What to do when your emails go to spam
Send from a verified domain you own (SPF, DKIM and DMARC), with a sender on that domain, only to contacts who opted in, with an unsubscribe link and no volume spikes. Check authentication by opening a test email in Gmail with Show original.
Updated on
Before you start
- You need access to a Gmail inbox for the header test.
- Have access to Settings › Email Services and your domain's DNS panel in case you need to fix records.
Where to find it
Settings › Email Services › Dedicated Domain & IP
Step by step
1. Check domain authentication
- Send a test email from Elooo System to a Gmail inbox you can access.
- In Gmail, open the email, click the three dots next to Reply and choose Show original.
- Check that SPF, DKIM and DMARC all show PASS.
- If any of them fail, open Settings › Email Services › Dedicated Domain & IP, review the domain's DNS records and click Verify domain. After fixing DNS, allow up to 24 hours before testing again.
- If DMARC fails, check that the sender email is on the same domain as the sending domain.
2. Review the sender
- Don't use free addresses (@gmail.com, @hotmail.com, @yahoo.com) as the sender for campaigns: those domains reject emails sent from other platforms.
- Use a recognizable sender name (for example, "Sara from Bright Smile Clinic") instead of "noreply".
3. Review your contact list
- Only send to people who gave consent. Never use purchased lists.
- Remove addresses that hard bounced.
- Stop emailing people who haven't opened or clicked in over 90 days.
- Avoid role addresses like info@, admin@ or sales@ that never asked to receive emails.
- Protect your forms with double opt-in or reCAPTCHA to prevent fake sign-ups.
4. Review volume and content
- Keep a steady pace. On a new domain or one that's been idle for a while, ramp up volume gradually (warm-up).
- Split large lists into batches.
- In your content, avoid heavy promotional wording ("Free", "Act now"), ALL CAPS, lots of exclamation marks, image-only emails and link shorteners (bit.ly and similar).
- Use honest subject lines that match what's in the email.
- Always include a visible unsubscribe link.
Tips
- For testing, send to a Gmail inbox rather than an address on your own domain: "company to company" emails often land in spam because they look spoofed.
- Spam complaint rates above about 0.3% or bounce rates above 5% make mailbox providers filter your emails much more aggressively.
- Google Postmaster Tools shows your domain's reputation in Gmail.
Common problems
- "Show original" shows SPF: FAIL → Your domain's SPF record doesn't authorize the sending server. Fix it in DNS using the value shown in Email Services and verify the domain again.
- SPF and DKIM pass, but DMARC fails → The sender's domain is different from the sending domain. Send with a sender on the same domain or, as a temporary fix, change your DMARC policy to
p=none. - Emails to coworkers go to spam → That's common when sender and recipient are on the same domain. Ask your email admin to allow the sending server, or test with a Gmail inbox.
- Everything is authenticated and it still goes to spam → The issue is your list or content. Send only to active contacts, lower your volume and simplify the email.
Frequently asked questions
Should I set up a new domain if my current one has a bad reputation?
It's often faster to set up a new sending subdomain (for example, news.yourbusiness.com) and warm it up with good practices than to repair a damaged domain.
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