How can I improve email deliverability in Gmail by sending plain text emails without links to establish sender reputation?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 11 Aug 2025
Updated 16 Aug 2025
7 min read
Improving email deliverability in Gmail often involves a multi-faceted approach, and sometimes, unconventional strategies can yield surprising results. One such tactic gaining attention is sending plain text emails without links, particularly when aiming to establish or rebuild sender reputation. This method focuses on extreme simplicity to bypass common spam triggers and build initial trust with mailbox providers, like Gmail.
The idea behind this approach is to present your sending domain and IP address as consistently benign. By stripping away all elements that could be seen as suspicious, such as complex HTML, images, and especially links, you reduce the surface area for spam filters to flag your messages. This can be particularly useful if your domain reputation with Gmail has suffered or if you are warming up a new sending infrastructure.
While this strategy may seem counterintuitive for marketing or transactional emails that typically rely on calls to action, it serves a specific purpose: to lay a clean foundation. It’s a tactical maneuver, not a long-term solution for all email communication, but it can be a powerful first step to getting your emails delivered reliably to the inbox.
Building foundational trust
Before considering plain text emails without links, ensure your email authentication records are perfectly configured. This is the bedrock of sender reputation. Gmail's sender guidelines emphasize the importance of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These protocols tell receiving mail servers that your emails are legitimate and haven't been tampered with.
Implementing a strong DMARC policy with alignment for SPF and DKIM provides a clear signal to ISPs about your domain's authenticity. This significantly reduces the likelihood of your emails being flagged as spam or rejected outright. Without these foundational authentication measures, even the simplest plain text email might not reach the inbox.
Moreover, consistent sending volume from your dedicated IP and domain helps build a positive sending history. Avoid sudden spikes in volume, which can appear suspicious to mailbox providers. This measured approach, combined with proper authentication, creates a reliable baseline for your sender reputation.
SPF record example for Google WorkspaceDNS
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
The role of plain text in warming
Sending plain text emails during an initial warm-up phase, especially without any links, is a strategy aimed at extreme caution. Plain text emails are inherently less complex and carry fewer elements that could trigger spam filters. The absence of links, even legitimate ones, further minimizes any potential red flags associated with URL reputation, redirects, or malicious content checks.
This method establishes a track record of sending simple, non-threatening messages. ISPs, including Google, prefer a consistent sending pattern of safe, legitimate emails. By starting with plain text, you signal that your sending behavior is predictable and trustworthy, paving the way for better deliverability when you eventually introduce more complex content.
It’s important to understand that this is typically a short-term tactic. The goal is to build a preliminary positive reputation. Once a stable reputation is established, you can gradually reintroduce typical email elements while monitoring your deliverability metrics. This phased approach helps isolate potential issues if deliverability declines after changes.
Plain text emails
These emails contain only raw text, without any HTML formatting, images, or hyperlinks. They are the simplest form of email.
Perceived safety: Less likely to trigger spam filters due to a lack of suspicious code or links.
Warming benefit: Ideal for establishing a basic sender reputation during the initial warm-up phase.
Limited engagement: Cannot track clicks or drive traffic directly, limiting their utility for most campaigns.
Balancing plain text with engagement
While sending plain text emails without links can jumpstart your sender reputation, it's not a viable long-term strategy for engaging with your audience. Emails typically serve a purpose, whether it's conveying information, driving traffic, or making a sale, all of which often require clickable elements. The challenge then becomes how to transition from this minimalist approach to richer, more interactive email content without jeopardizing your newly improved deliverability.
The key is gradual reintroduction and continuous monitoring. After a few weeks of consistent, plain text sending and observing positive trends in your deliverability to Gmail inboxes, you can start adding elements back one by one. Begin by introducing a single, highly relevant link in your emails. Observe how this affects your inbox placement and engagement rates before adding more links, images, or complex HTML designs. Tools for blocklist monitoring are also essential during this phase, as a listing could indicate a problem.
