Why are welcome emails going to spam in Gmail despite good sender reputation?

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests checking for messages from Gmail regarding DNS issues like DKIM or SPF problems. He also suggests comparing sending from the user's inbox and ESP to identify return path issues.

Marketer from Email Geeks asks if the people receiving welcome emails asked to receive emails and if the signup form has any protection like a captcha or honeypot.

Email marketer from GMass explains that the subject line of welcome emails can trigger spam filters. Using overly promotional, sales-oriented, or misleading subject lines can lead to emails being classified as spam, even if the sender has a good reputation otherwise.

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that low engagement rates (opens, clicks) on welcome emails signal to Gmail that the emails are not valuable to recipients. This can lead to future welcome emails being filtered as spam, despite a good overall sender reputation.

Email marketer from Validity (formerly ReturnPath) responds that even with a good sender reputation, high complaint rates from welcome emails can trigger spam filters. Monitoring and addressing complaint feedback loops is crucial for maintaining deliverability.

Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that missing or improperly configured authentication headers (e.g., List-Unsubscribe) can increase the likelihood of emails being marked as spam. Ensuring these headers are correctly implemented signals trustworthiness.

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that Gmail may be fingerprinting certain messages it doesn't like, even with explicit opt-ins, leading to high unsubscribe and complaint rates. He recommends changing the welcome series content regularly.

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that consistency is key. Sending emails regularly helps maintain a good sender reputation. Inconsistent sending patterns, especially for welcome emails, can trigger spam filters, even with an otherwise good reputation.

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor responds that inconsistencies in sending frequency and volume can trigger spam filters. If welcome emails are sent at different times or with fluctuating volumes, it can be perceived as suspicious activity.

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that some ESPs use specific identifiers in their headers for certain types of mail. He suggests trying to send a welcome message manually like a newsletter to a sample of newer sign-ups to test this theory.

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that the content of welcome emails can trigger spam filters if it resembles promotional or spammy content. Using clear and concise language, avoiding excessive links or images, and personalizing the message can improve inbox placement.

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests adding a message on the thank you page telling subscribers to check their spam folder. He also suggests making the first email plain text and asking a simple question to encourage replies.

Email marketer from Litmus explains that poorly coded welcome emails, with rendering issues or broken links, can negatively impact sender reputation. Gmail may interpret such emails as low-quality or potentially malicious, leading to spam filtering.

Email marketer from Email Geeks Forum responds that poor list hygiene (e.g., outdated addresses, spam traps) can negatively impact deliverability, even if overall reputation metrics appear healthy. Welcome emails sent to unengaged or problematic addresses are likely to be flagged as spam.

Email marketer from Reddit suggests that even with a good domain reputation, using a new IP address or ESP can cause deliverability issues for initial campaigns. Gmail treats mail from unfamiliar sources with caution, so welcome emails from a new setup are more likely to be filtered.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that Google builds reputation based on recipient reaction to mail. Since content changes aren't working, it suggests a deeper issue like domain reputation. Moving IPs might change the tuple of SPF, domain, and IP causing the issue.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that how you acquire email addresses significantly impacts deliverability. If you're using questionable list-building practices (e.g., purchasing lists, scraping addresses), even a seemingly good sender reputation can be undermined, leading to welcome emails being flagged as spam.

Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the importance of engagement. If recipients aren't engaging with your welcome emails (opening, clicking), Gmail will learn that those emails aren't valuable to users, even if the overall sender reputation is good. He recommends actively monitoring engagement metrics and adjusting strategies accordingly.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the content used in welcome emails can be a problem, especially if it closely mirrors content from other senders, or has common wording with spam. Personalize the content and avoid overused phrases.

Documentation from SparkPost explains that not properly warming up a new IP address can hurt deliverability. Sudden high volume mailings from an IP address that has not built trust can send a red flag to ISPs causing deliverability to suffer.

Documentation from Microsoft Support states it's best practice to segment new subscribers and gradually increase sending volume to them. Sending a welcome email to a large batch of new, unengaged subscribers can raise red flags and trigger spam filters.

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that a strict DMARC policy (e.g., p=reject) can cause deliverability issues if not properly implemented. If welcome emails fail DMARC checks due to misconfiguration, they may be rejected or sent to spam, even with a generally good reputation.

Documentation from Gmail Help states that to avoid Gmail's spam filters, ensure emails are authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), avoid sudden changes in sending volume, and maintain a low complaint rate. Welcome emails, being the first point of contact, are heavily scrutinized.

Documentation from RFC Editor explains that proper email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are crucial for establishing sender legitimacy. Gmail uses these protocols to verify the sender's identity, and failing to authenticate can lead to spam classification, even with a seemingly good reputation based on other factors.