When you send an email to another email address, the content is first filtered before it reaches the recipient's inbox. Sometimes, your email may be wrongly marked as spam. Here, we list the main reasons for this, so you know what to watch out for to prevent it. Although some parts of the explanation may be technical, your IT manager will undoubtedly be able to handle this. If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
Technical configuration:
- SPF record: An SPF record is used to verify that you have authorization to send emails from a specific domain. This SPF record can include both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses of authorized servers.
Therefore, make sure the IP address of our server (below) is added to an SPF record: 57.128.110.165
Below, an example of a correct configuration (green) versus a bad configuration (red):
Have the organization's IT expert also check the following:
- DMARC policy enabled
- SMTP (no open relay)
- DNS records in order
If these email authentication methods are correctly set up, it increases the legitimacy of the sent emails.
Some useful links to explore:
- What is email authentication?
- What is DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail)?
- What is SPF (Sender Policy Framework)?
- What is DMARC (Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)?
- What are my email authentication options?
Troubleshooting
- Try sending the same email to a different address, preferably from a different domain. If the email is received, the problem likely lies with the recipient. If the email does not arrive, the problem likely lies with yourself.
- Check the health of your own email address and domain on MXToolbox. Also check that of the recipient!
Spam-trigger words: Content and format
- A spam filter checks the content and subject of an email for words associated with spam. Some spam filters are set very strictly. If your email is marked as spam, it's best to remove these spam-sensitive words from the mail. Then resend the email, and it increases the chance of reaching the recipient.
- Examples of spam-sensitive words to avoid include:
- The words "price," "free," "win," "discount," "offer," etc.
- Phrases like "be amazed," "your income," "subject to credit approval," "earn xxxx per week," "check or money order," "print out and fax," "call now," "act now," "free trial," "meet singles," etc.
- Uppercase: Writing in ALL CAPS
- Punctuation: Excessive use of ...., !!!, and ???
- Links: Excessive use of links; long URLs, etc.
- Symbols: Excessive use of $$, %, and other symbols.
It's possible that your email address may be considered spam-sensitive. An email address with a combination of numbers and letters can sometimes be seen as unreliable. Therefore, make sure your email address does not contain too many special characters.
Email formatting
The balance between text and images in an email is very important. An abundance of images in a commercial message is immediately noticeable. When there is little text present, this can quickly lead to a lower evaluation. Also avoid using JavaScript, Flash, or colored words in your message.