How to fix personal emails going to spam from a custom domain?

Key findings

• Authentication is critical: Even for personal emails, proper SPF and DKIM records are essential to verify your domain and prevent spoofing. Without these, email providers may flag your messages as suspicious.
• Domain reputation matters: If your custom domain has been previously associated with spam or malicious activity, it might be listed on a blocklist. Checking your domain's reputation is a necessary first step.
• Content analysis: The content of your email, including links, images, and specific keywords, can trigger spam filters, even for non-commercial sends.
• Monitoring: Regularly checking your email deliverability is key to identifying and resolving issues promptly. This includes monitoring for spam filtering problems.

Key considerations

• Email service provider: The provider managing your custom domain email (e.g., Google Workspace, Outlook.com) should have clear instructions for setting up authentication records.
• DNS management: You'll need access to your domain's DNS settings to add or modify SPF, DKIM, and potentially DMARC records.
• Blocklist removal process: If your domain is blacklisted, you'll need to follow the specific removal procedures for each blocklist, which often involve resolving the underlying issue before requesting delisting.
• Email content best practices: Even for personal emails, avoid overly promotional language, excessive links, or suspicious attachments. Review email best practices to ensure your messages are clean and reputable.

Key opinions

• Authentication necessity: Many marketers believe that even for personal sends, SPF and DKIM are non-negotiable for establishing domain trust and preventing emails from being marked as spam.
• Blocklist checks: A primary suspicion when personal emails go to spam is a domain blocklist listing. Marketers often suggest using tools to check against major blacklists and blocklists.
• Content impact: Links and images within email content are frequently cited as potential spam triggers, regardless of the email's intent.
• Simplicity vs. complexity: While DMARC provides robust protection, it may be considered overkill for very small, personal sending volumes, though opinions vary on its ultimate necessity, especially considering spoofing risks.

Key considerations

• User technical comfort: Introducing complex technical solutions like DNS record management to non-technical users can be challenging. Simpler explanations or hands-on assistance may be needed.
• Proactive monitoring: Even for personal domains, regular checks for blocklist status are advised. This proactive approach can prevent prolonged deliverability issues. Consider checking online forums for shared experiences and common solutions.
• Understanding root causes: Before attempting removal from a blocklist, it's crucial to identify why the domain was listed (e.g., compromised account, unintentional spamming) to prevent recurrence. This is part of how to fix emails going to spam.
• Email client configuration: Sometimes issues can stem from the local email client's settings rather than the domain itself, highlighting the need to check desktop client configurations.

Key opinions

• DNS records are paramount: Experts agree that correctly configured DNS records, particularly MX records, are foundational for email to be routed properly.
• Authentication is not optional: Even for personal domains, SPF and DKIM are crucial for indicating sender legitimacy. Ignoring them can lead to immediate spam classification, as discussed in our advanced guide to email authentication.
• Blocklist listings are a red flag: If a domain is listed on a URL blocklist (like SURBL), it's a strong indicator of an underlying issue causing deliverability problems.
• DMARC for small domains: While DMARC can be seen as overkill for very small domains, experts acknowledge that even these domains can be spoofed, making DMARC beneficial for comprehensive protection if managed correctly.

Key considerations

• Verify email service: Confirming which email service (e.g., Google Workspace) is actually sending the emails is crucial for proper authentication setup.
• Regular monitoring: Even personal domains benefit from periodic checks on blocklists and reputation tools to catch issues early. This applies to domain reputation for both personal and commercial use.
• Address blocklist issues promptly: If a domain is listed on a blocklist, investigate the cause (e.g., spam from a compromised account) and follow the blocklist's delisting process carefully. Understanding how blocklists function is key.
• Manage DMARC reports: If DMARC is implemented, there needs to be someone capable of analyzing the reports to identify and address any authentication failures or spoofing attempts effectively.

Key findings

• Authentication is fundamental: Official documentation from email providers (e.g., Google, Microsoft) explicitly requires SPF and DKIM for domain verification. This is to ensure that emails are legitimate and prevent phishing and spoofing.
• DMARC for policy enforcement: While SPF and DKIM authenticate, DMARC defines policies for how recipients should handle emails that fail these checks. It's becoming increasingly important, even for smaller senders, for enhanced security and deliverability, as seen in the benefits of DMARC.
• Content guidelines: Documentation often provides guidelines on email content, warning against suspicious links, excessive images, or spammy keywords that can trigger filters.
• Monitoring tools: Many email providers offer tools (like Google Postmaster Tools) to help domain owners monitor their sending reputation and identify deliverability issues, providing data on spam rates, authentication failures, and more.

Key considerations

• DNS setup accuracy: Correctly adding or modifying DNS records (TXT records for SPF, CNAME/TXT for DKIM, TXT for DMARC) is critical. Even small errors can invalidate authentication.
• Domain reputation management: Documentation often advises monitoring public blocklists and maintaining a positive sending history to avoid being flagged. A detailed guide to email blocklists can provide further insight.
• Sender requirements: Major mailbox providers (e.g., Google, Yahoo) have recently updated sender requirements, making authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) mandatory for all senders, including personal ones using custom domains. Proton Mail's documentation on why emails go to spam often references these.
• SPF DNS lookup limits: RFCs specify a limit of 10 DNS lookups for SPF records. Exceeding this limit can cause SPF to fail, leading to deliverability issues.