Summary
Emails from a company might be filtered as spam on @me.com (iCloud) more frequently than on Gmail due to a combination of factors. iCloud tends to have stricter spam filters and is more sensitive to email content and sending patterns. The specific mail client used, and whether or not a mailbox provider provides personalized email delivery capabilities, can also influence spam classification. Improving sender reputation, implementing proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), focusing on subscriber engagement, and maintaining a clean email list are crucial. Testing emails across different clients (including Apple Mail and Gmail) can identify rendering and spam trigger issues. Custom authentication shows mail servers that your email was sent from a safe source. Sending to unengaged subscribers lowers your sender score and should be cleaned from subscriber lists.
Key findings
- Stricter iCloud Filters: iCloud Mail likely uses stricter and more sensitive spam filters compared to Gmail.
- Sender Reputation: Maintaining a good sender reputation is vital for deliverability to iCloud.
- Client Influence: The email client itself and personalised email delivery can affect how emails are classified as spam.
- Email testing: Email testing across different clients can identify rendering and spam trigger issues.
- Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and custom authentication are essential for iCloud deliverability.
- Engagement: Subscriber engagement strongly affects deliverability.
Key considerations
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove unengaged subscribers and reduce bounce rates.
- Content Optimization: Review email content for potential spam triggers and ensure personalization.
- Monitor tools: Monitor sender reputation and use Google Postmaster Tools to identify and resolve deliverability issues.
- DMARC settings: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up and validated.
- Check Mail Client: Determine the email client used by recipients experiencing spam issues.
- IP Warmup: If using a new sending IP, warm it up gradually to establish a good reputation.
- iCloud Junk Folder: Encourage users to check the iCloud Junk folder and mark legitimate emails as 'Not Junk'.
What email marketers say
8 marketer opinions
Emails may land in spam folders on @me.com (iCloud) more frequently than on Gmail due to iCloud's potentially stricter spam filtering algorithms and sensitivity to content and sending patterns. Improving sender reputation, email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and engagement are crucial. Regular list cleaning, personalized content, consistent sending volume, and testing across different clients (including Apple Mail and Gmail) are recommended.
Key opinions
- Stricter Filters: Apple Mail (@me.com / iCloud) likely employs stricter spam filters compared to Gmail.
- Sender Reputation: Maintaining a good sender reputation is vital for deliverability to iCloud.
- Content Sensitivity: iCloud spam filters are sensitive to email content and sending patterns.
- Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for iCloud deliverability.
- Email Testing: Email testing across different clients can identify rendering and spam trigger issues.
Key considerations
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove unengaged subscribers and reduce bounce rates.
- Content Optimization: Review email content for potential spam triggers and ensure personalization.
- Sending Volume: Maintain consistent sending volume to avoid being flagged as spam.
- Client Testing: Test emails specifically on Apple Mail to identify and resolve rendering and deliverability issues.
- IP Warmup: If using a new sending IP, warm it up gradually to establish a good reputation.
- Custom Authentication: Custom authetication shows mail servers that your email was sent from a safe source.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that different ISPs like Apple and Google have unique spam filtering algorithms. Advises monitoring sender reputation, segmenting email lists, and personalizing content to increase engagement and avoid spam filters.
11 Sep 2022 - Mailjet
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit user /u/EmailExpert mentions that Apple's @me.com spam filters are more sensitive to content and sending patterns. Recommends reviewing email content for spam triggers and ensuring consistent sending volume.
26 Oct 2021 - Reddit
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Emails from a company may be filtered as spam on @me.com but not @gmail.com due to several interconnected factors. Personalized email delivery capabilities of the mailbox provider and the specific email client used can influence spam classification. Furthermore, sender reputation, the use of proper email authentication methods (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), content analysis, and subscriber engagement all play crucial roles. Maintaining a healthy subscriber list and removing unengaged users is vital.
Key opinions
- Client Influence: The email client itself can affect how emails are classified as spam.
- Authentication is key: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for good deliverability.
- Sender Reputation: Sender reputation remains a significant factor in email deliverability.
- Engagement Matters: Subscriber engagement strongly affects deliverability.
Key considerations
- Check Mail Client: Determine the email client used by recipients experiencing spam issues.
- Implement Authentication: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up and validated.
- Content Analysis: Regularly review email content for potential spam triggers.
- List Hygiene: Remove unengaged subscribers from your mailing lists.
- Monitor Performance: Monitor sender reputation and deliverability metrics.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the critical role of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) in achieving good deliverability. Stresses the importance of validating and monitoring authentication settings to ensure emails are properly identified as legitimate.
28 Oct 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that personalized email delivery and the mail client used can influence spam classification. Suggests that the issue may not be IP related and that determining the mail client is important, as issues can arise there, for example an Apple mail client misclassifying mail.
12 Jul 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Emails from a company may be filtered differently by @me.com (iCloud) compared to Gmail due to differing spam filtering mechanisms. iCloud uses advanced filtering, while Gmail's filtering considers sender reputation, authentication, and engagement. Implementing DMARC helps protect against spoofing and improves deliverability. Managing bounces by cleaning up invalid email addresses is crucial, as sending to such addresses can trigger spam filters.
Key findings
- Advanced iCloud Filtering: iCloud Mail employs advanced filtering techniques to identify junk mail.
- Multi-Factor Gmail Filtering: Gmail's spam filtering relies on sender reputation, authentication, and user engagement.
- DMARC Protection: DMARC helps prevent spoofing and improves deliverability by specifying how to handle unauthenticated emails.
- Bounce Management: Sending to invalid email addresses negatively impacts deliverability.
Key considerations
- iCloud Junk Folder: Encourage users to check the iCloud Junk folder and mark legitimate emails as 'Not Junk'.
- Monitor Gmail Postmaster Tools: Use Google Postmaster Tools to identify and resolve deliverability issues.
- Implement DMARC: Set up DMARC records to protect your domain from email spoofing.
- Automated Bounce Processing: Implement an automated system to process bounces and remove invalid email addresses from your mailing list.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that Gmail's spam filtering is based on various factors including sender reputation, authentication, and user engagement. Suggests monitoring metrics in Postmaster Tools to identify and resolve deliverability issues.
21 Jun 2021 - Google Postmaster Tools
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Editor explains DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) implementation, which allows domain owners to specify how email receivers should handle unauthenticated emails. Suggests using DMARC to protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks, improving deliverability.
5 Jun 2025 - RFC Editor
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