What are common Gmail deliverability myths and how can they be avoided?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 28 May 2025
Updated 16 Aug 2025
9 min read
Email deliverability to Gmail inboxes can sometimes feel like navigating a maze. There are many theories and pieces of advice floating around, but not all of them are accurate or helpful. In fact, some common beliefs about how Gmail filters emails are simply myths that can lead senders down the wrong path, causing more harm than good to their inbox placement.
I've seen countless email programs struggle because they're operating on outdated or incorrect information. Understanding the real factors that influence Gmail deliverability is crucial for anyone who relies on email for marketing, communication, or transactional purposes. Misconceptions can lead to wasted effort and missed opportunities.
My goal here is to debunk some of the most pervasive Gmail deliverability myths. We'll explore why these myths persist and, more importantly, how to avoid falling for them. By focusing on what truly matters to Gmail's filtering algorithms, you can significantly improve your chances of reaching the inbox, not the spam folder.
Authentication and its true role
One of the most common myths I encounter is the belief that simply setting up email authentication, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, is enough to guarantee inbox placement. While these protocols are absolutely fundamental for proving your legitimacy as a sender, they are not a silver bullet. Think of them as the bare minimum required to even be considered by an inbox provider like Google. Without them, your emails are highly likely to be rejected or sent straight to the spam folder, but having them doesn't mean you automatically hit the inbox.
Gmail (and other major mailbox providers) look at a much broader set of signals beyond just authentication. Your sender reputation, built over time through consistent positive engagement, plays a far more significant role. This includes factors like open rates, click-through rates, how often users mark your emails as not spam, and conversely, how many mark them as spam or delete them without opening. The more people interact positively with your mail, the better your reputation, regardless of your authentication setup.
To truly succeed, you need to think beyond the technical setup. Your focus should be on building and maintaining a strong sender reputation. This means consistently sending wanted mail to engaged recipients. Google's own sender guidelines emphasize user experience and sending only to people who genuinely want your messages. Understanding and troubleshooting DMARC reports from Google and Yahoo is a critical step in achieving this visibility.
DMARC enforcement considerations
While SPF and DKIM are important, DMARC brings policy enforcement, allowing you to tell mailbox providers what to do with emails that fail authentication. Moving to a p=quarantine or p=reject policy signals a higher level of commitment to security and can positively impact how your emails are perceived. For help with common issues, consider how to fix DMARC issues in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. You should also address common misconceptions and best practices regarding SPF records.
Content pitfalls and best practices
Another pervasive myth is that certain spam trigger words (e.g., free,urgent,winner) or specific content formatting, like too many images, too many links, or excessive capitalization, will automatically land your emails in the spam folder. While these elements can be indicative of spammy behavior and should be used judiciously, they are rarely the sole determining factor.
Gmail's filtering algorithms are sophisticated. They don't just scan for keywords; they analyze the overall context, your sender reputation, and crucially, how recipients interact with your emails. A sender with a stellar reputation can use a spam word and still reach the inbox, while a sender with a poor reputation might get blocked even with perfectly clean content. This is why focusing purely on content tweaks without addressing underlying reputation issues is often ineffective. You can review a guide to understanding spam words and their actual impact.
Instead, prioritize delivering valuable, personalized content that genuinely engages your audience. This means segmenting your lists, tailoring your messages, and ensuring your emails provide a clear benefit to the recipient. When people consistently open, click, and reply to your emails, Gmail learns that your content is desired, which boosts your sender reputation and, in turn, your inbox placement. Remember to follow the best practices for email testing to catch potential issues before they impact your deliverability.
Common content misconceptions
Spam words: Using terms like "free" or "guaranteed" immediately triggers spam filters.
Image-heavy emails: Too many images will cause emails to be flagged as spam.
Excessive links: Including too many hyperlinks is detrimental to deliverability.
Effective content strategies
Prioritize engagement: Focus on content that users want to open and interact with.
Responsive design: Ensure emails look good on all devices for a positive user experience.
Clear call to action: Guide recipients with clear next steps, promoting clicks.
The truth about unsubscribe rates and list hygiene
A common fear among marketers is that high unsubscribe rates will tank their Gmail deliverability. The myth implies that every unsubscribe is a black mark against your sender reputation. However, the reality is more nuanced: unsubscribes are a natural, and often healthy, part of email list management.
When a recipient unsubscribes, they are explicitly telling you they no longer wish to receive your emails. This is far better than them marking your email as spam. A spam complaint signals to Gmail that you are sending unwanted mail, which severely damages your sender reputation and can lead to your emails being blocked or blacklisted (or blocklisted) for a much wider audience. In contrast, an unsubscribe is a clean break, preventing future negative interactions from that particular user.
Therefore, rather than fearing unsubscribes, you should embrace them as a form of list hygiene. Regularly removing disengaged subscribers, whether through unsubscribes or inactivity, keeps your list healthy and full of engaged recipients. This proactive approach improves your overall engagement metrics, which are key signals to Gmail for inbox placement. Ensure you're avoiding poor sending practices that lead to complaints, not just unsubscribes.
