Suped

How to recover Gmail email deliverability and sender reputation after emails go to spam?

Matthew Whittaker profile picture
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 21 Jul 2025
Updated 21 Jul 2025
5 min read

Summary

When your emails, especially welcome sequences, suddenly start landing in Gmail's spam folder, it's a clear signal that your sender reputation has taken a hit. This often follows changes in sending practices, such as attempting to re-engage older, inactive segments of your email list. Recovering from such a drop in deliverability requires a methodical approach, focusing on rebuilding trust with Gmail's algorithms.

What email marketers say

Email marketers frequently encounter deliverability challenges, particularly with Gmail. Their experiences highlight common pitfalls and effective strategies for recovery. A recurring theme is the impact of sending to disengaged audiences and the importance of proactive monitoring and list management. Recovery is seen as a gradual process, requiring consistent effort and a focus on positive sender signals.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks states their experience with a significant drop in Gmail Welcome Email open rates from 25% to 3%, leading to emails directly landing in spam. This issue coincided with recent large email blasts sent to older, inactive leads. They are now focusing on better segmenting and send frequency to improve open rates and are seeking advice on the recovery timeline.
06 Nov 2019 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Latenode Official Community suggests that recovering IP reputation and improving Gmail deliverability requires a strategic approach. They recommend starting with proper authentication and highlight that the recovery process needs patience and consistent effort in email sending practices to rebuild trust with mailbox providers.
22 Mar 2025 - Latenode Official Community

What the experts say

Deliverability experts provide deeper insights into the mechanisms behind Gmail's spam filtering and reputation management. They often highlight the subtle nuances of mailbox provider algorithms, emphasizing not just technical compliance but also user engagement and sending behavior. Their advice consistently points to a holistic approach, where consistent good practices outweigh quick fixes.
Expert view
Deliverability expert from Email Geeks explains that focusing only on the last 30 days' active recipients can bring quick, albeit temporary, recovery with Gmail in about two weeks. They caution that this is a short-term "hack" rather than a sustainable long-term solution, emphasizing that comprehensive changes are necessary to maintain a favorable standing with Google.
06 Nov 2019 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Deliverability expert from SpamResource suggests that the key to managing a good sender reputation lies in maintaining a clean and engaged email list. They state that sending to unengaged users or unknown users signals to ISPs that your mail may not be welcome, leading to lower deliverability and potential blocklisting. Regular list hygiene is therefore non-negotiable.
22 Mar 2025 - SpamResource

What the documentation says

Official documentation from various email service providers and industry bodies outlines the fundamental principles and recommended practices for maintaining good sender reputation and deliverability. These resources consistently emphasize email authentication, list hygiene, and adherence to anti-spam guidelines as cornerstones of successful email marketing. They provide a structured approach to prevent issues and guide recovery efforts.
Technical article
Technical documentation from Bronto advises that a sending domain must possess a strong sending reputation to ensure messages consistently reach contacts' inboxes. They state that a warm-up strategy is an effective method for enhancing the sending reputation of a private sending domain, particularly when establishing new sending infrastructure or recovering from past issues.
22 Mar 2025 - help.bronto.com
Technical article
Gmail's Postmaster Tools documentation specifies that domain reputation is a crucial factor influencing deliverability. It clarifies that this reputation is determined by factors such as user complaints, spam reports, and interaction with emails. Maintaining a good domain reputation is key to ensuring emails are delivered to the inbox rather than spam.
22 Mar 2025 - Google Postmaster Tools Help

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