Why Are My Emails Going to Spam and How to Fix It?

A well-thought-out email marketing strategy will not work if your emails end up in the SPAM folder or are blocked by email providers altogether. So, why are your emails going to spam, and how can you get them into the inbox?

Email providers such as Google and Yandex use different signals to decide where an email should land. This means the same campaign may reach the inbox of one recipient but end up in Spam for another. The reasons can range from incorrect SPF, DKIM, or DMARC settings to poor sender reputation, inactive email lists, sudden changes in sending volume, or misleading content.

In this guide, we’ll look at the common reasons emails go to spam and what you can do to improve deliverability.

How to Know If My Emails Are Going to Spam?

When organizing mailings, it is imperative to monitor deliverability rates. Without such control, it is possible to miss the moment when the letters start landing in the Spam folder. The sooner you spot a problem, the easier it will be to fix it. The quickest way to see where you stand is to use an email deliverability checker, which shows how your authentication, content, and sending IP are evaluated before a campaign goes out.

There are three easy ways to find out where your email is going:

Add Addresses To Your Recipient List

The mailing list owner can create mailboxes in the most popular providers: Yandex, Mail.ru, Gmail. Add these addresses to your recipient list and check your mail regularly. If mailings have stopped arriving at one or several mailboxes, you need to look for the reason. Most likely, the situation is similar for other recipients on this mail provider. This simple check can help you spot deliverability issues before they affect a larger part of your audience. It is also useful to check both the inbox and Spam folder to see where your messages are landing.

Monitor Statistics On a Regular Basis

If a mailing service provides customers with domain statistics, you shouldn’t ignore them. Monitor statistics regularly and take action when any indicator drops. A sudden drop in delivery rates can be an early sign that your emails are being filtered or blocked. Keeping an eye on these numbers helps you identify changes in deliverability and investigate the cause before the problem gets worse.

Set Up Post Offices

Set up post offices for major providers. You can get a report on letter delivery to this mail provider directly from the mailing statistics. These reports give you a clearer picture of how your emails are being handled by different providers. If delivery problems occur with one provider but not another, you can investigate the issue more specifically rather than treating it as a problem with your entire mailing.

Why Do Emails End Up in Spam?

The simplest and most obvious reason why a newsletter can be flagged as spam is individual recipient filters. It is possible that the recipient had previously marked similar messages from other senders as spam, so the provider applied the same logic. 

You can check this easily: send the newsletter to your mailbox without filters (using the same service). If the email is in your inbox, the problem is most likely in the custom filter. Advise the recipient to mark the email as “not spam” or add the address to the address book. Also, the recipient can correspond with you to resolve the problem.

If you’ve recently made changes to your mailing list, the sender’s reputation has changed. Because of this, some letters may end up in spam, but the situation will gradually improve. Reputation is a metric that reflects the sender’s history of violations and actions, which the postal provider uses to determine the level of trust in your mailing list. The reputation criteria differ among email providers.

If all emails end up in spam, the problem may be caused by the sender’s settings. You need to check them.

SPF Settings 

An SPF record is a type of DNS TXT record that lists the servers and IP addresses authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. Email providers use this information to check whether a message was sent from an authorized source. To set up SPF, determine which email services and servers you use to send messages, then add them to your domain’s SPF record.

You can use EasyDMARC’s free SPF record checker to evaluate your existing SPF record, identify configuration issues, and verify whether your authorized sending sources are included.

DKIM Settings

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to outgoing emails. The receiving mail server uses the public key published in your domain’s DNS to verify that the message was signed by an authorized sender and that important parts of the message have not been altered in transit.

Most email service providers generate the DKIM key pair for you. If your provider requires manual setup, you may need to generate the keys and publish the public key as a DNS record. You can use EasyDMARC’s DKIM record lookup and generator tools to create and check your DKIM configuration.

DMARC Settings

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing. It works by checking whether the domain used in the visible From address aligns with the domains authenticated through SPF and/or DKIM.

A DMARC record also tells receiving mail servers what to do when a message fails these authentication and alignment checks. Depending on your DMARC policy, a failing message can be monitored, sent to spam, or rejected.

You can use EasyDMARC’s DMARC record lookup and generator tool to create and check your DMARC record. DMARC reports can also help you identify legitimate and unauthorized sources sending email on behalf of your domain. Properly configuring DMARC does not guarantee that emails will always reach the inbox, but it can improve domain protection and help establish trust with receiving providers.

Other Reasons Why Emails Go to Spam?

If your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings are correct but the problem continues, check a few other factors. You may be using an illegally obtained, purchased, or otherwise low-quality email list. Sending to people who did not knowingly subscribe can lead to spam complaints, which can hurt your sender reputation. A sudden and significant increase in sending volume can also make receiving providers more cautious about your emails.

If subscribers have not clearly consented to receive your emails, your messages are also more likely to generate complaints or be filtered as spam. Double opt-in can help confirm that subscribers actually want to receive your emails. In practice, the recipient is sent an email with a confirmation link after signing up, and they are added to the mailing list only after confirming their subscription.

