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

Summary

Improving email placement in Gmail's Primary tab is a complex process involving a multi-faceted approach. It starts with establishing a strong sender reputation through practices like warming up your IP address, maintaining a clean and segmented email list, and avoiding purchased lists. Proper email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for verifying your identity and preventing spoofing. Creating engaging and personalized content, avoiding spam triggers, and optimizing email frequency are vital for encouraging subscriber interaction. Technical aspects include using a consistent sending IP, adhering to email content and formatting best practices, providing clear unsubscribe options, and monitoring your sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools. It is also important to build relationships with your subscribers by sending valuable content and encouraging engagement. External factors, like list bombing, need to be understood and addressed. Overall, avoiding tactics that attempt to 'outwit' Gmail’s algorithms and instead focusing on providing a quality, authenticated, and engaging experience for subscribers is key.

Key findings

Holistic Approach: Gmail delivery depends on a combination of factors including reputation, authentication, content, infrastructure, spam complaints, and recipient lists.
Authentication is Crucial: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for verifying email legitimacy and improving deliverability.
Content Matters: Personalized and engaging content that avoids spam triggers and provides value to subscribers improves inbox placement.
List Management is Key: Maintaining a clean, segmented, and engaged email list is critical for sender reputation.
Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring and maintaining a good sender reputation is essential for deliverability, and checking for blacklistings is recommended.
Warming up your IP address is important: Warming up IP's helps establish a good reputation for newer IP's.

Key considerations

Focus on Controllable Factors: Prioritize factors within your control, such as content quality, list management, and authentication, rather than trying to game the system.
Regular Monitoring and Adjustments: Continuously monitor email deliverability metrics and adjust your strategy as needed to maintain optimal placement.
Building Subscriber Relationships: Focus on building a relationship with your subscribers by providing valuable content and encouraging interaction.
Comply with Best Practices: Adhere to best practices for email content, formatting, and sending frequency to avoid spam filters.
Understand External Factors: Be aware of external factors like list bombing and take appropriate measures to mitigate their impact.
Segmentation is important: Segmentation helps send relevant emails to subscribers

What email marketers say

10 marketer opinions

Improving email placement in Gmail's Primary tab involves a multifaceted approach focusing on sender reputation, email content, list management, and technical configurations. Key strategies include personalizing email content, avoiding spam triggers, optimizing email frequency, building a clean and segmented email list, warming up your IP address, authenticating your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and monitoring your sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools. Engaging with subscribers and building relationships is also crucial, as Gmail prioritizes emails that users find valuable. Avoiding common mistakes like using URL shorteners or excessive punctuation can also improve deliverability.

Key opinions

Personalization & Engagement: Personalized content and encouraging engagement through replies can significantly improve placement in the Primary tab.
List Management: Maintaining a clean and segmented email list, and avoiding purchased lists, is crucial for sender reputation and deliverability.
Technical Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols is essential for verifying email legitimacy and improving deliverability.
Content Optimization: Avoiding spam trigger words, excessive images, and large attachments can help prevent emails from being filtered as spam.
IP Warming: Gradually warming up your IP address, especially when starting with a new IP or domain, establishes a good sender reputation.
Reputation Monitoring: Checking if the domain is on any blacklists

Key considerations

Relationship Building: Focus on building a relationship with your subscribers by providing valuable content and encouraging interaction.
Regular List Cleaning: Implement a process for regularly cleaning your email list to remove unengaged subscribers and avoid sending to inactive addresses.
Mobile Optimization: Ensure your emails are optimized for mobile devices to provide a positive user experience.
Consistent Monitoring: Continuously monitor your email deliverability metrics and make adjustments to your strategy as needed to maintain optimal placement in the Primary tab.
Avoid Common Mistakes: Avoid URL shorteners, excessive capitalization and punctuation, and attachments.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that focusing on building a relationship with your subscribers and sending content that is actually valuable to them is key. They suggest actively encouraging replies and engagement, as this signals to Gmail that your emails are important to the recipient. They also advise against using excessive images or links in your emails, as this can trigger spam filters.

