Why Are My Emails Going to Spam?
Most email deliverability problems have domain-level causes: missing authentication records, blacklist hits, or misconfigured MX. Here is how to diagnose and fix each one.
Why Are My Emails Going to Spam?
If your emails are landing in spam, the cause is almost always at the domain level — not the content of the email. Receiving mail servers check your domain's DNS records and reputation before deciding where to deliver your message. Here is how to diagnose and fix the most common causes.
Step 1: Run an Email Deliverability Test
Go to Tools → Email Deliverability Tester, enter your domain, and run a test. This checks SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX in one scan and scores your configuration. Start here — it will immediately show which records are missing or misconfigured.
Cause 1: Missing or Broken SPF Record
What it is: SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a TXT record that tells receiving servers which IPs and services are authorized to send email from your domain. Without SPF, receiving servers have no way to verify your email is legitimate.
How to check: The deliverability test shows SPF status. Or query manually: look for a TXT record starting with v=spf1 at your root domain.
Fix: Add a TXT record at your domain root: v=spf1 include:[your-email-provider] ~all
Common includes:
- Google Workspace: include:_spf.google.com
- Microsoft 365: include:spf.protection.outlook.com
- Mailchimp: include:servers.mcsv.net
If you already have SPF but still have issues, check for too many DNS lookups (SPF is limited to 10 include lookups). Use an SPF flattening service if needed.
Cause 2: Missing DKIM Signature
What it is: DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to every outbound email. Receiving servers verify the signature using a public key in your DNS. Without DKIM, your emails have no cryptographic proof of authenticity.
How to check: The deliverability test shows DKIM status (you may need to provide your DKIM selector — check your email provider's settings).
Fix: Enable DKIM in your email provider's admin console. It will give you a TXT record to add to your DNS at a subdomain like selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com.
Cause 3: Weak or Missing DMARC Policy
What it is: DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is a policy record that tells receiving servers what to do when an email fails SPF or DKIM.
Without DMARC, even if SPF or DKIM fails, receiving servers may still deliver to the inbox — but major providers (Gmail, Outlook) increasingly use DMARC for filtering decisions.
Fix: Add a TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com:
Start with monitoring mode: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]
After reviewing reports (2-4 weeks), move to: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:[email protected]
Then eventually: v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]
Cause 4: Domain or IP on a Blacklist
What it is: Blacklists (DNSBLs) are real-time databases of IPs and domains associated with spam. Email servers like Gmail and Outlook check major blacklists (Spamhaus ZEN, Barracuda) before accepting mail.
How to check: ElasticDomain's Security tab and the Email Deliverability test both check blacklists. A hit on Spamhaus ZEN or Barracuda will cause widespread rejection.
Fix:
- Find the root cause — check server mail logs for unauthorized outbound email, scan for malware, verify no open relay configuration.
- Fix the underlying problem first.
- Request delisting at each blacklist's removal portal.
- Re-scan after 24-48 hours.
Cause 5: Sending from a Shared IP with Bad Reputation
If you use a shared email service (shared hosting SMTP, some ESPs), your outbound IP may be shared with other senders who have a bad reputation.
Fix: Upgrade to a dedicated sending IP with your email provider, or switch to a reputable transactional email service (SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, Amazon SES).
Cause 6: Domain Age and Reputation
Newly registered domains (under 6 months) have no reputation history. Some spam filters are more aggressive with new domains.
Fix: There is no instant fix — reputation builds over time with consistent, legitimate sending. Start with small send volumes and gradually increase.
Deliverability Score Target
After fixing all issues, run the deliverability test again. Target a score of 80+:
- SPF valid: +25
- DKIM valid: +25
- DMARC quarantine or reject: +25
- DMARC reporting configured: +10
- MX redundancy: +15