Why Are My Emails Going to Spam? Understanding Email Deliverability and How to Fix It
You’ve built the perfect email. Compelling copy? Check. Clear call-to-action? Check. But when you hit send your message vanishes into the spam folder.
You're not alone. Over 2,500 people search every month for “Why are my emails going to spam?” It’s not just small businesses asking. Even seasoned marketers struggle with email deliverability, and the consequences are real: lower open rates, missed sales opportunities, and wasted marketing efforts.
At Strategy Maven, we’ve helped countless clients recover from deliverability issues and turn their email strategy into a reliable revenue stream. In this guide, we break down why your emails may be going to spam and, more importantly, how to fix it.
Part 1: Why Emails End Up in the Spam Folder
Deliverability measures the success of an email reaching the inbox instead of being lost to spam or blocked entirely. When an email doesn’t succeed at reaching your target audience, it’s usually due to a combination of technical, content-based, and engagement-related issues.
Technical Triggers
Before reviewing your content, spam filters assess your technical foundation. Without proper configuration, your message may never reach its destination.
Key Factors:
Sender reputation: This is your email credibility score, determined by factors like bounce rates, complaints, and past behavior. A damaged reputation means your emails may be deprioritized or blocked altogether.
Dedicated sending domain: If you’re using a shared IP (especially from low-cost platforms), your sender reputation is tied to everyone else using it. A dedicated domain gives you more control and stability.
Authentication protocols: Email providers rely on three essential DNS records to verify your emails:
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Confirms which mail servers are allowed to send on your behalf.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to prove the message hasn't been tampered with.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Tells email providers how to handle unauthenticated messages and provides reporting.
If any of these are missing or misconfigured, your email may look suspicious to spam filters even if it's perfectly legitimate.
Content-Based Red Flags
Once your email clears the technical gates, spam filters evaluate what’s inside the message.
Common Content Triggers:
Spammy language: Avoid phrases like “Act now,” “100% free,” or “This isn’t spam.” These may have worked in the 2000s but now serve as red flags.
Overuse of symbols and formatting: Multiple exclamation points or SUBJECTS IN ALL CAPS scream spam.
Poor image-to-text ratio: A single-image email with little to no text can look like a scam. Balance visuals with meaningful, scannable copy.
Link overload: Too many links (especially shortened or broken ones) can trigger filtering. Avoid linking every sentence and stick to one or two clear CTAs.
Better Alternative:
Instead of “Get rich quick! Limited-time offer! CLICK HERE NOW!!!”
Try: “Explore ways to grow your revenue—see what other business owners are doing.”
Subscriber Engagement Signals
Even if your setup and content are flawless, email providers will still ask: Do people want to receive this?
Key Engagement Signals Monitored by Email Providers:
Open rates: If few people are opening your emails, it signals low relevance.
Click-through rates: No interaction? Providers assume disinterest.
Spam complaints: Just a handful of recipients marking your email as spam can impact your entire list’s inbox placement.
Bounces and unsubscribes: High numbers suggest poor list hygiene or irrelevant messaging.
When engagement drops, deliverability soon follows.
Part 2: Best Practices for Improving Deliverability
Getting out of the spam folder starts with trust. Email platforms and audiences alike need to recognize your messages as relevant and reliable. Here's how to accomplish that:
Set Up the Right Technical Infrastructure
Make sure your domain is fully authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This shows email providers you’re a legitimate sender, not a spoofed or phishing source.
Additional tips:
Send from a branded domain (not @gmail.com or @yahoo.com)
Warm up new sending domains gradually
Monitor your domain's reputation with tools like Google Postmaster Tools or Talos Intelligence
Protect and Improve Your Sender Reputation
Your sender reputation is constantly evolving. Here’s how to maintain a good one:
Avoid sudden spikes in email volume
Clean your list regularly (more on this in Part 3)
Don’t purchase lists
Handle bounces and unsubscribes promptly
Avoid spam traps by never emailing scraped or outdated contacts
Create Content That Avoids Spam Filters
Write with clarity and care. Keep your design clean and professional.
Quick Guidelines:
Avoid overly promotional language
Use one primary CTA per email
Balance images with real text
Add a clear unsubscribe link and contact info
Test emails before sending with spam-check tools like Mail-Tester
Segment Your Audience for Better Engagement
Mass blasts are a thing of the past. Segment your audience based on:
Activity level (active vs. dormant users)
Purchase history
Email engagement (clickers, non-clickers)
Industry, role, or location
Relevant content leads to higher engagement, which in turn signals trustworthiness to email platforms.
Part 3: Maintain a Healthy Email List
Strong deliverability starts with a clean list. Sending emails to disinterested or unverified contacts increases the risk of landing in spam.
Clean Your List Regularly
Remove invalid email addresses
Track and suppress hard bounces automatically
Use list validation tools (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) for older lists
Run Re-Engagement Campaigns
Before removing inactive subscribers, try to win them back. Create a short series that asks:
“Still interested in receiving updates?”
“Do you want to stay on our list?”
“What content would you like more of?”
If they don’t engage after the series, it’s time to say goodbye.
Know When to Let Go
Unengaged subscribers harm your metrics and your reputation. Set internal rules, like:
Remove contacts who haven’t opened in 90 days
Suppress users after 3+ campaigns with no interaction
Focus on quality over quantity.
Build with Permission and Respect
Use clear opt-in language on forms
Confirm new subscribers with double opt-in
Never add people who haven’t asked to hear from you
Make it easy to unsubscribe (and honor requests immediately)
A well-maintained list signals credibility, and that credibility is what keeps your emails in the inbox folder.
Part 4: Measure and Monitor Your Deliverability
Without tracking deliverability, you can’t identify what’s driving success nor what’s holding your emails back.
Metrics That Matter
Inbox placement rate: What percentage of emails actually reach inboxes (not just get sent)
Bounce rate: Should be under 2%
Spam complaint rate: Keep this below 0.1%
Open rate & click rate: These signal relevance
Unsubscribe rate: A rise here often indicates poor targeting
Tools to Use
GlockApps: Tests inbox placement across major providers
Google Postmaster Tools: Shows domain reputation and spam rates
Mail-Tester: Analyzes email content for spam triggers
Test Before You Send
Always test your emails before full deployment:
Preview in multiple inboxes (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail)
Run your email through spam testing tools
A/B test subject lines, content, and sender names to optimize open and engagement rates
Keep Your Emails Out of Spam and In Front of Your Audience
Fixing email deliverability isn't a one-time task. It’s an ongoing process of building trust with both your subscribers and the platforms that deliver your messages.
At Strategy Maven, we help brands:
Diagnose technical deliverability issues
Implement authentication protocols
Build segmentation and re-engagement strategies
Write content that performs and gets delivered
Track and improve long-term list health
Want to find out why your emails are going to spam?
Struggling with low open rates or landing in spam? Start with a Free Consultation. We’ll review your performance, identify deliverability issues, and give you expert recommendations to help your emails land where they belong, in the inbox.
