Email marketing is an effective strategy for expanding your clientele and reaching your target market. Approximately 65% of users claim that emails from marketers impact their purchases. 

However, getting your emails into recipients’ inboxes is growing harder as internet privacy and protection rules tighten.

Don’t worry if users are seeing your emails in their spam folders. You can ensure that your emails reach their intended audience, boost open rates, and have a greater impact by adhering to a few easy best practices.

At ARZ Host, we’ll discuss why emails are marked as spam and offer solutions.

Let’s get started—there’s a lot of information to cover!  Why are My Emails Going to Spam?

What are Spam Filters?

Spam filters are like bouncers for your email inbox. They act as a digital barrier that stands between you and unwanted, potentially risky emails. 

These filters are essentially software programs that analyze incoming emails to identify and block spam. Spam can be anything from annoying advertisements to phishing attempts that try to steal your information or infect your devices with malware.

Spam filters employ a number of techniques to catch spam emails. They examine things like the sender’s email address, the content of the email itself, and even the IP address it originates from. 

Spam filters are constantly evolving, using machine learning algorithms to get better at identifying spam based on past experiences and user feedback. This helps to ensure that spam ends up in a junk folder instead of cluttering your inbox or even carrying hidden threats.

Here’s a quick rundown of spam filters:

Spam filters are constantly evolving to keep up with the latest spam tactics.  While not perfect, they’re an essential tool for any email user.

How Do Spam Filters Work?

Spam filters use a combination of algorithms and rules to evaluate emails. They examine the content, sender information, recipient engagement, and more to assign a spam score. If the score exceeds a certain threshold, the email is directed to the spam folder.

Spam filters are the gatekeepers of your inbox, working tirelessly to block out unwanted emails. Here’s a breakdown of how they function:

1. Analyzing the Mail: When an email arrives, the filter dissects it, looking at various aspects like:

• Sender Information: Is the sender’s address valid? Does it have a history of sending spam?
• Content: Are there common spam keywords or phrases present? Is the email content formatted in a way typical of spam (all caps, excessive exclamation marks)?
• Attachments: Are there suspicious attachments often associated with malware?

2. Rule-Based Filtering: This method relies on pre-defined rules to identify spam.  These rules can target specific senders, keywords, or email structures.  If a message hits enough red flags, it’s relegated to the spam folder.
3. Statistical Filtering (Bayesian): This approach assigns a spam score to each email based on various factors. Scores are constantly adjusted based on user feedback (marking emails as spam or not spam). If the score crosses a certain threshold, the email is considered spam.
4. Machine Learning:  Advanced filters leverage machine learning to constantly learn and adapt. They analyze vast amounts of spam and legitimate emails, becoming more adept at identifying new spam tactics.

Spam filters combine these techniques to create a multi-layered defense.  While they’re effective, they’re not perfect.  Sometimes legitimate emails get flagged, and some spam might slip through.  However, they significantly reduce the amount of unwanted email you encounter.

Factors Considered by Spam Filters

Spam filters consider numerous factors, including:

• The use of certain words or phrases
• The sender’s reputation and IP address
• The presence of attachments
• The email’s formatting and design
• Recipient engagement levels

Common Reasons Your Emails Go to Spam

1: Using Spammy Words and Phrases

Words like “free,” “guarantee,” “urgent,” and “win” can trigger spam filters. Overusing such terms can raise red flags and increase the likelihood of your emails being marked as spam.

2: Poor Email List Quality

Sending emails to outdated or irrelevant contacts can harm your sender reputation. High bounce rates and low engagement levels are indicators of a poor-quality email list.

3: Lack of Personalization

Generic emails that lack personalization can be perceived as spammy. Personalized emails, on the other hand, are more likely to be opened and engaged with by recipients.

4: Misconfigured Email Authentication

Without proper email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, your emails might be flagged as spam. These protocols help verify that your emails are legitimate and not sent by a malicious actor.

5: High Email Frequency

Bombarding your recipients with too many emails can lead to spam complaints. Finding the right balance in email frequency is crucial to maintaining a positive sender reputation.

6: Poor Email Design and Formatting

Emails that are poorly designed or not optimized for mobile devices can be marked as spam. Ensuring your emails are visually appealing and easy to read on any device is essential.

Why Are My Emails Going to Spam? (6 Potential ways)

Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses, but one common frustration is when emails end up in the spam folder instead of the recipient’s inbox. Understanding the reasons behind this and implementing solutions can significantly improve your email deliverability. 

Here are six potential ways to prevent your emails from going to spam:

1: Use Mail Tester to Spot Issues

Before sending out your emails, it’s crucial to identify any potential issues that might cause them to be flagged as spam. Mail Tester is an excellent tool for this purpose. 

By sending a test email to Mail Tester, you receive a comprehensive report highlighting problems related to your email content, formatting, and technical setup. 

