Summary
Even with a strong sender reputation, Gmail deliverability can suffer due to a multitude of factors. These include technical issues like pixel clipping, rendering errors, and broken authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC); problems with email content such as spam trigger words or problematic links; poor list hygiene, resulting in sending to unengaged users, invalid addresses or spam traps; sudden changes in sending behavior; low recipient engagement; or violating Google's sending guidelines. The age and reputation of the sending IP address also matters. Monitoring Google Postmaster Tools and responding to feedback loops is crucial, but it's equally important to optimize content, maintain a clean list, and adhere to authentication standards.
Key findings
- Content Risks: Specific links or spam trigger words can bypass reputation and directly trigger filters.
- Technical Configuration Matters: Issues like pixel clipping, rendering errors, and broken SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can hurt deliverability regardless of overall reputation.
- List Health Is Key: Sending to old, unengaged, or invalid addresses significantly damages deliverability.
- Engagement Is A Ranking Factor: Low open and click-through rates can signal to Gmail that your emails are not valuable.
- Sending Patterns Count: Sudden shifts in sending volume can trigger spam filters.
- Reputation Has Nuances: Previously used or shared IPs may have a negative history affecting deliverability.
- Google's Guidelines are Paramount: Violating Google's sender guidelines (e.g., high spam complaint rates, unsolicited emails) can override a good reputation.
- Feedback Loops Are Critical: Ignoring feedback loops and spam complaints can erode deliverability over time.
Key considerations
- Audit Email Content: Regularly review email content for spam trigger words, suspicious links, and high image-to-text ratios.
- Check Technical Setup: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and troubleshoot any rendering or coding issues.
- Practice List Hygiene: Implement a process for regularly cleaning your email list and removing unengaged subscribers.
- Segment and Personalize: Segment your audience and personalize your email content to increase engagement rates.
- Monitor Sending Volume: Gradually increase sending volume and avoid sudden spikes in email frequency.
- Investigate IP Reputation: If using a shared IP address, monitor its reputation and consider using a dedicated IP for greater control.
- Comply with Guidelines: Thoroughly understand and adhere to Google's sender guidelines to avoid being flagged as a spammer.
- Monitor Feedback Loops: Actively monitor feedback loops and address spam complaints to improve your sending reputation.
- Utilize Postmaster Tools: Regularly check Google Postmaster Tools for detailed insights into your sending reputation and deliverability.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Despite a good sender reputation, Gmail deliverability can be negatively impacted by various factors, including email content, sending practices, and recipient engagement. Technical issues like clipped pixels, rendering errors, and authentication problems also play a role. Furthermore, list hygiene, IP address history, and the degree of personalization influence whether emails reach the inbox.
Key opinions
- Content Matters: Email content, including spam trigger words, image-to-text ratio, and broken links, can trigger spam filters even with a good sender reputation.
- Engagement is Crucial: Low subscriber engagement, such as low open and click-through rates, signals to Gmail that emails are not valuable, leading to deliverability issues.
- Authentication is Key: Inconsistent or improperly configured email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) can negatively impact deliverability.
- List Hygiene is Essential: Poor list hygiene, including sending to old, unengaged addresses and spam traps, can hurt your sender reputation.
- Sending Practices Influence: Sudden changes in sending volume, frequency, or content can raise red flags with Gmail.
- Technical Factors Play a Role: Issues with email rendering, coding errors, and clipped tracking pixels can trigger spam filters.
Key considerations
- Optimize Content: Review email content for spam trigger words, ensure a balanced image-to-text ratio, and fix broken links.
- Improve Engagement: Segment your audience, personalize your emails, and provide valuable content to increase engagement rates.
- Authenticate Emails: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured to authenticate your emails.
- Clean Your List: Regularly remove unengaged subscribers and invalid email addresses from your list.
- Monitor Sending Behavior: Avoid sudden changes in sending volume, frequency, or content that could raise red flags with Gmail.
- Test Email Rendering: Test your emails across different email clients and devices to ensure proper rendering and avoid coding errors.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that while a good sender reputation is crucial, consistent email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene (removing inactive subscribers), and providing value to recipients are essential for maintaining Gmail deliverability. Inconsistencies in these areas can lead to deliverability issues even with a positive reputation.
