Why Your Emails Go to Spam
And how to fix it. For real.
You wrote a great email. Hit send. And nothing happened. Because it went to spam.
What Trigger Spam Filters
- Spammy words: "Free", "guarantee", "act now", "no risk"
- Too many caps: DON'T USE ALL CAPS
- Excessive punctuation: "!!!", "???"
- No authentication: SPF, DKIM not set up
- High complaint rate: People marking you as spam
- No unsubscribe link: Required by law
The Quick Fixes
1. Set up authentication.
SPF, DKIM, DMARC. Your email provider should do this for you.
2. Warm up your sending reputation.
Start slow. Don't send 10,000 emails day one.
3. Ask people to whitelist you.
"Add me to your contacts" actually works.
4. Clean your list.
Remove unengaged subscribers. They hurt your reputation.
5. Watch your content.
Less "buy now", more value. Simple as that.
Test Before You Send
Use mail-tester.com. It's free. It'll tell you exactly why you're going to spam.
The Real Problem
Most emails go to spam because nobody asked for them. If someone opted in, engaged, and actually wants your emails—you're fine.
The spam problem is usually a list quality problem, not a technical problem.