Important product emails are often flagged as spam due to a multifaceted combination of issues related to sender reputation, authentication protocols, content, list management practices, and sending infrastructure. A central theme across these insights is the significance of sender reputation, largely affected by user engagement levels, complaint rates, and blacklisting occurrences. Proper email authentication via SPF, DKIM, and DMARC emerges as a critical measure to verify the sender's identity and prevent spoofing. Content quality and relevance also play a vital role, as spam trigger words, poor formatting, and irrelevant messaging contribute to deliverability problems. Effective list management involves regular cleaning to remove unengaged recipients and segmenting the audience for more targeted content delivery. In terms of sending infrastructure, aspects like IP address reputation, consistent IP usage, and appropriate warm-up procedures influence whether emails reach the intended inbox. Scaling email volume too quickly, particularly for senders functioning as intermediaries, also impacts deliverability, as email providers scrutinize such practices. Finally, domain importance for placement can be more important than IP addresses.
18 marketer opinions
Important product emails often end up in spam due to a combination of factors related to sender reputation, authentication, content, and list management. A poor sender reputation, often stemming from low engagement or high complaint rates, is a primary culprit. Lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) makes it easier for email providers to flag emails as suspicious. The content itself can trigger spam filters through the use of certain words or poor formatting. Inadequate list management practices, such as sending to unengaged recipients or not regularly cleaning the list, also contribute to deliverability problems. Scaling sending volume too rapidly, especially when acting as an intermediary sender, can negatively impact reputation. Corrective measures include improving sender reputation, implementing proper authentication, using engaging and relevant content, cleaning and segmenting email lists, and warming up IP addresses correctly. Exploring dedicated IPs versus shared IPs is also worth exploration.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests trying links instead of attachments, ensuring domain authentication is in place, emails are encrypted, and PTR record is set up for the sending IP address.
13 Dec 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from GlockApps shares that key reasons for emails going to spam include poor IP or domain reputation, being blacklisted, spam trigger words in the subject line or body, incorrect HTML formatting, and high complaint rates. Using a tool to test deliverability is recommended.
20 May 2022 - GlockApps
3 expert opinions
Emails often land in spam due to a combination of engagement, authentication, sender reputation, content, and sending practices. Low engagement can be addressed by improving subject lines and content and following up with purchasers. Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and sender reputation are critical for inbox placement. Sending practices, such as email volume, and unwanted or unauthenticated emails contribute to deliverability problems.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that issues such as email volume being too high, emails not being wanted by the recipient, not authenticating the emails and sending spammy content can all cause emails to land in the junk folder.
18 Feb 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests improving engagement by changing the subject line or content of the emails and sending a follow-up to the purchaser asking them to confirm that the recipient received the ticket.
29 Aug 2022 - Email Geeks
4 technical articles
Emails are often marked as spam due to issues with sender authentication, reputation, and adherence to email standards. Google and Microsoft both emphasize the importance of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), maintaining a good sender reputation by keeping complaint rates low, and avoiding unwanted emails. Google highlights the need for a valid PTR record and consistent IP usage, while Microsoft recommends using a dedicated IP and providing an easy unsubscribe option. DMARC.org focuses on DMARC as a tool to protect against email spoofing and control how recipient mail servers handle authentication failures. The RFC Editor specifies the technical standards which email messages must adhere to.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Support explains that to prevent mail to Gmail users from being blocked or sent to spam, ensure that your sending IP has a valid PTR record, use a consistent IP address to send mail, keep complaint rates low, and authenticate email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. It also specifies to avoid sending unwanted email, check blocklists, and format messages according to RFC 5322.
26 Jun 2024 - Google Support
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, is an email authentication protocol. It allows domain owners to protect their domain from unauthorized use, commonly known as email spoofing. By implementing DMARC, domain owners can instruct recipient mail servers on how to handle messages that fail authentication checks, providing enhanced security and control over their email traffic.
25 Jun 2022 - DMARC.org
Are image-only emails bad for deliverability?
Are spam trigger word lists accurate and should I be concerned about them?
Do PDF attachments negatively impact email deliverability and what are the best practices?
How can I fix my emails landing in Gmail spam folder?
How can I improve email deliverability for a client with a poor sender reputation and questionable email acquisition practices?
How can I improve email deliverability when emails are going to spam?