5 Mar 2024 - Sendinblue
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that the issue may be a result of the pixel being clipped at Gmail on new templates. In addition, the marketer suggests checking conversion rates to see if there's a dip.
13 May 2024 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Even with a good sender reputation, Gmail deliverability issues can arise due to problems with specific email content, authentication, and list quality. A single problematic link can trigger spam filters, highlighting the importance of email content scrutiny. While Google Postmaster Tools is the authoritative source for reputation data, it's important to recognize that emails with problematic elements can still be marked as spam. Furthermore, authentication issues, particularly with SPF and DKIM alignment, and poor list quality resulting from unengaged addresses, invalid emails or spam traps further damage deliverability.
Key opinions
- Content Can Trigger Spam Filters: A single problematic link within an email can cause Gmail to flag the email as spam, regardless of overall sender reputation.
- Postmaster Tools is Authoritative but Not a Guarantee: While Google Postmaster Tools provides the best data on your reputation, emails can still be marked as spam if they contain problematic elements.
- Authentication is Crucial: Authentication issues (SPF/DKIM) can cause deliverability problems even with good reputation. Gmail is strict on authentication.
- List Quality Matters: Poor list quality (unengaged, invalid addresses, spam traps) can damage reputation and harm deliverability despite other sending activities.
Key considerations
- Scrutinize Email Content: Carefully review all links and content in emails to avoid triggering spam filters.
- Monitor Postmaster Tools: Use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your sender reputation and identify potential issues.
- Ensure Proper Authentication: Verify SPF and DKIM records are correctly configured and aligned.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list by removing unengaged subscribers, invalid addresses, and spam traps.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks states that Google Postmaster Tools is the authoritative source for understanding reputation with Google, and also clarifies that emails can still be marked as spam even with a high reputation if the email contains problematic elements.
8 Aug 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that poor list quality, meaning sending to addresses that are unengaged, invalid, or spam traps, damages your sender reputation. This harms deliverability at Gmail despite your other sending activities.
4 Jun 2024 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Even with a good sender reputation, Gmail deliverability can be compromised by factors such as violating Google's sender guidelines (sending unsolicited emails or high spam complaint rates), misconfigured or missing SPF records for email authentication, absent or improperly configured DMARC policies, and failure to monitor and respond to feedback loops (FBLs). While sender reputation is crucial, adhering to email best practices and properly configuring technical aspects of email sending are essential for ensuring deliverability.
Key findings
- Reputation Isn't Everything: Even senders with high reputation can experience deliverability issues if they violate Google's sender guidelines (unsolicited emails, high spam complaint rate).
- SPF Configuration is Critical: Misconfigured or incomplete SPF records can cause Gmail to treat emails as suspicious, impacting deliverability despite good reputation.
- DMARC Policy Matters: Absent or improperly configured DMARC policies increase the likelihood of Gmail filtering emails as spam, even with a good sender reputation.
- Feedback Loops Are Important: Failure to monitor and respond to feedback loops can lead to missed spam complaints, negatively impacting deliverability despite a good initial reputation.
Key considerations
- Adhere to Sender Guidelines: Ensure compliance with Google's sender guidelines to avoid being flagged for sending unsolicited emails or generating high spam complaint rates.
- Verify SPF Records: Confirm SPF records are correctly configured and include all authorized sending sources.
- Implement DMARC Policy: Implement and properly configure a DMARC policy to protect against email spoofing and phishing attacks.
- Monitor Feedback Loops: Actively monitor and respond to feedback loops to address spam complaints and improve email practices.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC explains that SPF records are critical for email authentication. If an SPF record is not properly configured, or if it does not include all sending sources, Gmail may treat emails as suspicious, leading to deliverability issues despite a good overall sender reputation.
7 Jun 2022 - RFC
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft explains the concept of feedback loops (FBLs). If a sender is not actively monitoring and responding to FBLs, they may be unaware of spam complaints, which can negatively impact their reputation and deliverability, even if their initial reputation was good.
9 Feb 2022 - Microsoft Documentation
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