Summary
After migrating Email Service Providers, newsletters frequently land in Gmail's Promotions tab primarily because Gmail's algorithms need to re-establish trust and evaluate the new sending infrastructure. This often stems from a fresh IP reputation that requires gradual warming, combined with Gmail re-assessing overall sender behavior, content signals, and user engagement metrics from the new environment. Essential authentication settings also play a critical role in signaling legitimacy to Gmail's filters.
Key findings
- IP Reputation Reset: A new ESP migration means starting with a 'cold' IP address reputation, which Gmail views cautiously until a positive sending history is established, requiring a thorough warm-up period.
- Sender Re-evaluation: Gmail re-evaluates sender behavior, content, and user engagement patterns when an ESP changes, potentially leading to newsletters being categorized as promotional as it re-learns sending patterns.
- Content Indicators: Specific content elements, such as excessive images, promotional keywords, numerous links, or particular unsubscribe link types, can sway Gmail's categorization decision toward the Promotions tab.
- Authentication Impact: Incorrect or inconsistent email authentication protocols, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, after a migration can significantly reduce Gmail's trust and result in promotional categorization or even spam flagging.
- Engagement Reset: Gmail's reliance on user engagement signals, such as opens and clicks, means that these metrics effectively reset from Gmail's perspective post-migration, requiring renewed focus on encouraging positive subscriber interaction.
- Default Promotion Placement: Many newsletters are commonly categorized as promotional by Gmail, and it is rare for them to consistently appear in the Primary tab, even for established senders.
Key considerations
- Implement IP Warming: Gradually increase email sending volume from new IP addresses to build a positive sender reputation and avoid immediate promotional flagging by Gmail.
- Verify Authentication: Meticulously configure and confirm SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records on the new ESP to ensure consistent and correct email authentication, signaling legitimacy to Gmail.
- Focus on Engagement: Actively encourage and monitor positive user engagement, like opens and clicks, post-migration to demonstrate subscriber interest and help improve inbox placement.
- Audit Content: Review newsletter content for elements that might trigger promotional filters, such as excessive images, numerous links, or strong sales-oriented language, even if the content has not changed.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Uphold excellent list hygiene practices to ensure high deliverability and positive engagement, as low engagement on initial sends from new infrastructure can negatively impact categorization.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Newsletters often shift to Gmail's Promotions tab following an ESP migration as Gmail's systems adapt to the change and rebuild trust with new sending infrastructure. This comprehensive re-evaluation involves assessing the fresh IP reputation, the nature of the content, and how subscribers engage with emails originating from the new environment. Proper email authentication settings are also fundamental for maintaining strong deliverability signals.
Key opinions
- New IP Reputation: After an ESP migration, your new IP addresses start with a neutral or 'cold' reputation, causing Gmail to initially categorize emails cautiously, often in the Promotions tab, until a positive sending history is established.
- Algorithm Re-evaluation: Gmail's algorithms re-assess sending patterns, content, and user engagement from the new infrastructure, and without a pre-existing positive history, promotional categorization is a common initial outcome.
- Content Triggers: Even if content remains unchanged, Gmail may re-interpret elements like excessive images, numerous links, strong calls to action, promotional keywords, or specific unsubscribe link types as indicators for the Promotions tab.
- Impact of Volume: Sending a large volume of emails immediately from a new, unwarmed IP address can trigger Gmail's promotional filters, especially if the content appears marketing-oriented.
- Engagement Signal Reset: User engagement metrics, such as opens and clicks, effectively reset from Gmail's perspective with new sending infrastructure, requiring a renewed focus on encouraging positive subscriber interactions.
- Authentication Importance: Improperly configured or inconsistent SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records on the new ESP can erode Gmail's trust, leading to emails being routed to the Promotions tab or even spam.
- Newsletter Default: Many newsletters, by their nature, are frequently categorized by Gmail as promotional and rarely appear in the Primary tab, even for well-established senders.
Key considerations
- Strategic IP Warming: Implement a gradual IP warming strategy to build a positive sending reputation for new IP addresses, slowly increasing email volume over time.
- Verify Authentication Protocols: Meticulously set up and verify all email authentication records, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, with the new ESP to ensure proper signaling of legitimacy to Gmail.
- Prioritize Engagement: Actively encourage high engagement rates-opens, clicks, replies-from your subscribers post-migration to signal positive user interaction to Gmail.
- Content Audit: Review newsletter content for elements that Gmail might interpret as overly promotional, such as an abundance of images, links, or sales-heavy language, and consider adjustments.
- Maintain List Health: Continue rigorous list hygiene practices to ensure you're sending to an engaged and valid audience, as poor list quality can negatively impact deliverability and categorization from new IPs.
- Monitor Deliverability: Closely monitor your inbox placement and engagement metrics in Gmail post-migration to identify any issues quickly and adjust your strategy as needed.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that while an ESP migration isn't likely the direct cause, specific code, link tracking, a specific type of unsubscribe link, or boilerplate text added to the message may sway Google's determination. Brad also notes that newsletters are often categorized as Promotional and rarely appear in the Primary tab.
21 Mar 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that the Daily Skimm newsletter consistently goes to their Promotions tab, providing an example of a newsletter that is typically categorized as promotional.
