Summary
First emails to new Gmail recipients often land in spam due to a combination of factors. These include: low or unknown sender reputation, especially for new IPs and domains; a lack of positive engagement (opens, clicks) from recipients which signals to Gmail that the emails might be unwanted; insufficient email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) making it difficult to verify the sender's legitimacy; poor list hygiene with inactive or invalid email addresses; spam triggers within email content; and sending emails from new IP addresses without properly warming them up. Recent reports suggest that even well-established, high-volume senders are experiencing deliverability issues with new subscribers. A gradual increase in email volume and prioritising user engagement can help improve deliverability rates and the chances of landing in the inbox.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation is Key: Gmail heavily relies on sender reputation. New IPs/domains have low reputations, causing initial emails to new recipients to often go to spam.
- Engagement is Crucial: Gmail analyzes user engagement; low engagement (low opens, clicks) can cause subsequent emails to land in spam.
- Authentication Matters: Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) proves email legitimacy to Gmail, greatly affecting deliverability.
- Content Can Trigger Spam: Certain words and formatting can trigger spam filters, especially for new recipients.
- List Quality is Important: A clean, up-to-date email list is essential for avoiding spam filters.
- New IPs Need Warming: New IP addresses require a warm-up period, sending small batches of emails before gradually increasing the volume.
Key considerations
- Warm Up Your IP: If using a new IP address, gradually increase email volume to establish a sending reputation with Gmail.
- Authenticate Your Emails: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to prove the legitimacy of your emails to Gmail.
- Practice List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses.
- Optimize Email Content: Avoid using spammy language, phrases, and formatting techniques.
- Encourage Recipient Engagement: Ask new recipients to add you to their contact list or reply to your emails to signal engagement to Gmail.
- Gradually Throttle Sending: Avoid sending large volumes of emails to new recipients; throttle sending instead.
- Preview Emails: Test how emails render in different email clients with tools like Litmus to improve UX and deliverability.
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Continuously check your sender reputation and address any negative trends.
What email marketers say
13 marketer opinions
First emails to new Gmail recipients often land in spam due to factors like sender reputation, engagement metrics, and authentication issues. Gmail's spam filters learn from user behavior, so lack of initial engagement, coupled with unknown sender reputation from new IPs or domains, can trigger spam placement. Poor list quality, spammy content, and absent authentication also contribute. Established senders are seeing increased problems with new addresses. Gradually warming up IP addresses and throttling sending volume is important. Building sender reputation and encouraging engagement are key to inbox placement.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation: Gmail relies heavily on sender reputation to filter emails. New domains and IPs have unknown reputations, leading to initial spam placement.
- Engagement Metrics: Low engagement rates (opens, clicks) from new recipients signal to Gmail that the email may be unwanted, impacting deliverability.
- Authentication: Lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) makes it difficult to prove legitimacy, increasing the risk of spam filtering.
- Content Triggers: Spammy words or formatting in email content can trigger filters and cause emails to be marked as spam.
- List Quality: Poor email list quality, including inactive or invalid addresses, can harm sender reputation and lead to spam placement.
- Volume Sending: Throttling sending and warming up IP addresses is important.
Key considerations
- Warm-up IPs: Gradually increase sending volume to establish a positive reputation with Gmail, rather than sending large volumes to new recipients immediately.
- Authentication Setup: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate your emails and prove your identity to Gmail.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses, improving engagement rates and sender reputation.
- Content Optimization: Avoid using spammy words or formatting techniques in your email content.
- Encourage Engagement: Encourage recipients to add you to their contacts and actively engage with your emails to improve your sender reputation with Gmail.
- Monitor Performance: Monitor your sending performance and look for patterns in spam placement to adapt and refine your sending practices.
- Email previewing: Preview emails before sending with software such as litmus.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that Gmail's spam filters learn from user behavior. If users don't engage with your first emails, Gmail may filter future emails as spam. New subscribers haven't yet signaled their interest, so initial emails are more likely to be treated with suspicion.
2 Sep 2024 - Neil Patel's Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from Sender.net explains that proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential to prove your legitimacy to Gmail. Without it, your emails are more likely to be flagged as spam, especially when sending to new recipients who haven't interacted with you before.
7 Mar 2023 - Sender.net
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Gmail places a strong emphasis on sender reputation and user engagement when filtering emails. Building a good reputation takes time and involves gradually increasing email volume while encouraging positive recipient interaction (opens, clicks). Low engagement from new recipients can negatively affect your reputation, leading to future emails being filtered as spam.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation Building: Establishing a positive sender reputation with Gmail is a gradual process that requires consistent and responsible sending practices.
- User Engagement Impact: Gmail closely monitors user engagement metrics, such as opens and clicks, to determine the placement of emails. Low engagement can trigger spam filters.
- New Recipient Sensitivity: Sending to new recipients requires extra care, as Gmail is more cautious of emails from unknown senders.
Key considerations
- Gradual Volume Increase: Start with a small email volume and gradually increase it over time as recipients engage positively with your messages.
- Encourage Engagement: Implement strategies to encourage recipients to open and click on your emails, signaling to Gmail that your messages are valuable.
- Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor your sender reputation and take corrective actions if you notice any negative trends.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that building a sender reputation with Gmail takes time. Gmail looks at factors like how long you've been sending, the volume of emails, and recipient engagement. Starting with a small volume and gradually increasing it as recipients engage positively can help avoid the spam folder, especially with new recipients.
7 Jun 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource highlights that Gmail heavily relies on user engagement to determine email placement. When you send emails to new recipients, Gmail observes how those recipients interact with your emails (opens, clicks, spam reports). Low engagement rates can negatively impact your sender reputation, causing future emails to be filtered as spam.
17 Nov 2021 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Gmail uses sophisticated algorithms that analyze sender reputation, email content, and user feedback to filter spam. Emails from unknown senders to new recipients are more likely to be flagged until a positive engagement history is established. IP warming is crucial, as sending a large volume of emails from a new IP address can trigger spam filters. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records authenticates your emails, prevents spoofing, and improves sender reputation, reducing the likelihood of spam placement, especially for new recipients.
Key findings
- Gmail Algorithms: Gmail employs complex algorithms to identify spam, considering factors like sender reputation, content, and user interaction.
- IP Warming Importance: Gradually increasing sending volume (IP warming) is essential for establishing a good reputation with Gmail.
- Authentication Protocols: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are critical for email authentication, preventing spoofing, and improving deliverability.
Key considerations
- Implement IP Warming: Establish a sending history by gradually increasing email volume from new IP addresses.
- Configure SPF Records: Specify authorized mail servers for your domain using SPF records to prevent email spoofing.
- Implement DKIM Signatures: Add digital signatures to your emails using DKIM to verify their authenticity and prevent tampering.
- Enforce DMARC Policy: Establish a DMARC policy to instruct Gmail on handling emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, protecting against domain spoofing.
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC allows you to specify what Gmail should do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks. Implementing a DMARC policy can help protect your domain from spoofing and improve your deliverability by ensuring that only authorized emails are delivered to recipients' inboxes, reducing the likelihood of spam placement.
29 Oct 2021 - DMARC.org
Technical article
Documentation from Google Support explains that Gmail uses sophisticated algorithms to identify spam. These algorithms analyze various factors, including sender reputation, email content, and user feedback. Emails from unknown senders to new recipients are more likely to be flagged until a positive engagement history is established.
13 Jul 2024 - Google Support
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