Moreover, focus on content quality and subscriber engagement. Even with rich HTML and links, emails that receive high engagement (opens, replies, clicks, moving from spam to inbox) will bolster your sender reputation. Conversely, emails that are frequently marked as spam or ignored will hurt your standing, regardless of their formatting. Maintain a clean email list and ensure you're only sending to engaged subscribers. This holistic approach is crucial for sustained deliverability.
Finally, remember that effective email communication requires a balance. While plain text without links might offer a temporary solution for reputation building, long-term success hinges on providing value through engaging content, relevant links, and a positive user experience. This includes a clear call to action (CTA), as noted by some deliverability experts, to drive interaction.
Initial warm-up phase
Focus on establishing a baseline of trust.
Content: Plain text only, no images, no links.
Volume: Gradually increase sending volume from a low base.
Goal: Prove to ISPs that you are a legitimate sender.
Ongoing sending strategy
Maintain reputation while engaging subscribers.
Content: Gradually reintroduce HTML, images, and links.
Monitoring: Continuously monitor deliverability and check blocklists.
Goal: Drive engagement and conversions while maintaining high inbox rates.
Final thoughts
Sending plain text emails without links to establish sender reputation with Gmail can be an effective, albeit temporary, strategy. It focuses on minimizing variables that could trigger spam filters, thereby allowing your domain and IP to build a clean sending history. This extreme simplicity is a powerful signal of legitimacy to mailbox providers during critical warm-up or recovery phases.
However, it is crucial to recognize that this is a means to an end, not the end itself. The true value of email lies in engagement and driving desired actions, which often require links and richer content. The success of this strategy hinges on a careful, measured transition back to more typical email formats, always prioritizing subscriber engagement and maintaining rigorous deliverability monitoring. By understanding its purpose and limitations, you can leverage plain text emails as a stepping stone to robust and sustained email deliverability.
Regularly review your Google Postmaster Tools data to track your domain's reputation and identify any issues early. This proactive approach allows you to adjust your sending strategy as needed, ensuring your emails continue to land in the inbox.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Start with a very low volume of plain text emails to build initial trust with mailbox providers.
Ensure all email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is correctly set up and aligned before beginning.
Gradually increase sending volume and slowly reintroduce links and HTML content.
Actively monitor engagement rates, open rates, and spam complaints after each change.
Maintain a clean and engaged subscriber list to further improve sender reputation.
Implement a feedback loop to quickly identify and address any spam complaints.
Use clear and concise subject lines that accurately reflect the email content.
Common pitfalls
Failing to implement proper email authentication before attempting plain text warm-up.
Reintroducing links or HTML too quickly, which can trigger spam filters and negate initial progress.
Neglecting to monitor deliverability metrics and sender reputation during and after the warm-up.
Sending to unengaged or old lists, which can lead to low engagement and spam complaints.
Not having a clear strategy for transitioning from plain text to richer email content.
Ignoring bounce rates and continuing to send to invalid email addresses.
Sending inconsistent email volumes, leading to suspicious activity flags.
Expert tips
Consider engaging with your audience through replies to further build positive sender reputation.
Utilize
Google Postmaster Tools
for in-depth insights into your Gmail deliverability.
Segment your audience and tailor your content to ensure maximum relevance and engagement.
Always include a plain text alternative for your HTML emails, even if you’re not sending purely plain text.
Regularly check common email
Marketer view
A marketer from Email Geeks says they achieved high Gmail deliverability by sending only plain text emails without links to establish sender reputation, with plans to reintroduce links and images later.
2023-04-05 - Email Geeks
Expert view
An expert from Email Geeks says that an email with no links is an incomplete bridge, and while mailbox providers claim not to track engagement through clicks today, that could change in the future.
Gmail.
Google, prefer a consistent sending pattern of safe, legitimate emails. By starting with plain text, you signal that your sending behavior is predictable and trustworthy, paving the way for better deliverability when you eventually introduce more complex content.
Gmail inboxes, you can start adding elements back one by one. Begin by introducing a single, highly relevant link in your emails. Observe how this affects your inbox placement and engagement rates before adding more links, images, or complex HTML designs. Tools for blocklist monitoring are also essential during this phase, as a listing could indicate a problem.
