Why are my emails from GoHighLevel landing in spam and how do I fix it?

Key findings

• Shared domains: GoHighLevel often uses shared sending domains and IP addresses for link tracking, which can accumulate a poor reputation due to other users' spammy practices. This leads to your emails being flagged even if your content is legitimate.
• Cold outreach impact: If GoHighLevel is used for cold email campaigns, its sender reputation can be negatively affected across the board, impacting deliverability for all users on shared infrastructure. Filters are aggressive against cold email.
• Link tracking issues: The automated link rewriting by GoHighLevel for tracking purposes can sometimes lead to the tracking domain being flagged as suspicious, directly causing emails to land in the spam folder.
• Authentication: While crucial for deliverability, proper DMARC, DKIM, and SPF setup do not directly resolve issues with suspicious links, but are fundamental for overall sender trustworthiness. Improving these aspects will boost your general domain reputation.
• Platform suitability: GoHighLevel is primarily an all-in-one marketing platform best suited for inbound and transactional emails, not cold outreach, which often leads to deliverability problems when misused.

Key considerations

• Dedicated sending domain: To gain better control over your sender reputation and avoid issues with shared domains, setting up a dedicated sending domain is critical.
• Third-party SMTP: Integrating your own SMTP service, such as Mailgun, with GoHighLevel allows you to use your dedicated sending infrastructure and bypass GoHighLevel's shared system.
• Proper authentication: Ensure your DMARC, DKIM, and SPF records are correctly configured for your dedicated sending domain. These records authenticate your emails and are essential for inbox placement. You can refer to GoHighLevel's support documentation for platform-specific guidance.
• Domain warming: After setting up a new dedicated domain, gradually increase your sending volume (drip mode) to build a positive sending reputation. This process, known as domain warming, signals to mailbox providers that you are a legitimate sender.
• Content quality: Review your email content for spam trigger words, excessive links, or poor formatting. Even with excellent technical setup, low-quality content can lead to spam placement.

Key opinions

• Link tracking issues: Marketers frequently report that GoHighLevel’s link tracking system, which rewrites URLs, can cause emails to be flagged as suspicious, even when the original links are clean.
• Shared infrastructure risk: A common concern is that the shared domains and IP addresses used by GoHighLevel for email sending are often negatively impacted by the sending practices of other users, leading to a poor collective reputation. This can cause deliverability issues even for legitimate senders.
• Platform misuse: There's a strong sentiment that GoHighLevel, while powerful for marketing automation, is often used for cold outreach, which inherently carries a higher risk of being marked as spam by email filters.
• Impact on opt-in emails: Even if a marketer sends legitimate opt-in campaigns, these can still suffer from poor deliverability if the underlying platform’s reputation is tainted by widespread spammy behavior.

Key considerations

• Dedicated sending: Marketers are advised to use a dedicated sending domain and connect it via a reputable third-party SMTP service (like Mailgun) within GoHighLevel, rather than relying on GoHighLevel's default sending infrastructure.
• Authentication setup: Proper configuration of email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for their dedicated domain is crucial for improving trustworthiness. This is a foundational step, as detailed in email deliverability best practices.
• Domain warming strategy: For new dedicated domains or significant changes in sending volume, a careful domain warming process is recommended to build a solid sender reputation with mailbox providers.
• Audience and content alignment: Aligning email content and sending practices with a genuinely opt-in audience dramatically reduces spam complaints and improves inbox placement. GoHighLevel is more suited for this type of communication.

Key opinions

• Reputation of shared pools: Experts commonly state that GoHighLevel’s shared IP or domain pools likely have a poor reputation because the tool allows (or is perceived to allow) spammy behavior, which can negatively impact all users, regardless of individual sending quality. This can lead to a domain or IP being blacklisted.
• Misuse for cold outreach: A core expert opinion is that GoHighLevel is often misused for cold email, which is inherently risky for deliverability. Filters are designed to block such unsolicited mail, and any good delivery in this context might be coincidental.
• Authentication vs. content/links: While essential, experts clarify that DKIM and DMARC primarily authenticate the sender and do not directly address issues related to suspicious links or content, emphasizing that multiple factors contribute to spam placement.
• Platform suitability: It's strongly recommended that opt-in email campaigns be sent from platforms specifically designed for legitimate, permission-based email, rather than those commonly associated with spamming activities.
• Control over sending infrastructure: Using a dedicated Mailgun account or similar third-party SMTP service within GHL is advised to gain full control over the sending domain and its reputation, detaching it from GHL’s shared infrastructure.

Key considerations

• Migrate opt-in mail: The primary recommendation is to move legitimate, opt-in email sending to platforms that are known for good deliverability and are used by other permission-based email senders. This ensures your emails are treated as expected by filters.
• Dedicated domain and SMTP: Configure a dedicated sending domain within GoHighLevel and utilize a robust SMTP service like Mailgun. This allows for independent reputation management. For details, see SMTP best practices.
• Full authentication implementation: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC thoroughly for your dedicated domain. This provides the necessary email authentication to prove sender legitimacy, even if it doesn't solve shared domain issues directly.
• Warming and drip sending: After setting up a new sending domain, warm it up carefully by gradually increasing volume. Use drip mode sending to maintain a healthy sending pattern, as suggested by experts to build and sustain a positive sender reputation.
• Content and list hygiene: Regularly clean your email lists and ensure content is relevant and valuable to subscribers. Engagement metrics heavily influence sender reputation.

Key findings

• Authentication standards: Documentation consistently highlights SPF, DKIM, and DMARC as essential protocols for email authentication, verifying that emails are genuinely from the claimed sender and haven’t been tampered with.
• Sender reputation building: Official guides emphasize that building a positive sender reputation requires consistent, legitimate sending over time, involving factors like low complaint rates and high engagement.
• Dedicated vs. shared IP/domain: Many ESPs (including those that might integrate with GHL) explain the benefits of dedicated sending IPs and domains for full control over reputation, as opposed to shared resources where other users' practices can impact deliverability.
• Link hygiene: Documentation often advises against using shortened or obfuscated links and recommends ensuring all links lead to reputable, unflagged domains to avoid being caught by spam filters.

Key considerations

• Configure custom sending domains: Implement a custom sending domain within GoHighLevel and integrate it with a dedicated SMTP service (e.g., Mailgun). This involves setting up the necessary DNS records provided by the SMTP provider.
• Verify authentication records: Ensure your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured and validated for your custom sending domain. Errors in these records can severely impact deliverability.
• Warm up new domains/IPs: If you set up a new dedicated sending domain, follow a structured warming process to gradually increase sending volume. This helps establish a trusted sender reputation with mailbox providers. Mailgun’s guide on avoiding spam often covers this.
• Monitor deliverability metrics: Regularly check bounce rates, complaint rates, and inbox placement statistics. These metrics, often available through Postmaster Tools, provide insights into your sending health.
• Adhere to content policies: Avoid practices that resemble spam, such as using excessive capitalization, misleading subject lines, or poor formatting. Documentation from major mailbox providers outlines these content guidelines.