Including a clear and easy-to-find unsubscribe link is crucial, and it's also a requirement for bulk senders by both Gmail and Outlook. Some myths suggest that high unsubscribe rates are bad, but allowing users to opt out easily is a key factor in improving your sender reputation and avoiding spam complaints. This is vital for maintaining a healthy domain reputation, which you can monitor using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
Volume, IP addresses, and sending consistency
Many email marketers believe that there's a magic sending volume or a specific time of day that guarantees better deliverability. Myths suggest that sending too many emails will automatically get you blocklisted (or blacklisted), or that sending at exactly 9:00 AM on a Tuesday is the golden rule for inbox placement. This oversimplification can be misleading.
While extreme spikes in volume can indeed raise red flags, especially for new IP addresses or domains, it's not the volume itself but the consistency and recipient reaction to that volume that matters most. Email providers prefer to see a stable sending pattern, gradually increasing volume over time if necessary, rather than erratic bursts. This is particularly relevant for new IP addresses trying to establish their reputation.
Similarly, while certain sending times might yield higher open rates for your specific audience (which is valuable for engagement), there's no universal time that bypasses spam filters. Inbox placement is primarily driven by your sender reputation and the quality of your list, not the clock. Focus on understanding your audience's active times and sending desired content, rather than obsessing over specific hours. To understand further, examine why your emails might be going to spam and how to fix it.
Myth
Reality
Volume: Sending too much mail, especially with specific words, will immediately cause issues.
Consistent, gradual sending is preferred over erratic spikes. Volume is less critical than recipient engagement.
IP addresses: A dedicated IP ensures better deliverability than a shared one.
Both dedicated and shared IPs can perform well. The key is the sending reputation on that IP, regardless of its sharing status.
New domains: Introducing new domains just before a holiday season is fine.
It is crucial to warm up new domains and IP addresses gradually, especially before high-volume sending periods like holidays. Erratic sending can tank reputation.
Building a strong email program means moving past these widespread myths and focusing on foundational best practices. Prioritize collecting explicit consent from your subscribers, maintaining a clean and engaged list, and consistently sending valuable content. Your sender reputation is your most important asset, and it's built on trust and positive user interactions over time.
Remember, Gmail's primary goal is to protect its users from unwanted mail. By aligning your sending practices with this goal – sending wanted mail to engaged recipients – you'll find far greater success than by chasing mythical solutions. Continuous monitoring of your deliverability metrics and adapting your strategies based on real data will always be more effective than relying on old wives' tales.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Segment your audience based on engagement and preferences to send more relevant content, increasing positive interactions.
Implement double opt-in for all new subscribers to ensure explicit consent and reduce spam complaints.
Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers, hard bounces, and known spam traps to maintain high list quality and sender reputation.
Monitor your Google Postmaster Tools (GPMT) regularly to track your domain and IP reputation, spam rate, and delivery errors.
Always include a prominent and functional unsubscribe link, ideally with one-click unsubscribe functionality, to allow easy opt-outs.
Common pitfalls
Believing that simply setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC guarantees inbox delivery without considering other crucial factors.
Focusing excessively on avoiding 'spam words' in content while neglecting overall sender reputation and audience engagement.
Fearing unsubscribes and not providing clear opt-out options, which can lead to more damaging spam complaints.
Sending inconsistent email volumes or trying to 'blast' emails after a period of inactivity, negatively impacting sender reputation.
Ignoring feedback loops (FBLs) from ISPs, missing critical signals about user complaints and engagement.
Expert tips
Prioritize user engagement as the ultimate signal for mailbox providers; a highly engaged audience means better inbox placement.
Understand that deliverability is a dynamic process influenced by many factors, not just one or two simple tricks.
Invest in robust email infrastructure and monitoring to identify and troubleshoot deliverability issues proactively.
Focus on sender reputation management as a continuous effort, not a one-time fix.
Test your emails thoroughly across different clients and providers before sending large campaigns.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that Google incorporates non-email data points into their reputation assessment, so the overall sender profile is broader than just email activity.
2024-03-10 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that deliverability advice has remained consistent for over a decade, indicating that fundamental principles of good sending don't change frequently.
2024-02-15 - Email Geeks
Key takeaways for Gmail inbox success
Navigating Gmail deliverability requires understanding that many widespread beliefs are simply myths. Authentication is crucial, but it's only the starting point. Content is less about avoiding specific keywords and more about providing genuine value and relevance to your audience. Unsubscribes are a healthy indicator of list hygiene, far preferable to spam complaints. And finally, consistent sending patterns and positive engagement outweigh rigid rules about volume or timing.
By debunking these common myths, we can shift focus to what truly impacts inbox placement: building and maintaining a strong sender reputation through explicit consent, consistent engagement, and a commitment to sending only highly relevant, desired emails. This approach forms the foundation of sustainable and successful email deliverability.
Gmail inboxes can sometimes feel like navigating a maze. There are many theories and pieces of advice floating around, but not all of them are accurate or helpful. In fact, some common beliefs about how Gmail filters emails are simply myths that can lead senders down the wrong path, causing more harm than good to their inbox placement.
Google. Without them, your emails are highly likely to be rejected or sent straight to the spam folder, but having them doesn't mean you automatically hit the inbox.
Outlook. Some myths suggest that high unsubscribe rates are bad, but allowing users to opt out easily is a key factor in improving your sender reputation and avoiding spam complaints. This is vital for maintaining a healthy domain reputation, which you can monitor using tools like Google Postmaster Tools. 
