Why isn't my logo image loading in Gmail, even after moving the email from spam?

Images not loading in Gmail, even after moving from spam, can stem from a multitude of interconnected issues. The root causes span email client security settings, authentication protocols, sender reputation, image hosting practices, technical implementation details, and user-specific configurations. Email clients like Gmail and Outlook block images by default as a security measure. Users need to actively enable images or add senders to their contact lists. Furthermore, sender reputation plays a vital role; a poor reputation can lead to images being blocked even when the email reaches the inbox. Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial to establish trust. Image hosting is also a significant factor. Images should be hosted on reputable, secure (HTTPS) servers, ideally using a dedicated sending domain. Technical issues, such as incorrect MIME types, improper Content-ID (CID) implementation, and relative image URLs, can hinder image display. Additionally, Gmail's aggressive caching can sometimes cause problems, and image proxying by email clients can further complicate matters. Deliverability best practices and monitoring sender reputation and engagement metrics are crucial for resolving image loading issues. Finally, Google Workspace policies might block remote images on unauthenticated messages.

Images not loading in Gmail, even after moving from spam, can be caused by a multitude of factors ranging from sender authentication, image hosting, Gmail's caching behavior, to deliverability issues. Several email marketers suggest that Gmail may block images from unknown senders, and adding the sender to the contacts list may resolve the issue. Others suggest that Gmail's aggressive caching can prevent images from loading, even after marking the email as safe, and that clearing Gmail's cache or trying a different browser may help. Moreover, if using Google Workspace, a policy might exist that blocks remote images on unauthenticated messages, making it necessary to set up authentication and test again. Embedding small images like logos can also give them the best chance of being seen, since many MUAs don't automatically load remote images and filters may dislike shared-content domains. Furthermore, the use of absolute URLs for images is crucial. Another recommendation involves checking image paths, whitelisting senders, and using common image formats. Image proxying, which can affect how images are displayed, should also be considered, thus testing emails across various clients is recommended. Finally, even with emails delivered to the inbox, poor sender reputation and low engagement can still affect image display.

The provided answers from experts at Word to the Wise and SpamResource suggest that image display issues in Gmail, even after moving an email from spam, are primarily linked to sender reputation and email authentication. They explain that while the email might reach the inbox, Gmail can still subtly restrict image display as a precautionary measure due to poor sender reputation or a lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Therefore, hosting images on a reputable server, using a dedicated sending domain for images, and actively monitoring sender reputation and engagement metrics are crucial for ensuring images are displayed correctly.

The documentation provided by Google, RFC Editor, Microsoft, and IETF collectively highlights the security measures email clients employ that may prevent logo images from loading in Gmail, even after moving an email from spam. Gmail, as a default security protocol, blocks images automatically to protect users from spammers verifying email addresses; users must manually choose to display images or add the sender to their contacts. Microsoft Outlook similarly blocks images by default, allowing users to change these settings. Furthermore, the correct implementation of MIME types, as defined by RFC Editor, is crucial for embedding images correctly, and problems with Content-ID (CID), as explained by IETF, can also lead to images not displaying.