“Why is my email going to spam?” Email experts frequently answer this question for senders, most often during the testing process. But even though emails hit the spam folder at the start, that doesn’t mean that all future emails will as well.

Email being flagged as spam from reputable senders often has a culprit and we have ways to fix it, mainly by being proactive and knowing the problem areas when that happens.

Authentication matters

To start, always set up email authentication, which includes the appropriate OCI-specific SPF record and DKIM selector, for any sending domains or subdomains before testing and sending. Email authentication proves to receiving mail servers where the email is being routed from is indeed authorized to do so. This key element in avoiding the spam folder is easy to set up.

Notice the use of “OCI-specific.” If SPF and DKIM are set up for another sending conduit, that authentication doesn’t translate to sending through OCI Email Delivery (or any provider). Authentication is sender-specific, so ensure your DNS records reflect that. When in doubt, double-check or ask an expert. If you have deliverability issues with DMARC, which uses SPF and DKIM, check with a free third-party tool like Dmarcian or MXToolbox to see where the issues lie, such as a faulty DKIM selector.

We also recommend setting up a custom return path for reasons that I will cover later. Take care of email authentication before sending anything as part of your pre-send checklist.

Sending reputation and IP reputation

When sending email, the domain or subdomain that you send from builds a reputation over time with receiving mailbox providers. By sending highly engaged email, senders build a positive reputation that makes it easier for future email campaigns to make it to the inbox. By sending spam or lowly-engaged email to purchased lists, the opposite happens.

When a new sending domain or subdomain is created, it takes time to build up that reputation. As a result, test emails can often land in the spam folder, especially with providers like Yahoo. When those tests go to the spam folder, drag them to the inbox which helps build reputation organically and shows providers that the emails are wanted. The same goes for any other test inboxes where the issues are happening.

If you’re testing internally and sending to your own company domain, alert your IT team to allowlist the custom return path that you have set up. Frequently, email sent through internal testing goes to spam because the corporate email spam filters are unsure why they are receiving email from a company-owned domain through an unknown source. This allowlisting helps minimize and prevent that filtering from happening.

Similarly, IPs also build a reputation over time. Use a strategy to ramp volume up from a new email provider to help it along instead of sending a ton all at once. Most senders send from an established shared pool of IPs, making this less of an issue than the domain reputation.

Technical issues

Technical issues are hard to forecast, and engineering teams can only find them with further research and by reviewing headers of received emails and technical setup.

Final thoughts

Landing in the spam box is frustrating, but it’s not a permanent issue. By taking proactive measures before sending, some reactive steps if necessary, and having some patience, you can find the path to the inbox. Use the following checklist to review issues:

  • Ensure that authentication is set up and set up correctly.

  • Remember that sending reputation takes time to build for new domains and IPs.

  • Contact OCI support to review headers for any technical issues.

If you want to give Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Email Delivery a try, we offer free trials for testing and evaluation. Check out the details including pricing, integrations, and more now!