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Summary

When customers report not receiving order confirmation emails, particularly those using Gmail, it often indicates a deeper deliverability challenge than simple bounces. While your Email Service Provider (ESP) may show messages as 'delivered' and Google Postmaster Tools might appear normal, Gmail frequently filters emails to spam folders or delays delivery through throttling, rather than outright rejecting them. This behavior makes diagnosis challenging for many senders.

What email marketers say

Email marketers grappling with non-receipt of critical emails, like order confirmations, often start by examining basic engagement metrics and advising customers on client-side troubleshooting. They frequently rely on ESP reports showing 'delivered' status, which can be misleading if emails are being filtered to spam or other tabs. The common approach involves user education to mitigate the issue.

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks describes a surge in customer service inquiries from Gmail users who are not receiving order confirmation emails, despite ESP and Google Postmaster Tools showing no apparent issues.

14 Feb 2020 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks asks if there have been any recent changes in open or click rates for Gmail users receiving the order confirmation email.

14 Feb 2020 - Email Geeks

What the experts say

Email deliverability experts highlight that Gmail rarely outright bounces emails unless there's a severe, prolonged reputation issue. Instead, they often quietly re-route messages to spam or throttle delivery, making the problem harder to diagnose from typical ESP dashboards. They emphasize the importance of deep testing and understanding Gmail's nuanced filtering logic.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that Gmail typically adjusts mail flow by routing messages to spam, rather than outright bouncing them, unless significant, long-term ignored issues exist.

14 Feb 2020 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises customer support teams to instruct recipients to check their spam folders and, crucially, to move the email out of spam to their primary inbox.

14 Feb 2020 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says

Technical documentation and research consistently highlight the importance of email authentication, positive sender reputation, and adherence to best practices to ensure reliable email delivery, especially for critical transactional messages. Mailbox providers, including Gmail, implement sophisticated filtering systems that go beyond basic bounce detection to protect users from unwanted mail.

Technical article

Documentation from Google's Bulk Sender Guidelines states that senders should ensure proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication for all outgoing mail to build trust and ensure optimal delivery to Gmail inboxes.

20 Feb 2024 - Google

Technical article

Documentation from Gmail Postmaster Tools overview explains that this tool provides crucial data on delivery errors, spam reports, and sender reputation, empowering senders to diagnose and resolve deliverability issues proactively.

10 Mar 2024 - Google

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