This tool checks for things like blacklists, missing authentication, and spammy content. Addressing the issues pointed out by Mail Tester can greatly enhance the chances of your emails reaching the inbox.

A fantastic free tool for identifying technical problems with email deliverability is Mail Tester. You only have to do this:

• Visit Mail Tester now.
• From the email account where you’re experiencing spam problems, send an email to the address it provides. Make sure you utilize the identical text, photos, and links in your email if you’re experiencing problems with a certain email.
• Then, click the button to view your score.
• Check out the analysis.

Usually, all you need to do to improve your deliverability if your score is extremely low is to put the advice into practice. 

2: Set Up Proper Authentication

Spam filters are now considering your sender’s reputation in addition to the substance of your emails, as the Internet has grown.

Email content is still important, but a sender with a good reputation may be able to get away with sending some content that is close to spam that a sender with a bad reputation cannot.

Using techniques like DKIM and SPF to properly identify your emails is one of the finest ways to enhance your reputation.

Email authentication is vital in establishing trust with email service providers (ESPs) and preventing your emails from being marked as spam. There are three primary authentication methods you should set up:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Ensures that your emails are sent from authorized servers.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to your emails, verifying that they haven’t been altered.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Combines SPF and DKIM to provide instructions on handling unauthenticated emails.

Properly configuring these authentication methods helps ESPs confirm that your emails are legitimate and not forged, thereby reducing the likelihood of your emails being marked as spam.

3: Use a Dedicated Sending Service for Your Website

Using a dedicated email-sending service (also known as an SMTP provider) is an excellent approach to prevent troubles if you’re experiencing spam issues with emails that you send from your website, as opposed to attempting to send using your host’s SMTP server.

This particularly applies to WordPress websites. Your emails will almost surely wind up in spam folders a lot of the time if you utilize WordPress’ default email-sending mechanism.

Relax! You can locate mailing services that are completely free for a small website. You can typically use the free tier for up to 300 emails per day without any issues.

Using a reputable email sending service can make a significant difference in your email deliverability. Services like SendGrid, Mailchimp, or Amazon SES are designed to handle email sending for businesses and have established relationships with ESPs. 

These services manage the technical aspects of email sending, including IP reputation, rate limiting, and bounce handling, which are crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation and avoiding spam filters.

All that is required of you is:

1. Put this Brevo plugin (which is free) onto your WordPress website.
2. Create a Brevo account for free.
3. Use your Brevo account to generate an API key (here’s how).
4. To sync the WordPress plugin with your account, use that API key.
5. In the WordPress plugin’s Transactional emails section, check the option to activate email through Brevo.

As we discussed above, you should additionally use Brevo to validate your domain name to further enhance deliverability.

4: Follow Email Design and Copy Best Practices

The design and content of your emails play a significant role in whether they end up in the spam folder. Here are some best practices to follow:

1. Avoid spammy keywords: Words like “free,” “guarantee,” and “winner” can trigger spam filters.
2. Use a clear and concise subject line: Avoid using all caps and excessive punctuation.
3. Balance text and images: Emails with too many images or too much text can be flagged as spam.
4. Include a clear call-to-action (CTA): Make sure your recipients know what action to take next.
5. Provide an easy opt-out option: Including an unsubscribe link is not only a best practice but also a legal requirement under laws like CAN-SPAM.

By adhering to these guidelines, you can create emails that are both engaging for recipients and less likely to be flagged by spam filters.

5: Properly Maintain Your Subscriber Lists

Keeping your subscriber lists clean and up-to-date is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation. Here are some tips for proper list maintenance:

• Use double opt-in: This ensures that only genuinely interested recipients are added to your list.
• Remove inactive subscribers: Regularly prune your list of subscribers who haven’t engaged with your emails in a while.
• Monitor bounce rates: High bounce rates can harm your sender reputation. Remove email addresses that hard bounce and investigate the cause of soft bounces.

A well-maintained subscriber list ensures that your emails are being sent to engaged and interested recipients, reducing the likelihood of them being marked as spam.

6: Ask Recipients to Whitelist Your Emails

Encouraging your subscribers to whitelist your email address can help ensure your emails land in their inbox. Here’s how you can do this:

• Send a welcome email: In your welcome email, provide clear instructions on how recipients can add your email address to their contacts or safe sender list.
• Regular reminders: Occasionally remind your subscribers to whitelist your email address in your newsletters or regular communications.

By having your email address whitelisted, you increase the chances of your emails bypassing spam filters and reaching the recipient’s primary inbox.

Ensuring that your emails reach the intended recipients’ inboxes requires a combination of technical configurations, content best practices, and ongoing maintenance. 

By using tools like Mail Tester, setting up proper authentication, using a dedicated sending service, following email design and copy best practices, maintaining your subscriber lists, and encouraging recipients to whitelist your emails, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of your emails being marked as spam. 