29 Jun 2022 - Reddit

Marketer view

Email marketer from Sender suggests that to improve email deliverability, you should focus on building a clean email list, segmenting your audience, and personalizing your email content. They also recommend monitoring your sender reputation and promptly addressing any issues that arise, as well as optimizing your email design for mobile devices to ensure a positive user experience.

31 Jan 2022 - Sender

What the experts say

3 expert opinions

Improving email placement in Gmail's Primary tab requires a comprehensive approach that respects Google's algorithms and focuses on factors within your control. While attempting to 'outwit' Gmail's filtering is unlikely to succeed, building a solid sender reputation, ensuring proper authentication, crafting engaging content, maintaining a robust infrastructure, and proactively addressing spam complaints are essential. Additionally, managing recipient lists effectively and understanding external factors like list bombing can influence deliverability.

Key opinions

Focus on Controllable Factors: Prioritize strategies within your control, such as growing your audience and creating valuable content, instead of trying to game Gmail's algorithms.
Holistic Deliverability Factors: Gmail delivery depends on a combination of reputation, authentication, content, infrastructure, spam complaints, and recipient lists.
Understanding List Bombing: Recognize that list bombing is an external factor where bots sign up email addresses to multiple services; it is up to the business to handle these signups.

Key considerations

Long-Term Strategy: Develop a long-term strategy focused on building a positive sender reputation and providing value to your subscribers.
Comprehensive Assessment: Regularly assess and optimize all aspects of your email program, including authentication, content quality, and infrastructure.
Proactive List Management: Implement strategies for identifying and handling suspicious sign-up activity, such as list bombing, to protect your sender reputation.

Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that list bombing occurs when a bot signs up an email address to multiple services. They explain that it's not the email address owner that did it and so they can't be blamed for it. It is up to the business to determine if they want to accept those signups or not.

22 Sep 2024 - Spam Resource

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise responds that Gmail delivery depends on reputation, authentication, content, infrastructure and spam complaints. And your recipient lists.

8 Feb 2023 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says

4 technical articles

Improving email placement in Gmail's Primary tab relies heavily on proper email authentication and maintaining a good sender reputation. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for verifying the legitimacy of your emails and preventing spoofing. Monitoring your sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft's SNDS program is crucial, as is adhering to best practices for email content and formatting. Providing clear unsubscribe options and promptly honoring unsubscribe requests is also vital for maintaining a positive sender reputation and ensuring successful bulk email delivery.

Key findings

Email Authentication is Key: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are crucial for ensuring Gmail and other mail servers deliver your messages to inboxes.
Sender Reputation Matters: Monitoring and maintaining a good sender reputation is essential for deliverability.
Best Practices for Content and Formatting: Adhering to best practices for email content and formatting is vital for avoiding spam filters.
Unsubscribe Options are Necessary: Providing clear unsubscribe options and honoring requests promptly is crucial for maintaining a positive sender reputation.
Avoid Sudden Spikes in Volume: Avoiding sudden spikes in email volume can improve deliverability.

Key considerations

Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: Ensure your domain is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to improve email deliverability.
Monitor Sender Reputation Regularly: Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft's SNDS program to monitor your sender reputation and address any issues promptly.
Follow Email Best Practices: Adhere to best practices for email content and formatting, including avoiding spam trigger words and providing clear calls to action.
Respect Unsubscribe Requests: Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe from your emails and promptly honor all unsubscribe requests to maintain a positive sender reputation.

Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Learn states that to ensure successful bulk email delivery, you should authenticate your domain using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, monitor your sender reputation through Microsoft's SNDS program, and adhere to best practices for email content and formatting. They also emphasize the importance of providing clear unsubscribe options and honoring unsubscribe requests promptly.

29 Apr 2025 - Microsoft Learn

Technical article

Documentation from Gmail Help explains that to ensure Gmail delivers your messages to inboxes, you should authenticate your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. They also recommend using a consistent sending IP address, keeping spam rates low (below 0.1%), and using the Postmaster Tools to monitor your sender reputation. Avoiding sudden spikes in email volume is also highlighted as a best practice.

14 Jan 2025 - Gmail Help