Why are operational emails from a new GSuite business not inboxing to Outlook and how to fix it?

Key findings

• Authentication requirements: Microsoft (including Outlook.com) is stringent about email authentication. Emails lacking proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are highly likely to be filtered to junk or blocked entirely. Even if you suspect these alone won't solve it, they are a non-negotiable baseline for deliverability today.
• New domain challenges: New domains inherently lack sender reputation, which mail providers use to gauge trustworthiness. This can cause initial deliverability problems, especially with strict receivers like Outlook, regardless of email content or volume.
• Domain warming: Even operational emails from a new domain need to be warmed up over time to build a positive sending history and reputation with internet service providers (ISPs).
• Shared IP addresses: GSuite (Google Workspace) uses shared IP addresses for sending. While generally well-managed, the actions of other senders on those IPs can indirectly affect your domain's reputation, especially when starting out.

Key considerations

• Prioritize authentication: Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is the most critical first step to signal legitimacy to Outlook and other mail services. This foundation is essential for any email deliverability.
• Implement DMARC for monitoring: Even a DMARC policy of p=none for monitoring will provide valuable insights into authentication failures, helping to identify and resolve issues more quickly. You can then progress to stricter policies (quarantine or reject) as confidence grows.
• Gradual sending volume: For new domains, even operational emails should be sent with a gradual increase in volume. This helps build a positive sending history and signal trust to receiving servers. Start with a small, engaged audience (like friends and family) to generate positive interactions.
• Monitor deliverability: Continuously monitor your deliverability, particularly for Outlook.com recipients, to track progress and identify any new issues promptly. You can check your Google account settings as a general troubleshooting step if issues persist, as mentioned on Quora.

Key opinions

• Authentication is fundamental: The consensus is that proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup is not just helpful, but absolutely essential for any email to land in the inbox, especially with receivers like Outlook.com who strictly enforce authentication. It's the baseline expectation.
• New domain penalty: New domains are often treated with suspicion by ISPs. This 'cold start' period can lead to initial blocklisting or junk folder placement as the domain builds trust, regardless of the content's legitimacy.
• Organic reputation building: For operational emails, replying to inbound messages and engaging in legitimate correspondence helps to organically build sender reputation. Positive interactions signal trust to receiving mail servers.
• GSuite reputation: Some marketers note that a significant volume of spam, particularly B2B spam, originates from GSuite. This can make it harder for new, legitimate senders on shared GSuite IPs to establish trust quickly.

Key considerations

• Don't underestimate authentication: Even if it seems like a small step, proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations are fundamental. They are often the first line of defense for ISPs and are critical for gaining acceptance, especially with Microsoft's filters. Learn more about Outlook email deliverability issues.
• Plan for domain warming: Even for operational emails, a deliberate warming strategy is beneficial. Start with a small group of highly engaged recipients (e.g., friends, family, initial clients) to build positive metrics.
• Monitor engagement closely: Encourage recipients to move emails from junk to inbox and add the sender to their contacts. This direct engagement significantly boosts reputation. It's a key tactic for improving Outlook inbox placement.
• Address any unsavory activity: Ensure no other activities (even unintentional or by other users of the same domain/IP space) could be negatively impacting your sending reputation or leading to blacklist issues.

Key opinions

• Authentication is a must: Experts strongly affirm that Microsoft requires authenticated email. It is unreasonable to expect inbox placement with unauthenticated or broken authenticated emails today.
• New domain warming is universal: It is common for new domains to experience fluctuating deliverability for a period. Even business domains sending operational mail need to be warmed up over time to establish a trustworthy reputation.
• Authentication doesn't equal legitimacy: While essential, authentication alone does not guarantee legitimacy. Much spam is properly authenticated, sometimes even better than legitimate business emails, meaning ISPs look beyond just authentication.
• GSuite's reputation impacts: A large volume of problematic email (including cold emails and form/group spam) originates from GSuite. This can inadvertently affect the deliverability of new domains on GSuite, as receiving ISPs may apply stricter filters to Google's shared IP ranges.

Key considerations

• Build sending reputation organically: If emails are operational (replies, expected communications), this naturally builds a sending reputation. Consistent, legitimate interaction improves trust over time. This can alleviate issues like low deliverability with Hotmail and Outlook.
• Set up full authentication: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured from the outset. This is a foundational step for any sender, especially a new one. It helps prevent emails from suddenly going to spam.
• Direct recipient action for support: For free personal Outlook.com accounts, direct support from Microsoft is challenging. It is often more effective for the expected recipient to request support from Microsoft directly or move emails from junk to inbox, indicating they are wanted.
• Consider the TLD: While a .io TLD isn't inherently problematic, some TLDs might have a higher association with spam in the eyes of certain ISPs, which can add to initial filtering challenges for new domains.

Key findings

• Authentication standards: Both Google and Microsoft documentation highlight SPF, DKIM, and DMARC as essential standards for verifying sender identity and preventing spoofing. Failure to implement these significantly increases the likelihood of emails being rejected or sent to junk.
• Sender reputation: ISPs calculate a sender's reputation based on factors like IP address, domain age, spam complaint rates, bounce rates, and user engagement. New domains start with a neutral reputation and must build a positive history.
• GSuite's role: Google's documentation confirms that GSuite uses shared IP pools. While Google manages these IPs to maintain high deliverability, a new sender's individual domain reputation is still crucial for inboxing, particularly with services that are highly sensitive to new senders like Outlook.
• Postmaster tools: Both Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft's SNDS/Junk Mail Reporting Program provide data on deliverability, reputation, and authentication status, enabling senders to monitor their performance and identify issues.

Key considerations

• Adhere to sender guidelines: Familiarize yourself with and strictly follow the sender guidelines provided by major mailbox providers. Microsoft's policies, in particular, are stringent and crucial for complying with Outlook's requirements.
• Monitor DMARC reports: Regularly review DMARC aggregate reports to detect any authentication failures or potential spoofing attempts. This data is vital for ensuring your DMARC is working correctly.
• Engage positively: For operational emails, positive engagement (opens, replies, adding to contacts) from recipients is a strong signal of legitimacy to ISPs. Encourage this behavior when possible.
• Be patient with new domains: Understand that new domains require time to build trust. There isn't an instant fix for a nascent reputation, and a gradual approach is key.