Implementing these strategies will help improve your email deliverability and the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.

Conclusion

It is annoying when emails you send get filtered into people’s spam folders. However, after reading this piece, you should be equipped with the knowledge necessary to identify the issue(s) causing your emails to go spam and resolve it.

Beyond that, you should make sure your subscribers are interested and opted-in, stay away from spamming material, and use links and graphics appropriately.

Do you still have concerns about why your emails are being marked as spam? Tell us in the comments below!

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1: Why are my emails going to the spam folder instead of the inbox?

Emails may end up in the spam folder for several reasons, including:

• Sender Reputation: Email service providers (ESPs) monitor sender reputation. If your domain or IP address has a history of sending unsolicited emails or spam complaints, your emails are more likely to be flagged.
• Email Content: Certain words, phrases, and formatting (like all caps, excessive exclamation points, or spammy keywords) can trigger spam filters. Including too many links or attachments can also raise red flags.
• Authentication Issues: Lacking proper email authentication (like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) can make your emails look suspicious. These protocols help verify that your emails are coming from a legitimate source.
• Engagement Rates: Low engagement rates (few opens, clicks, or replies) signal to ESPs that your emails may not be relevant or wanted, which can lead to more emails being marked as spam.
• Subscriber List Quality: Sending emails to outdated or purchased lists can increase bounce rates and spam complaints, harming your sender reputation.

2: How can I improve my sender reputation to avoid the spam folder?

Improving your sender reputation involves several steps:

• Authenticate Your Emails: Implement SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) to ensure your emails are properly authenticated.
• Send Relevant Content: Ensure your emails are valuable and relevant to your recipients. Segment your audience and personalize emails to increase engagement.
• Clean Your Email List: Regularly remove inactive or bounced email addresses from your list. Use double opt-in methods to ensure recipients genuinely want to receive your emails.
• Monitor Engagement: Track open rates, click-through rates, and spam complaints. Aim to improve these metrics by adjusting your content and targeting strategies.
• Avoid Spam Triggers: Be cautious with your language and formatting. Avoid using words and phrases commonly associated with spam, and don’t overload your emails with images or links.

3: What role does email authentication play in preventing my emails from going to spam?

Email authentication plays a crucial role in email deliverability. Here’s how:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): SPF allows you to specify which IP addresses are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain. This helps prevent spammers from sending emails with your domain.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails, verifying that they haven’t been altered in transit and confirming they’re from your domain.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): DMARC uses SPF and DKIM to determine if an email is legitimate. It also provides a way to report back on emails that pass or fail these checks, helping you monitor and protect your domain.

By implementing these protocols, you make it harder for malicious actors to impersonate your domain, increasing the likelihood that your emails will be delivered to the inbox.

4: How does the quality of my email list affect deliverability and the likelihood of emails be marked as spam?

The quality of your email list directly impacts your deliverability. Here’s why:

• Engagement Rates: A high-quality list with engaged subscribers results in better open and click-through rates. ESPs use these metrics to determine whether your emails are valuable, which influences deliverability.
• Bounce Rates: An outdated or purchased list can contain invalid email addresses, leading to high bounce rates. High bounce rates signal to ESPs that your list isn’t well-maintained, which can trigger spam filters.
• Spam Complaints: If your list includes recipients who didn’t opt-in or don’t recognize your emails, they might mark them as spam. High spam complaint rates harm your sender reputation.
• Reputation Damage: Consistently sending emails to low-quality lists can damage your sender reputation, making it harder to reach the inbox even for legitimate subscribers.

Maintaining a clean, engaged email list by using best practices like double opt-in, regular list cleaning, and segmentation is essential for improving deliverability.

5: What are some common email content mistakes that can trigger spam filters?

Several content-related mistakes can increase the likelihood of emails being flagged as spam:

• Spammy Language: Using words and phrases commonly associated with spam, such as “free,” “act now,” “limited time offer,” or “click here,” can trigger spam filters.
• Excessive Punctuation and Formatting: Overusing exclamation points, all caps, or bright red text can look spammy to filters.
• Too Many Links or Attachments: Including too many hyperlinks or attachments in your email can trigger spam filters. Aim for a balance and ensure links are relevant.
• Image-to-Text Ratio: Emails that are heavy on images and light on text can be flagged as spam. Maintain a good balance between text and images.
• Misleading Subject Lines: Using deceptive subject lines that don’t match the email content can lead to high spam complaints and reduced deliverability.
• Lack of Unsubscribe Option: Not including a clear and easy way for recipients to unsubscribe can result in spam complaints and is often a legal requirement under laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR.

By avoiding these mistakes and focusing on delivering clear, relevant, and valuable content, you can reduce the chances of your emails being marked as spam.