Suped

Summary

Gmail's spam filters are influenced by several factors, including sender reputation, authentication methods, content quality, and recipient engagement. A poor sender reputation, often resulting from shared IPs or sending unsolicited emails, is a major cause. Proper email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is critical to verify sender identity and prevent spoofing. Content quality also plays a role; using spam trigger words or poor formatting can lead to emails being flagged as spam. Recipient engagement, as measured by open rates, click-through rates, and spam complaints, significantly impacts deliverability. Maintaining a clean and engaged email list helps to reduce spam complaints and improve sender reputation. Furthermore, Google recommends ensuring a valid reverse DNS record, keeping spam rates low (monitored via Postmaster Tools), and avoiding unwanted mail. Monitoring Enhanced Status Codes (ETR) and Non-Delivery Reports (NDR) can also provide insights into delivery problems.

Key findings

  • Sender Reputation: A poor sender reputation, often due to shared IPs or sending unsolicited emails, is a significant factor.
  • Authentication is Crucial: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for authenticating emails and preventing spoofing; their absence increases spam likelihood.
  • Content Matters: Spam trigger words, poor formatting, and irrelevant content can lead to emails being flagged as spam.
  • Engagement Impacts Deliverability: Low engagement rates, high spam complaints, and sending to inactive subscribers negatively impact deliverability.
  • Monitoring is Key: Regular monitoring of sender reputation via Postmaster Tools and analysis of NDRs/ETRs provides insights into deliverability problems.

Key considerations

  • Implement Authentication Protocols: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured for your sending domain to authenticate your emails.
  • Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers and managing opt-outs to improve engagement.
  • Optimize Content: Refine email content by avoiding spam trigger words, using proper formatting, and providing relevant information.
  • Monitor Sender Reputation: Use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your sender reputation, spam rates, and feedback loop metrics.
  • Warm-Up IP Addresses: Gradually warm up new IP addresses by starting with small sending volumes and slowly increasing them over time.
  • Review NDRs/ETRs: Analyze Non-Delivery Reports and Enhanced Status Codes to diagnose and address delivery failures.

What email marketers say

10 marketer opinions

Gmail sends emails to spam due to several factors, primarily related to sender reputation, authentication, content, and engagement. A poor sender reputation, often stemming from shared IP addresses or sending unsolicited emails, is a major cause. Lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) makes it difficult for Gmail to verify the sender's legitimacy, increasing the likelihood of spam filtering. Spam trigger words and poor content quality also contribute. Low engagement rates, high spam complaint rates, and sending to inactive subscribers further damage deliverability. To improve inbox placement, strategies include warming up IP addresses, cleaning email lists, personalizing content, monitoring sender reputation, and following Gmail's best practices.

Key opinions

  • Sender Reputation: A poor sender reputation is a primary driver for emails landing in spam, often due to shared IPs or sending unsolicited mail.
  • Authentication: Lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) makes it difficult for Gmail to verify sender legitimacy.
  • Content: Spam trigger words and low-quality content increase the likelihood of being flagged as spam.
  • Engagement: Low engagement rates (opens/clicks), high spam complaints, and sending to inactive subscribers harm deliverability.

Key considerations

  • IP Warmup: Warm up new IP addresses gradually to establish a positive sending reputation.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers and reduce spam complaints.
  • Personalization: Personalize email content to improve engagement and relevance.
  • Monitoring: Monitor sender reputation, engagement metrics, and spam complaints to identify and address deliverability issues promptly.
  • Authentication Setup: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured to authenticate your emails.
  • Content Quality: Avoid spam trigger words and focus on providing valuable, relevant content to subscribers.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that using a free email address, sending emails from a dynamic IP, or not having proper authentication records can cause emails to go to spam. They advise using a professional email address and configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

12 Aug 2022 - Email Marketing Forum

Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that reasons for emails landing in spam include a poor sender reputation, spam trigger words in the content, a high spam complaint rate, and missing or incorrect authentication records.

1 Feb 2025 - Mailjet

What the experts say

5 expert opinions

Gmail's spam filtering can affect sent emails, and although some issues might not directly impact email marketing, factors like content, authentication, and list hygiene play a significant role. Using certain phrases or formatting can trigger spam filters. Proper authentication with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for verifying your identity as a sender. Maintaining a clean and engaged email list helps to avoid spam complaints and protect your sender reputation, thus preventing emails from landing in spam folders.

Key opinions

  • Content Matters: Specific content elements, like phrases and formatting, can cause emails to be marked as spam.
  • Authentication is Key: Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is vital for proving sender identity and preventing spam flagging.
  • List Hygiene Prevents Spam: A clean, engaged email list reduces spam complaints and maintains sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Content Review: Review email content to avoid spam-triggering phrases and formatting.
  • Implement Authentication: Ensure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly set up for your sending domain.
  • Maintain List Engagement: Regularly clean your email list, removing inactive users and focusing on engaged subscribers.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that this is an entirely legitimate issue, just not one that affects email marketing.

26 May 2025 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that factors in content, such as excessive use of certain phrases or formatting, can contribute to emails being flagged as spam. Focusing on delivering valuable and relevant content is key to avoiding filters.

27 Nov 2024 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says

5 technical articles

Gmail sends mail to spam when it detects issues with authentication, sender reputation, and content. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for verifying email authenticity and preventing spoofing. Google recommends maintaining a valid reverse DNS record, keeping spam rates low via Postmaster Tools, and avoiding unwanted mail. DMARC allows domain owners to define how receivers should handle emails failing SPF/DKIM checks. Monitoring Enhanced Status Codes (ETR) and Non-Delivery Reports (NDR) from Microsoft can also reveal spam-related delivery issues.

Key findings

  • Authentication is Critical: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for authenticating email and preventing spoofing.
  • Sender Reputation Matters: Maintaining a good sender reputation, monitored via tools like Google Postmaster Tools, is vital.
  • DMARC Enhances Security: DMARC allows domain owners to specify how emails failing authentication should be handled, preventing phishing.
  • NDRs Provide Insights: Reviewing Enhanced Status Codes (ETR) and Non-Delivery Reports (NDR) can reveal spam-related delivery problems.

Key considerations

  • Implement SPF, DKIM, DMARC: Ensure all three authentication methods are correctly configured for your domain.
  • Monitor Postmaster Tools: Regularly check Google Postmaster Tools to assess sender reputation and spam rates.
  • Review NDRs/ETRs: Analyze Non-Delivery Reports and Enhanced Status Codes to identify and address delivery issues.
  • Maintain Valid DNS: Ensure your sending IP has a valid reverse DNS record.

Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains that specific Enhanced Status Codes (ETR) and Non-Delivery Reports (NDR) can indicate spam-related issues. Reviewing these codes helps identify reasons for delivery failures, such as blocked senders or spam filtering.

20 Dec 2022 - Microsoft Support

Technical article

Documentation from RFC-Editor details that DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) uses digital signatures to allow a person taking responsibility for a message to sign it, providing message integrity and authentication.

26 Dec 2022 - RFC-Editor

Start improving your email deliverability today

Sign up