Summary
High spam rates for transactional emails stem from various factors, requiring a multi-faceted troubleshooting approach. Gmail's unique feedback mechanisms necessitate using Postmaster Tools. Distinguishing mail streams with separate DKIM domains aids issue isolation. Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial, alongside maintaining a low spam rate (below 0.1%). Engagement significantly affects deliverability; irrelevant content leads to filtering. Protection against negative SEO attacks and list bombing is essential. Technical aspects like reverse DNS (rDNS) configuration and avoiding URL shorteners improve legitimacy. Monitoring sender reputation, cleaning email lists, testing emails, and managing email frequency are vital. Engagement level, or a lack of, negatively affects your deliverability.
Key findings
- Gmail Data: Complaint data with Gmail is unique and only found via Postmaster Tools
- Separate DKIM: Seperate DKIM records allow for segmenting and isolating deliverability issues
- Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup must be checked and maintained
- Sender Reputation: Monitoring your sender reputation directly impacts deliverability and needs to be checked
- Content Relevance: Crafting valuable content and avoiding spammy keywords helps with deliverability
- Email List Hygiene: Removing invalid emails and performing regular list cleaning boosts deliverability
- Engagement: Engagement, or lack of, can affect deliverability
- Negative SEO: Negative SEO attacks and list bombing can cause high complaint rates
Key considerations
- Monitor Gmail via GPT: Ensure proper monitoring with Google Postmaster Tools
- Use Separate DKIM: Using seperate DKIM's will help isolate the issues
- Content is Key: Good, well written and engaging content is a must
- Authenticate Your Emails: Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols to ensure legitimacy.
- Dedicated IP: Consider using a dedicated IP address to build a strong sender reputation.
- Feedback Loops: Set up feedback loops to track spam complaints proactively.
- rDNS Configuration: Ensure a properly configured rDNS record maps your IP address to your domain.
- Test Email: Use testing tools before sending emails
- Protect against attacks: Implement measures like rate limiting and CAPTCHAs to defend against negative SEO attacks and list bombing.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Several factors can contribute to high spam rates for transactional emails. Monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score is crucial. The content should be relevant and valuable, avoiding spam trigger words. Maintaining list hygiene by removing inactive addresses and implementing double opt-in can reduce complaints. Testing emails before sending helps identify deliverability issues. Using a dedicated IP address can improve sender reputation. Managing email frequency and segmenting audiences is important to prevent recipient fatigue. Avoid URL shorteners and use full, transparent URLs. Review bounce logs to troubleshoot issues and set up feedback loops to track spam complaints. Also, engagement, or the lack of, affects your deliverability.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation: Monitoring sender reputation is essential for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.
- Content Relevance: Irrelevant or poorly crafted content increases spam rates.
- List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists reduces bounce rates and spam complaints.
- Email Testing: Testing emails before sending helps identify and resolve deliverability issues.
- Engagement: Engagement, or lack of, can negatively affect deliverability.
Key considerations
- Tools & Metrics: Utilize tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score to monitor sender reputation and spam rates.
- Content Optimization: Focus on providing valuable and relevant content while avoiding spam trigger words.
- List Management: Implement double opt-in and regularly clean your email lists to maintain list hygiene.
- Technical Setup: Consider using a dedicated IP address and properly configuring authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Email Structure: Avoid URL shorteners and use full, transparent URLs in your transactional emails.
- Feedback Loops: Set up feedback loops to track complaints and improve deliverability proactively.
- Analysis of Failures: Review bounce logs to identify and resolve specific deliverability issues.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that using a dedicated IP address for transactional emails can improve sender reputation. It isolates your email traffic from other senders, allowing you to build a positive reputation over time.
16 Apr 2022 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares Neil Kumaran's statement about Gmail spam reporting being based on complaints from active users for inboxed emails, attributing the spam report to when the email was received. However, Alison notes that this doesn't always align with observed behavior.
27 Nov 2021 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
8 expert opinions
Troubleshooting high transactional email spam rates involves understanding Gmail's unique feedback mechanisms (no traditional FBL, Postmaster Tools only) and ensuring proper DKIM setup to differentiate mail streams. Delayed complaint reporting and the potential for Google Workspace spam tracking add complexity. Engagement levels significantly impact deliverability; irrelevant emails may be filtered. Negative SEO attacks and list bombing can also drastically increase spam complaints, requiring protective measures like rate limiting and CAPTCHAs.
Key opinions
- Gmail Feedback: Gmail uses Postmaster Tools for complaint data, not a traditional FBL.
- DKIM Separation: Using separate DKIM domains for different email streams (marketing vs. transactional) aids in isolating issues.
- Engagement Impact: Low engagement (low opens, clicks) can cause transactional emails to be marked as spam.
- Negative SEO: Negative SEO attacks and list bombing can cause high complaint rates and require preventative action.
Key considerations
- Monitor GPT: Regularly check Google Postmaster Tools for insights into spam rates and deliverability issues.
- DKIM Configuration: Ensure proper DKIM setup for each email stream and register DKIM subdomain for GPT.
- Content Value: Make transactional emails valuable and relevant to increase engagement.
- Protect Against Attacks: Implement measures like rate limiting and CAPTCHAs to defend against negative SEO attacks and list bombing.
- Complaint Delays: Be aware of possible delays in Google's complaint reporting.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that if complaints happen on days when no emails are sent, this might indicate a Google issue where complaints are reported with a delay.
21 Oct 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that using the same 'd=' for Mailchimp and transactional emails makes it impossible to distinguish complaints between the two streams. Possible causes for spam rate increases include problematic signups, DKIM replay issues, or increased spam filtering.
11 Aug 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), maintaining a low spam rate (below 0.1%), proper reverse DNS (rDNS) configuration, and adhering to best practices to avoid Outlook's junk email filter are crucial for preventing transactional emails from being marked as spam. Ensuring email legitimacy through these technical aspects improves deliverability.
Key findings
- Email Authentication: Properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols are vital for email deliverability.
- Spam Rate Threshold: Maintaining a spam rate below 0.1% is critical for avoiding deliverability issues, according to Google Postmaster Tools.
- Reverse DNS: A correctly configured rDNS record validates the sending server's legitimacy.
- Outlook Filtering: Adhering to deliverability best practices prevents emails from being flagged as junk by Outlook.
Key considerations
- Authentication Setup: Implement and regularly verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings.
- Spam Rate Monitoring: Continuously monitor spam rates using Google Postmaster Tools and promptly address any spikes.
- rDNS Configuration: Ensure a properly configured rDNS record maps your IP address to your domain.
- Best Practices Adherence: Follow email deliverability best practices to avoid triggering Outlook's junk email filter and other spam filters.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that maintaining a spam rate below 0.1% is crucial for avoiding deliverability issues. They advise regularly monitoring spam rates and taking immediate action if they exceed acceptable thresholds.
13 Apr 2022 - Google Postmaster Tools
Technical article
Documentation from RFC explains the importance of a properly configured reverse DNS (rDNS) record. An rDNS record maps an IP address back to a domain name, helping to verify the legitimacy of the sending server.
1 Jan 2025 - RFC
Are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records necessary for transactional email servers not used for marketing?
How can I fix my emails landing in Gmail spam folder?
How do I prevent bounces from reaching the return-path when sending transactional emails via PowerMTA?
How do I troubleshoot and fix SPF and DMARC settings for email deliverability issues?
How do I warm up a new IP address for transactional emails?
What are best practices for warming up new IPs for transactional emails?
