.
- DMARC Configuration: Set DMARC policies to 'quarantine' or 'reject' to protect against domain spoofing and enhance deliverability.
What email marketers say
9 marketer opinions
Gmail deliverability issues for bulk senders using Salesforce Marketing Cloud can stem from various factors. Sender reputation, heavily influenced by IP/domain history and spam complaints, is crucial. Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for verifying sender legitimacy. List hygiene, including removing unengaged or invalid addresses, prevents reputational damage. Email content triggering spam filters, due to excessive exclamation points or spammy keywords, can cause problems. Sending frequency and list segmentation are important; sending too many emails or failing to segment leads to low engagement and increased complaints. Poorly designed emails and difficult unsubscribe processes also negatively impact deliverability. Finally, inconsistent sending volumes can raise red flags with ISPs.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation: A poor sender reputation due to IP/domain history and spam complaints significantly impacts deliverability.
- Authentication: Lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) prevents verification of sender legitimacy.
- List Hygiene: Sending to unengaged or invalid email addresses damages sender reputation.
- Content Issues: Email content triggering spam filters negatively impacts deliverability.
- Sending Frequency & Segmentation: High sending frequency and poor segmentation leads to low engagement and increased spam complaints.
- Design & Unsubscribe: Poor email design and a difficult unsubscribe process hurts sender reputation.
- Sending Volume: Inconsistent sending volumes can raise red flags with ISPs.
Key considerations
- Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor sender reputation metrics using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
- Implement Authentication: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured and validated.
- Clean Email Lists: Regularly clean email lists by removing unengaged, invalid, and bounced addresses.
- Optimize Content: Optimize email content to avoid triggering spam filters by using clean language and avoiding excessive punctuation.
- Segment Lists & Adjust Frequency: Segment email lists to tailor content and adjust sending frequency based on user engagement.
- Improve Design & Unsubscribe: Ensure emails are well-designed, mobile-friendly, and offer a clear and easy unsubscribe option.
- Maintain Sending Consistency: Maintain consistent sending volumes to avoid raising red flags with ISPs.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit explains that the email content can trigger spam filters. Using excessive exclamation points, spammy keywords, or deceptive subject lines can lead to deliverability issues.
5 Jul 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that sender reputation is critical for deliverability. Factors like IP address history, domain reputation, and spam complaints directly influence whether Gmail places your emails in the inbox or spam folder.
19 Feb 2025 - Neil Patel
What the experts say
6 expert opinions
Gmail deliverability issues for bulk senders using Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) can arise from several sources. Shared IP or domain sends without a fully implemented Sender Authentication Package (SAP) can lead to shared reputation or platform issues within SFMC. Ensuring all business units within SFMC have proper SAP assignments is crucial. Bounce handling issues should be logged as bugs for SFMC to address. Beyond SFMC specifics, monitoring sender reputation via Google Postmaster Tools and implementing complaint feedback loops are essential. Maintaining high mailing list quality through rigorous list hygiene, including removing invalid or unengaged addresses, is paramount. Properly configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is also vital for authentication and deliverability, along with actively monitoring DMARC reporting.
Key opinions
- SFMC SAP Implementation: Lack of fully implemented Sender Authentication Package (SAP) in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) for shared IP/domain sends can cause shared reputation issues.
- SFMC Business Unit Configuration: Improper SAP assignment across multiple business units within SFMC contributes to deliverability problems.
- SFMC Bounce Handling: Unresolved bounce handling issues/bugs within SFMC negatively affect deliverability.
- Reputation Monitoring: Failure to monitor sending reputation via Google Postmaster Tools hinders problem identification.
- Complaint Feedback Loops: Lack of complaint feedback loops prevents the removal of complainants, damaging reputation.
- List Hygiene: Poor mailing list quality due to invalid or unengaged addresses harms deliverability.
- Authentication Protocols: Improperly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols cause deliverability problems.
- DMARC Reporting: Failure to actively monitor DMARC reporting limits ability to prevent impersonation.
Key considerations
- Verify SAP Setup: Thoroughly verify the Sender Authentication Package (SAP) implementation within Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC), especially for shared IP/domain sends.
- Check Business Unit Settings: Ensure all business units within SFMC have properly assigned SAP configurations.
- Log Bounce Issues: Proactively log any bounce handling issues or bugs with SFMC support for resolution.
- Monitor Reputation Tools: Actively monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
- Implement FBLs: Implement complaint feedback loops (FBLs) to promptly remove users who mark emails as spam.
- Maintain Clean Lists: Enforce rigorous list hygiene practices to remove invalid, unengaged, and bouncing email addresses regularly.
- Configure Authentication: Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols to verify sender legitimacy.
- Monitor DMARC Reports: Actively monitor DMARC reports to identify and prevent unauthorized use of your domain.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that the quality of your mailing list is paramount. Poor list hygiene, including sending to invalid or unengaged addresses, is a common cause of deliverability problems.
6 May 2025 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that monitoring your sending reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools is critical, as is implementing complaint feedback loops to remove complainants.
28 Dec 2024 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Gmail deliverability issues for bulk senders using Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) can be identified and addressed by utilizing various tools and adhering to best practices. Google Postmaster Tools provides critical data on sending reputation, spam rates, and other metrics. Improperly warming up dedicated IPs in SFMC can negatively impact deliverability. Implementing feedback loops (FBLs) helps identify and remove users generating excessive spam complaints. Not fully implementing the Sender Authentication Package (SAP) in SFMC can cause deliverability problems due to brand alignment and authentication issues. DMARC policies should be set to 'quarantine' or 'reject' to protect against domain spoofing and enhance deliverability.
Key findings
- Google Postmaster Tools: Google Postmaster Tools provides essential data on sending reputation and spam rates.
- IP Warming: Improper IP warming in SFMC negatively impacts deliverability.
- Feedback Loops (FBLs): Lack of feedback loop implementation prevents identifying and removing spam complainers.
- SFMC SAP: Incomplete Sender Authentication Package (SAP) implementation in SFMC causes brand alignment and authentication issues.
- DMARC Policy: DMARC policies set to 'none' fail to protect against domain spoofing.
Key considerations
- Monitor Postmaster Tools: Regularly monitor Google Postmaster Tools to identify and address deliverability problems.
- Warm Up IPs Properly: Implement a gradual IP warming strategy when using dedicated IPs in SFMC.
- Implement Feedback Loops: Implement and actively use feedback loops to remove users who mark emails as spam.
- Fully Implement SAP: Ensure complete implementation of the Sender Authentication Package (SAP) in SFMC.
- Set DMARC Policy: Set DMARC policies to 'quarantine' or 'reject' to protect against domain spoofing and enhance deliverability.
Technical article
Documentation from Google explains that Google Postmaster Tools provides data about your sending reputation, spam rate, and other key metrics. Monitoring these metrics can help identify and address deliverability problems.
4 Oct 2022 - Google
Technical article
Documentation from RFC explains that Gmail uses feedback loops (FBLs) to identify senders who are generating excessive spam complaints. Implementing an FBL allows you to remove users who are marking your emails as spam.
12 Oct 2021 - RFC-Editor
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