What should I do if Google is blocking my emails due to poor domain reputation?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 2 Jul 2025
Updated 16 Aug 2025
6 min read
When Google starts blocking your emails because of poor domain reputation, it can feel like hitting a brick wall. This is a common but serious issue that impacts your ability to communicate with recipients, especially those using Gmail. It means their systems perceive your sending practices as suspicious or undesirable, leading to your messages being rejected or routed directly to the spam folder.
I’ve seen this scenario play out many times, and the good news is that while challenging, it is fixable. The key is to systematically identify the root causes, implement best practices, and rebuild trust with Google's powerful spam filters. This process requires patience and a commitment to maintaining healthy email habits.
Diagnosing your domain's reputation issue
The first step is always to understand why your emails are going to spam. Google Postmaster Tools is your primary resource here. If you haven't set it up, do so immediately. It provides dashboards for various metrics, including your domain's reputation. It also offers insights into your spam rate, IP reputation, domain reputation, and authentication status.
Beyond Google Postmaster Tools, check your bounce rates. High bounce rates signal a poor list quality, which negatively impacts your reputation. Differentiate between soft and hard bounces, and immediately remove hard bounces from your lists. A significant increase in spam complaints, which you can often see in your email service provider's reports or Postmaster Tools, is also a clear indicator of a problem.
I also recommend checking if your domain or IP is listed on any public blocklists (or blacklists). While Google's internal lists are proprietary, being on a public blacklist can contribute to a poor overall reputation. You can use a blocklist checker to see your current status.
Pay close attention to any specific error messages you receive. Google often provides hints in the bounce messages, such as '550 5.7.1, Our system has detected that this message is likely suspicious due to the very low reputation of the sending domain.' These messages are crucial for pinpointing the issue.
Understanding common causes of poor domain reputation
Poor domain reputation doesn't happen overnight, nor does it typically come from a single factor. It's usually a combination of issues. One major cause I frequently see is sending unengaged or unsolicited emails. If recipients aren't opening or clicking your emails, or worse, marking them as spam, it tells Gmail's algorithms that your content isn't wanted.
Another common pitfall is inadequate email authentication. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are fundamental to proving your emails are legitimate and not spoofed. If these records are misconfigured or missing, it immediately raises red flags for email providers. They want to ensure the email is truly coming from your domain.
Key factors impacting domain reputation
Engagement rates: Low open and click-through rates, or high delete-without-reading rates.
Spam complaints: The most damaging signal. Even a small percentage can severely impact reputation.
Bounce rates: High numbers indicate an outdated or poorly maintained mailing list.
Authentication issues: Missing or incorrect SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records.
Sometimes, the problem can also stem from sudden, large spikes in email volume or sending to a newly acquired list without proper warming up. Google's systems are designed to detect unusual sending patterns that might indicate a compromised account or spamming activity. Even legitimate emails can be flagged if they deviate too much from historical sending behavior.
Steps to recover your domain reputation
The path to recovery involves a multi-pronged approach, focusing on stopping the problematic behavior and gradually rebuilding trust. First and foremost, you must stop sending any form of unsolicited email. This is critical. If Google is blocking you, it's because their filters are working as intended, identifying your mail as spam. Continuing to send will only prolong the block.
Next, rigorously clean your email list. Remove all invalid, inactive, or unengaged subscribers. High bounce rates and low engagement are detrimental. Focus on sending only to recipients who have explicitly opted in and regularly interact with your emails. This improves engagement metrics, which are crucial for reputation.
Authentication requirements
SPF: Ensures only authorized servers send on your behalf.
DKIM: Digitally signs your emails, verifying content integrity.
DMARC: Builds on SPF and DKIM to prevent spoofing and provides feedback.
DNS records: All authentication records need to be correctly published in your DNS.
Content and user experience
Clear subject lines: Avoid misleading or sensational phrases.
Relevant content: Ensure emails provide value to recipients.
Easy unsubscribe: Make it simple for users to opt out, reducing spam complaints.
Mobile optimization: Ensure emails display correctly on all devices.
Review your email content for anything that might trigger spam filters. This includes excessive links, suspicious attachments, or overly promotional language without a clear context. Ensure your emails are well-formatted and render correctly across different email clients.
Rebuilding trust and long-term strategies
Once you've addressed the immediate issues, begin a slow and controlled warm-up process. Start by sending emails only to your most engaged subscribers on Gmail, gradually increasing volume over time as your deliverability improves. This signals to Google that your domain is sending legitimate, wanted mail.
Implement a strong DMARC policy with reporting. DMARC reports provide invaluable feedback on your email authentication results, helping you identify and fix issues that could be hurting your reputation. Consistency in your sending practices, combined with robust authentication, will steadily improve your standing.
Monitor your domain and IP reputation continuously. Regular checks using Google Postmaster Tools and other monitoring services will help you catch potential problems early, before they escalate into a full block. Consistency, relevance, and adherence to sender guidelines are the pillars of long-term email deliverability success.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Actively monitor your domain's reputation using Google Postmaster Tools for key insights.
Segment your audience and send relevant content to improve engagement and reduce spam complaints.
Implement strong email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for all sending domains.
Clean your email lists regularly to remove inactive and invalid addresses, reducing bounce rates.
Common pitfalls
Continuing to send emails without addressing the underlying reputation issues will not resolve the block.
Attempting to 'warm up' with legitimate traffic and then switching to unsolicited email will be detected by filters.
Ignoring Google's sender guidelines can lead to persistent blocking and severe reputation damage.
Not removing hard bounces and unengaged subscribers, which signals poor list hygiene and intent.
Expert tips
If your domain is blocked, pause all email sending to Google recipients for at least two weeks.
When resuming, start with a very low volume to your most engaged audience and gradually increase.
Prioritize email quality and recipient engagement over volume or reach to rebuild trust effectively.
Don't expect immediate fixes; reputation recovery is a gradual process requiring consistent good practices.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says there is no direct contact with Google's anti-abuse team. The most effective approach is to halt all email to Google for a few weeks to allow the situation to stabilize before slowly resuming sending.
March 31, 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that blocking occurs when the volume of undesirable mail exceeds legitimate mail. Stopping the problematic sending and allowing reputation to recover is essential.
March 31, 2023 - Email Geeks
Moving forward to sustained deliverability
Recovering from a poor domain reputation with Google takes dedication and a shift in your email sending strategy. It’s not about finding a workaround, but rather demonstrating that your domain is a trustworthy sender of wanted emails. This involves a commitment to best practices, transparent communication, and consistent monitoring.
By focusing on strong authentication, rigorous list hygiene, engaging content, and a gradual ramp-up of volume, you can rebuild your domain's standing. Remember that email deliverability is a marathon, not a sprint. Maintaining a good reputation requires ongoing effort.
Gmail. It means their systems perceive your sending practices as suspicious or undesirable, leading to your messages being rejected or routed directly to the spam folder.
Google's powerful spam filters. This process requires patience and a commitment to maintaining healthy email habits.
