Why do emails end up in the spam folder?
Do you often find yourself asking this question?
It is becoming increasingly common to land in spam with the evolution of spam filters and algorithms.
And there are a plenty of reasons why this happens.
Today, we'll take a look at the most common reasons why legit emails might end up in spam.
Let’s dive right in.
1. Poor domain reputation:
If your domain has a bad reputation (because of your previous sending behaviour), mailbox providers will be more likely to route your emails into the spam folder. Here’s how to set up a branded sending domain in Klaviyo
2. No email authentication:
If you haven't set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for your domain, mailbox providers might not trust your emails and send them to the spam folder.
3. Low engagement:
If your recipients aren't opening or interacting with your emails, email providers might assume they're not interested and start filtering your emails to spam.
4. Spammy subject lines and content:
If your subject line or email content is too salesy, uses all caps, or has lots of exclamation points, or contains words such as “free”, “limited time”, “act now” or even “click here”, it might trigger spam filters and send your email straight to the spam folder.
5. High bounce rates:
If you’re sending emails to invalid addresses and experiencing high bounce rates, this can hurt your domain reputation and make your emails more likely to be filtered into the spam folder. Want to know why emails bounce?
6. Too many images or links:
If your emails contain a lot of images or links, this can trigger spam filters, especially if the content doesn't seem relevant or the links lead to suspicious websites.
7. Blocklists:
If your domain or the IP address you’re sending emails from ends up on an email blocklist, your emails might be blocked or sent straight to the spam folder.
8. Email format:
If your emails have a messy format, broken images, or aren't mobile-friendly, they might end up in the spam folder.
9. Inconsistent sending:
If you send emails at irregular intervals or in large bursts, that’ll make mailbox providers suspicious, leading to your emails being filtered as spam.
10. Purchased or rented lists:
Using purchased or rented email lists can lead to low engagement, high bounce rates, and increased spam complaints, all of which can hurt your deliverability.
How to Test for Spamminess
At this point, you should have a pretty good idea of what not to do.
But there’s one simple and efficient way to quickly test the quality of our own newsletters, and it’s called Mail Tester.
Here’s how it works.
Take an email that you plan on sending to your subscribers and send it to Mail Tester first.
Then check your score.
From there, Mail Tester will give your email a score based on its “spamminess.”
Scroll down just a bit, and you’ll get more details on what’s good and what could use some improvement.
This is a great way to quickly figure out any mistakes you’re making so that you can promptly fix them.
Let's make every email count
Remember, every email that lands in the inbox is an opportunity to connect, build trust, and grow your business. Are you ready to turn the tide on your email performance?