Your sending patterns can also affect deliverability. For example, if you previously sent only occasional transactional or individual emails and suddenly start sending large marketing campaigns, the change in volume and frequency can affect your sender reputation. When increasing your sending volume, do it gradually rather than making a sudden jump. This is especially important for a new domain, new IP address, or a sender with little established sending history.

As you increase your volume, monitor key deliverability metrics such as delivery rates, bounce rates, spam complaints, and engagement. If you see a sudden increase in complaints or bounces, or a significant drop in engagement, slow down the increase and investigate the cause before sending to a larger audience.

How to Prevent Emails From Getting into Spam 

Preventing emails from ending up in spam depends on factors such as following email provider guidelines, using a proper email layout, and creating relevant content. To reduce the chances of your emails being marked as spam, follow these preventive measures:

Choose a Reliable Email Service Provider

Choosing a reliable Email Service Provider (ESP) can make a difference to your email deliverability. A good provider offers features such as spam and virus protection, security controls, and technical support. It also allows you to send emails from your own domain, helping recipients recognize your brand. Before choosing an ESP, check what authentication, deliverability, and sending controls it provides. A reliable provider can provide the infrastructure and support you need to manage your email communications more effectively.

Follow Your IP Reputation

Your IP reputation is one of the factors that can affect email deliverability. Spam complaints, sending volume, and blacklist listings can all influence it. If you are planning to send bulk emails from a new IP address, increase your sending volume gradually instead of sending a large number of emails immediately. You should also consider separating marketing emails from important business or transactional emails. This can help prevent problems with one type of email from affecting other communications.

Test the Spam Score of Your Emails

Testing your emails before sending a large campaign can help you identify potential deliverability problems early. Spam checkers and email deliverability testing tools analyze your message against common spam-filtering signals and highlight areas that may need attention. This can include problems with your email content, formatting, or technical setup. Running a test before a campaign goes out gives you an opportunity to make changes before sending the email to your entire list.

Craft Copy That Feels Human

Your email copy should sound natural and be easy for recipients to understand. Avoid awkward wording, excessive urgency, exaggerated claims, and language that feels overly promotional. Keep the message clear, relevant, and useful to the people receiving it. It is also worth paying attention to the overall email design. Avoid overusing images, colors, exclamation marks, or capital letters, and add alt text to important images. A balanced email with clear, natural copy is easier for both recipients and email filters to understand.

Warm Up New IP Addresses Before Bulk Sending

If you are sending bulk emails from a new IP address, do not start with your full sending volume right away. A sudden increase in email volume can make receiving providers more cautious about your messages. Instead, gradually increase the number of emails you send over time. This gives receiving providers time to observe your sending patterns and build confidence in your IP. Keep an eye on delivery rates, spam complaints, and other engagement signals as you increase your volume.

Keep Your Email List Clean

A clean email list helps you maintain better deliverability and reduces the chances of sending messages to people who are no longer interested. Remove inactive subscribers, invalid addresses, and contacts that regularly bounce. You should also monitor engagement metrics such as opens, clicks, and unsubscribes to understand how your audience responds to your emails. Most importantly, do not continue sending emails to people who have unsubscribed. Regularly cleaning your list helps reduce bounces and spam complaints while keeping your audience more engaged.

Add an Unsubscribe Link and Follow Email Laws

Every marketing email should give recipients a clear and easy way to unsubscribe. This helps people who no longer want your emails leave your list instead of marking your messages as spam. You should also collect permission before adding people to your mailing list and follow the email marketing requirements that apply to your audience and region. Using practices such as double opt-in can help confirm that subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails and reduce unwanted messages and complaints.

Avoid Spam Trigger Words and Misleading Subject Lines

Avoid using exaggerated claims, misleading subject lines, or language designed to create unnecessary urgency. Phrases that resemble phishing attempts or overly aggressive promotional messages can make your email look suspicious to both recipients and spam filters. This does not mean you need to avoid promotional language altogether. Instead, make sure your subject line accurately reflects the content of the email. Keep the body balanced as well by avoiding excessive capitalization, exclamation marks, images, and other elements that can make the message look spammy.

Check Whether Your Domain or IP Is Blacklisted

If your emails are consistently landing in spam, check whether your sending IP address or domain appears on any email blocklists. Blacklisting can happen for several reasons, including high spam complaint rates, suspicious sending activity, or poor list quality. Finding a listing can help you understand why your deliverability has changed and where to investigate. If your IP is listed, check the specific requirements of the blocklist before requesting removal. Also, address the underlying cause so the problem does not happen again.

Final Thoughts

Getting your emails into the inbox takes more than writing good content. You also need to maintain a clean email list, follow sending best practices, monitor your sender reputation, and keep your email authentication properly configured. When emails continue to land in spam despite these efforts, checking your domain and sending infrastructure can help you find the underlying issue.

EasyDMARC can help you monitor and improve your email authentication and deliverability from one place. Run a free email deliverability test to see how your emails are being handled and identify issues that could be affecting inbox placement.