16 Jul 2024 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Following an Email Service Provider migration, newsletters are frequently routed to Gmail's Promotions tab, primarily due to the fresh, unestablished reputation of new sending IP addresses. This necessitates a careful IP warm-up process to build credibility with mailbox providers. Additionally, any errors or omissions in configuring essential DNS authentication records-such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC-for the new sending domain can significantly impair deliverability and influence where messages land.
Key opinions
- IP Reputation Reset: New IP addresses begin without any established sender reputation after an ESP migration, which often leads Gmail to categorize newsletters as promotional until a positive sending history is built.
- IP Warming Imperative: A thorough and gradual IP warm-up process is essential for new IP addresses, as sending without it significantly increases the likelihood of emails landing in Gmail's Promotions tab or even the spam folder.
- DNS Record Criticality: Incomplete or incorrectly configured DNS records, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for the new sending domain, can severely impact deliverability and cause legitimate emails to be misclassified by Gmail.
- Gmail's Sensitivity: Gmail is particularly sensitive to new senders, meaning deliverability can differ significantly with a new ESP, underscoring the importance of meticulous IP warm-up and proper DNS setup.
Key considerations
- Execute Gradual IP Warming: Systematically increase email sending volume from new IP addresses to establish a strong reputation with mailbox providers like Gmail, preventing immediate promotional categorization.
- Verify DNS Authentication: Ensure all critical DNS records-SPF, DKIM, and DMARC-are accurately and completely configured for the new sending domain to signal legitimacy and improve inbox placement.
- Maintain List Health: Continue to prioritize active list hygiene practices to ensure high engagement and deliverability, which is especially crucial when sending from new infrastructure to positively influence Gmail's filters.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that after an ESP migration, newsletters might be categorized as promotional in Gmail due to a lack of established reputation for new IPs. This necessitates a gradual IP warm-up process to build trust with mailbox providers like Gmail. Additionally, incorrect or incomplete setup of crucial DNS records, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for the new sending domain, can negatively impact deliverability and lead to changes in inbox placement, potentially routing legitimate emails to the promotions tab.
12 Jan 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that after an ESP migration, newsletters are frequently categorized as promotional in Gmail because the new sending IP addresses begin without any established sending reputation and require a thorough warm-up period. Without proper IP warming, Gmail is highly likely to place mail from these new IPs into the promotions tab or even the spam folder. The article stresses that deliverability can differ significantly with a new ESP due to Gmail's sensitivity to new senders, highlighting the importance of meticulous IP warm-up, proper DNS setup, and ongoing list hygiene to maintain desired inbox placement.
15 Mar 2022 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Newsletters are often sorted into Gmail's Promotions tab after an Email Service Provider migration because Gmail's systems must re-evaluate sender trustworthiness from the new infrastructure. This process involves the careful assessment of a new IP address's reputation, the consistency of sending patterns, and how well email authentication protocols are maintained. A decline in user engagement or an increase in spam complaints also signals a need for reassessment, potentially leading to promotional categorization.
Key findings
- IP Warming Importance: Failing to properly warm up new IP addresses after an ESP migration can cause newsletters to be flagged as promotional or even spam, as Gmail's algorithms perceive sudden high volume from an unknown IP as potentially malicious.
- Signal Re-evaluation: Gmail comprehensively re-evaluates various sender signals, including user engagement, spam complaints, and consistent sending patterns, effectively restarting its assessment after an ESP migration.
- Authentication and Consistency: Any lapse in foundational best practices like email authentication, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, maintaining consistent sending volumes, or ensuring low spam complaint rates can prompt Gmail to place newsletters in the Promotions tab.
- Trust Reassessment: After an ESP migration, Gmail re-evaluates the sender's trustworthiness based on the 'newness' of the sender's reputation, alongside other signals, which can default newsletters to the Promotions tab.
- Engagement's Influence: If initial sends from the new ESP show low user engagement, such as few opens or clicks, Gmail may categorize newsletters as promotional as part of its re-evaluation process.
Key considerations
- Conduct IP Warming: Implement a thorough IP warming process for new IP addresses to gradually build a positive sender reputation with ISPs like Gmail and prevent immediate promotional flagging.
- Ensure Authentication: Meticulously maintain and verify email authentication protocols, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, after an ESP migration to signal legitimacy and trust to Gmail.
- Prioritize Engagement and Complaints: Actively encourage high user engagement and strive for low spam complaint rates from the outset on the new ESP, as these signals significantly influence Gmail's categorization decisions.
- Maintain Consistent Volumes: Ensure consistent sending volumes and patterns from the new infrastructure to avoid triggering Gmail's algorithms, which might perceive sudden high volumes as suspicious.
Technical article
Documentation from SendGrid Docs explains that IP warming is a critical process after an ESP migration to build a positive sender reputation with ISPs like Gmail. Failing to properly warm up new IP addresses can cause newsletters to be flagged as promotional or even spam, as Gmail's algorithms will perceive the sudden high volume from an unknown IP as potentially malicious.
28 Sep 2023 - SendGrid Docs
Technical article
Documentation from Gmail Bulk Sender Guidelines explains that Gmail uses various signals, including user engagement (opens, clicks, replies), spam complaints, and consistent sending patterns, to categorize emails. After an ESP migration, these signals effectively restart or are re-evaluated, meaning if engagement is low on initial sends or authentication is inconsistent, newsletters might default to the Promotions tab.
26 Jan 2025 - Gmail Bulk Sender Guidelines
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