Why Your Emails Are Going to Spam

Spam placement is almost always caused by missing DNS authentication records, a damaged sending reputation, or content signals. Work through authentication first — it resolves the majority of cases.

Diagnose in Order

1. Verify SPF and DKIM records

   Go to Settings → Email Services → Domain Authentication. All records should show as Verified. If SPF or DKIM shows unverified, add the missing DNS records through your domain registrar and allow 24–48 hours to propagate.

2. Check your sending domain reputation

   Use Google Postmaster Tools (postmaster.google.com) if you send frequently to Gmail addresses. A red domain reputation score means Google has flagged your domain as a spam source.

3. Review your list quality

   High bounce rates (invalid email addresses) and high unsubscribe rates both damage sender reputation. Clean your list by removing hard-bounced addresses and contacts who have not opened in 90+ days.

4. Test with Mail Tester

   Send a test email to your unique mail-tester.com address before a campaign. You will receive a score out of 10 and specific recommendations for anything affecting deliverability.

5. Check for spam trigger words

   Certain words in the subject line significantly increase spam filter scores. Subject lines with ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation, or certain financial phrases are common triggers.

Content Factors to Review

Beyond authentication, these content factors affect deliverability: image-to-text ratio (emails that are mostly images with little text trigger spam filters), link count (too many links in one email increases spam score), and engagement history (sending to contacts who never open harms your overall sender score — segment your list and stop sending to persistently unengaged contacts).