Summary
Transactional emails from Sendgrid are being flagged as spam in Gmail due to a multitude of interconnected factors. Core issues include poor sender reputation stemming from various sources like low engagement, high bounce rates, user complaints and spam votes. Content also plays a huge factor, including spam trigger words, suspicious links, or content resembling marketing emails. Google also may flag emails as phishing if landing pages contain minimal text. Authentication problems are also a factor, in particular incorrect or absent SPF, DKIM and DMARC configurations, in addition to the usage of generic Sendgrid links that may be viewed as suspicious. Email list hygiene (removing disengaged users) and compliance with CAN-SPAM regulations also needs to be followed. In addition, it's beneficial to analyze link wrapping and authentication differences between ESPs and progressively warm-up new sending IPs.
Key findings
- Reputation Problems: Poor sender reputation stemming from user complaints, spam votes, low engagement, and high bounce rates is a leading cause of spam classification.
- Content Triggers: Spam trigger words, promotional content in transactional emails, and 'phishy' looking landing pages are likely to trigger spam filters.
- Authentication issues: Incorrect or missing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations, or the use of generic Sendgrid links all lead to deliverability problems.
- List Hygiene: Lack of a suppression list and the continuous delivery to disengaged or bounced users will negatively impact sender reputation.
- CAN-SPAM: A lack of adherence to CAN-SPAM regulations, even within purely transactional messages will affect deliverability.
Key considerations
- Implement Full Authentication: Fully configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your sending domain.
- Optimize Landing Pages: Review landing pages, and if possible, add content to it to avoid being flagged as a phishing scam.
- Monitor Tools: Use tools such as Google Postmaster Tools and aboutmy.email to identify deliverability issues and also to ensure authentication parameters, as well as sender reputation, are at acceptable levels.
- Segmentation and Personalization: Segment your contact lists and personalize email content in order to increase engagement and reduce spam complaints.
- Content Review: Carefully check email content to avoid any potential spam triggers, suspicious links, or promotional language and check suppression lists regularly to avoid sending to opted out users.
- Compliance: Ensure strict compliance with CAN-SPAM regulations, including providing an easy way to opt-out.
- IP Warming: Warm up an IP address gradually to prove legitimacy if a new IP address is being used to send, and also use a dedicated IP.
What email marketers say
7 marketer opinions
Transactional emails from Sendgrid are being flagged as spam in Gmail due to several factors. These include poor domain reputation, content being flagged as spam, and recipient spam votes. Experts recommend ensuring proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM), maintaining a clean mailing list, and monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools. They also advise segmenting email lists, personalizing emails, avoiding spam trigger words, and using a recognizable sender name. It's important to verify DKIM/SPF records, ensure content is transactional, check IP reputation against blacklists, verify reverse DNS records, and warm up the sending IP. Consistent sending volume and engagement, coupled with CAN-SPAM compliance, are crucial.
Key opinions
- Reputation: Poor domain and IP reputation are significant contributors to transactional emails being flagged as spam.
- Authentication: Lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) increases the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.
- Content: Spam trigger words, promotional content in transactional emails, and suspicious links can trigger spam filters.
- Engagement: Low engagement rates and high bounce rates negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability.
- Compliance: Failure to comply with CAN-SPAM regulations, even in transactional emails, can lead to deliverability issues.
Key considerations
- Authentication Setup: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured for your sending domain in Sendgrid.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your mailing list by removing inactive subscribers and those who have unsubscribed or marked emails as spam.
- Content Review: Review email content to eliminate spam trigger words, promotional language, and ensure a clear and concise message.
- Monitoring Tools: Utilize Google Postmaster Tools to monitor domain and IP reputation, spam rates, and other deliverability metrics.
- Dedicated IP: Consider using a dedicated IP address for sending transactional emails to better manage and protect your sender reputation.
- Volume and Warm-up: Gradually increase sending volume to 'warm-up' an IP address. Warming up an IP address will avoid sending sudden spikes of volume which can get you flagged by gmail.
- CAN-SPAM Compliance: Ensure ALL emails comply with CAN-SPAM requirements.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email on Acid highlights how email content significantly affects spam filtering. He explains the importance of avoiding spam trigger words, using a proper HTML structure, and testing emails across various email clients and devices to ensure they render correctly and don't trigger spam filters.
24 Sep 2021 - Email on Acid
Marketer view
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that avoiding the spam folder involves several key steps: segmenting your email list to send targeted content, personalizing emails to increase engagement, using a recognizable sender name and address, and avoiding spam trigger words in your subject lines and email body.
