Why are my emails going to the spam folder and how can I improve my email deliverability?

Emails often land in spam folders due to a poor sender reputation with email providers like Gmail or Outlook. This can happen suddenly, especially after sending a large campaign from a new or infrequently used domain or IP address. Such activity can be flagged as suspicious, damaging your reputation.

To fix this and improve your email deliverability, you need to rebuild a positive sender reputation. Here are the key steps and best practices to follow:

1. Perform a Technical Setup Audit

Ensure your domain is properly authenticated to prove your emails are legitimate.

• Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: These are email authentication standards that prevent spoofing and improve deliverability. You can typically check if these are configured correctly within your email service provider's settings.
• Verify Reverse DNS (PTR records): This helps receiving mail servers verify the sender's identity.
• Use a Consistent "From" Domain: Avoid sending campaigns from multiple different domains or subdomains.

2. Improve Mailing List Quality

Sending to unengaged or invalid email addresses hurts your reputation.

• Use Opt-In Lists Only: Only send emails to contacts who have explicitly given you permission.
• Clean Your Lists: Regularly remove old, inactive, or invalid email addresses. Consider suppressing contacts who haven't opened or clicked an email in the last 90-180 days.
• Implement Double Opt-In: When a user signs up, send a confirmation email they must click to be added to your list. This verifies the email address and confirms their interest.

3. Adopt Best Sending Practices

How you send your campaigns is as important as what you send.

• Warm-Up Your Domain: If your domain is new or you haven't sent emails in a while, start by sending to small, highly engaged segments of your audience. Gradually increase the volume over several days or weeks. This builds trust with email providers.
• Segment by Engagement: Prioritize sending to your most active subscribers first. This signals to email providers that your content is wanted.
• Create Quality Content: Avoid using spam-trigger words (e.g., "Free!", "Act now!") in subject lines, maintain a good balance of text and images, and ensure your content is relevant to the audience.

4. Immediate Recovery Steps

If you are currently experiencing deliverability issues:

1. Pause Bulk Sending: Temporarily stop sending large email campaigns until the issues are addressed.
2. Audit and Clean: Thoroughly clean your mailing lists using the quality guidelines above.
3. Restart Gradually: Begin sending again with a warm-up strategy, starting with your most engaged users.