Why Your Emails Go to Spam (And How to Fix It)

You send an important email. Your customer never sees it. It went straight to spam. This happens to thousands of businesses every day, and most don't even know why.

The Real Reason Your Emails Go to Spam

When you send an email, the receiving server (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) asks one question: "Is this email really from who it claims to be?"

To answer this, email providers check three things called email authentication:

  • SPF - Does this server have permission to send emails for this domain?
  • DKIM - Is there a digital signature proving the email wasn't tampered with?
  • DMARC - What should we do if SPF or DKIM fails?

If any of these are missing or broken, your emails look suspicious. And suspicious emails go to spam.

Common Reasons Emails Go to Spam

1. Missing SPF Record

Your SPF record is a DNS record that lists which servers can send emails for your domain. Without it, anyone could pretend to send emails from your address.

2. Broken DKIM Setup

DKIM problems are extremely common because DKIM requires two steps: enabling it in your email service AND adding a DNS record. Many people do one but forget the other.

3. No DMARC Policy

Missing DMARC is now a major problem. In 2024, Google and Yahoo started requiring DMARC for bulk senders. Without it, your emails may be rejected entirely.

4. Multiple Email Services Not Configured

If you use Google Workspace for regular email but also Mailchimp for newsletters, both need to be included in your SPF and both need their own DKIM records. Missing even one causes problems.

Why Most Tools Don't Actually Fix This

There are many email deliverability tools out there. Most of them just monitor your email authentication. They'll tell you "Your DMARC is missing" but won't tell you exactly what DNS record to add or how to add it.

That's like a doctor saying "You're sick" but not giving you medicine.

What you actually need is:

  • The exact DNS records to add
  • Step-by-step instructions for your specific DNS provider
  • A way to verify it worked

How to Fix Email Deliverability in 5 Minutes

Fixing your email authentication isn't complicated once you know what to do. Here are the four steps:

1

Check Your Current Email Authentication

Use an email deliverability checker to scan your domain. This will show you which DNS records are missing or misconfigured.

2

Fix Your SPF Record

Add or update your SPF DNS record to include all services that send emails for you (Google Workspace, Mailchimp, SendGrid, etc.).

3

Set Up DKIM Signing

Enable DKIM in each email service you use, then add the DKIM DNS records they provide to your domain.

4

Add a DMARC Policy

Create a DMARC DNS record that tells email providers what to do when authentication fails. Start with a "quarantine" policy.

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