Email deliverability guide
Why are my emails going to spam?
Emails landing in spam, or just no replies? Here are the common causes in plain English, how to check yours and how to fix each one.
Check your email health free
Free, no signup. Reads public records only, nothing is stored.
Start with the part you can check in a minute
Gmail requires every sender to authenticate with SPF or DKIM. If you send more than 5,000 messages a day to Gmail accounts, you also need DMARC. Google says mail that isn't authenticated may be marked as spam or rejected.
So the fastest first step is to check your domain's records. If they're broken, nothing else you do will fully land.
The common reasons emails go to spam
- Your domain isn't authenticated. SPF, DKIM or DMARC is missing or broken, so inboxes can't confirm the mail is really from you.
- A tool sends as you but isn't in your SPF record. Your CRM, help desk, invoicing app and cold email tool each need to be authorized.
- Your SPF record is doubled or over its limit. A domain can have only one SPF record, and it can't need more than 10 DNS lookups.
- The From address doesn't match the domain that passed the check. Gmail requires this alignment from bulk senders.
- People mark your mail as spam. Google asks senders to keep the spam rate in Postmaster Tools below 0.1% and never reach 0.3%.
- You send too much, too fast. Sudden jumps in volume, especially from a new domain or inbox, get rate limited.
- The list or the message. Bought lists, people who never asked to hear from you, misleading subject lines and hidden text all count against you.
Why it matters more if you send cold email
Cold email from your main domain shares its reputation with your invoices, proposals and client replies. One campaign that draws spam reports can pull all of it down.
Many teams send outreach from separate domains with their own inboxes, set up properly and warmed up slowly, so the main domain stays clean.
How to fix it
01
Run the free check
Use the box above. You see your SPF, DKIM, DMARC and mail server records in plain English.
02
List every service that sends as you
Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, your CRM, help desk, invoicing, newsletter and cold email tools.
03
Fix SPF
One record that includes every real sender, under 10 DNS lookups.
04
Turn on DKIM everywhere
Each service gives you a record to publish. Add it and switch signing on.
05
Publish DMARC, then tighten it
Start at p=none with reports. Once reports show your real mail passing, move to quarantine, then reject.
06
Watch and grow slowly
Check your spam rate in Google Postmaster Tools and raise volume gradually.
What this won't fix
Healthy email gets you a fair shot at the inbox, not a reply. If your setup is clean and replies are still low, look at who you're emailing, what you say and the offer itself. Nobody can guarantee inbox placement, and you should be wary of anyone who does.
Questions
- Why are my emails suddenly going to spam?
- Common triggers: a new tool started sending as you without being added to SPF, a DNS change broke a record, your volume jumped, or more people marked your mail as spam. Run the free check first. A broken record is the quickest thing to rule out.
- Why do my emails go to spam in Gmail but not Outlook?
- Each inbox provider filters differently and weighs its own users' reactions. Gmail requires SPF or DKIM from every sender, so a missing record often shows up there first.
- Does a spam test tell me everything?
- No. A test send shows where one message landed at one moment. Your records, your reputation over time and how recipients react matter more.
- How long until my emails stop going to spam?
- Record fixes apply as soon as DNS updates, often within hours. Reputation recovers more slowly, over weeks of steady sending to people who want your email.
Want it done for you?
We fix your email health for a fixed price, from $249.
We find every service that sends email as you, fix SPF and DKIM for each one, and move DMARC to blocking fakes once your real mail passes. You keep every account.