Why Are My Emails Going to Spam? Troubleshooting & Solutions

Experiencing low open rates and discovering your emails are landing in the spam folder can be frustrating for any email marketer. It’s a common issue, and understanding why it happens is the first step to fixing it. Let’s explore the reasons behind email spam placement and what you can do to improve your email deliverability.

Email delivery isn’t as simple as hitting “send.” Once your emails leave your platform, like Klaviyo, they enter the complex world of Inbox Providers (ISPs) such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook. These providers utilize sophisticated, constantly evolving algorithms to filter and sort emails. Their primary goal is to protect users from unwanted messages, and unfortunately, sometimes legitimate emails get caught in the spam filter.

Several factors can contribute to your emails ending up in the spam folder. Understanding these can empower you to make necessary adjustments and improve your sender reputation.

Understanding Email Spam Filters

ISPs use various criteria to determine whether an email is spam. These filters analyze numerous elements, both in your email content and your sending behavior. While the exact algorithms are kept secret, key factors are known to influence spam filtering:

• Email Content: Certain words or phrases, often associated with spam or scams (like urgent calls to action, excessive use of dollar signs, or promises of unrealistic gains), can trigger spam filters. Poorly formatted emails, excessive images, or large attachments can also contribute.
• Sender Reputation: ISPs track your sending history, including bounce rates, complaint rates, and engagement metrics (opens and clicks). A low sender reputation signals to ISPs that your emails might be unwanted.
• Lack of Authentication: Proper email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) verify your identity and prove to ISPs that you are a legitimate sender. Missing or improperly configured authentication can raise red flags.
• Low Engagement: If recipients consistently don’t open or interact with your emails, ISPs may interpret this as a sign that your emails are not valuable or wanted, leading to spam placement.

Practical Steps to Improve Email Deliverability

Improving your email deliverability requires a multi-faceted approach, focusing on both technical aspects and email marketing best practices. Here’s what you can do:

1. Enhance Sender Reputation:

   • Consistent Sending Volume: Maintain a regular sending schedule rather than sending large volumes sporadically.
   • Manage Bounce Rates: Regularly clean your email list to remove invalid or inactive email addresses. High bounce rates negatively impact your sender reputation.
   • Encourage Positive Engagement: Focus on sending valuable content that encourages recipients to open, click, and interact with your emails.

2. Optimize Email Content:

   • Avoid Spam Trigger Words: Be mindful of your language and avoid using overly aggressive or spammy phrasing.
   • Clear and Concise Messaging: Ensure your emails are well-structured, easy to read, and provide clear value to the recipient.
   • Mobile-Friendly Design: Optimize your email design for viewing on various devices, especially mobile.
   • Reasonable Image-to-Text Ratio: Balance images with text content. Avoid sending emails that are solely images.

3. Implement Email Authentication:

   • Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: These authentication methods are crucial for verifying your sender identity and improving deliverability. Consult your email service provider’s documentation for setup instructions.

4. Segment Your Email List:

   • Targeted Content: Segment your audience based on engagement, interests, or purchase history to send more relevant content. This increases engagement and reduces the likelihood of spam complaints.
   • Focus on Engaged Subscribers: Prioritize sending to your most engaged subscribers to boost your sender reputation.

5. Educate Your Subscribers:

   • “Whitelist” Instructions: Instruct new subscribers to add your sending email address to their contacts or “whitelist” your domain. This tells ISPs that your emails are wanted.

   • Gmail Primary Inbox Tab: Encourage Gmail users to move your emails from the Promotions or Spam tab to their Primary Inbox. As mentioned in the original post, this user action signals to Gmail to deliver future emails to the Primary Inbox.

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   Alt Text: Gmail user interface showing how to move an email from the promotions tab to the primary inbox, visually guiding users to ensure future emails are correctly categorized.

By taking these steps, you can significantly improve your email deliverability rates and ensure your messages reach your intended audience’s inboxes, not their spam folders. Regularly monitor your deliverability metrics and adapt your strategies as needed to maintain a healthy sender reputation and strong email marketing performance.