30 Dec 2022 - Neil Patel
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Transactional emails from Sendgrid are being flagged as spam in Gmail due to various factors beyond standard deliverability issues. The "this might be phishing" label can be triggered by landing page content, especially with minimal text or a simple login box. It's crucial to compare the link wrapping and authentication between Sendgrid and other ESPs (like Iterable) using tools like aboutmy.email, as generic Sendgrid links may contribute to the problem. Adhering to CAN-SPAM compliance, even for transactional emails, is essential, and maintaining an updated suppression list by removing unsubscribed or spam-reporting recipients is vital for preserving deliverability.
Key opinions
- Phishing Flagging: Gmail's "this might be phishing" label is triggered by landing page and email content, independent of typical deliverability issues.
- Link Wrapping: Differences in link wrapping between Sendgrid and other ESPs, specifically the use of generic Sendgrid links, might be a cause.
- CAN-SPAM Compliance: CAN-SPAM regulations apply to transactional emails and must be followed.
- Suppression Lists: Maintaining an up-to-date suppression list is critical for avoiding sending to disengaged or spam-reporting recipients.
Key considerations
- Landing Page Review: Carefully review the content of the landing pages linked in transactional emails, particularly those with minimal text or a simple login box, to avoid triggering phishing flags.
- Comparative Analysis: Use tools like aboutmy.email to compare link wrapping and authentication methods between different ESPs and identify potential issues with Sendgrid's configuration.
- CAN-SPAM Implementation: Ensure all transactional emails comply with CAN-SPAM regulations, including providing opt-out options, a physical postal address, and clear identification if the message contains any advertising.
- Suppression List Management: Implement a robust system for managing suppression lists, promptly removing recipients who unsubscribe or mark emails as spam to prevent future deliverability problems.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests sending example messages from both Sendgrid and Iterable setups to aboutmy.email to identify differences in how links are wrapped and how authentication is handled. The generic Sendgrid clickthrough link may also be the cause of the issue.
21 Oct 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that maintaining a current suppression list is critical for deliverability. This involves promptly removing email addresses of recipients who have unsubscribed or marked emails as spam, this will prevent sending to disengaged or problem users in the future.
22 Sep 2024 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Transactional emails from Sendgrid are being flagged as spam in Gmail due to issues related to authentication, sender reputation, user complaints, and content, according to Sendgrid, Google, RFC, and DKIM.org documentation. Proper setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial to verify the sender's identity and prevent address forgery. Maintaining a clean mailing list and monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools are also important. DKIM authentication ensures that the message content hasn't been altered during transit and establishes sender responsibility.
Key findings
- Authentication Importance: Proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup is essential for verifying sender identity and preventing address forgery.
- Reputation Monitoring: Maintaining a positive sender reputation is crucial for avoiding spam filters, and Google Postmaster Tools can assist in monitoring this.
- Mailing List Hygiene: A clean mailing list, free of inactive or unsubscribed users, is necessary for good deliverability.
- Content Integrity: DKIM ensures message content integrity and confirms the sending organization's responsibility.
Key considerations
- SPF Configuration: Implement SPF records to specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain, preventing spammers from forging your 'From' address.
- DKIM Implementation: Implement DKIM to add a digital signature to your emails, allowing receiving mail servers to verify the message's authenticity and integrity.
- DMARC Policy: Establish a DMARC policy to instruct receiving mail servers on how to handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks, helping to prevent spoofing and phishing attacks.
- Postmaster Tools Utilization: Regularly use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your domain's reputation, spam rates, and other deliverability metrics to identify and address any issues promptly.
- List Maintenance Practices: Establish a system for regularly removing inactive or unsubscribed users from your mailing list to improve engagement rates and avoid being flagged as a spammer.
Technical article
Documentation from DKIM.org explains DKIM authentication allows sending organisation to take responsibility for a message, by attaching a digital signature to it, which email systems can then verify. This ensures the email was indeed sent by the domain it claims to be from and that the message's content wasn't altered during transit.
23 Aug 2023 - DKIM.org
Technical article
Documentation from RFC explains SPF prevents sender address forgery. SPF records prevent spammers from forging the 'From' addresses in email, meaning the receiving server can verify that emails claiming to come from a specific domain are sent from IP addresses authorized by that domain's administrator.
22 Apr 2023 - RFC
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