Why Are My Emails Going to Spam? Common Causes & Fixes

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Find out why your emails go to spam and how to fix it. Learn the key causes and simple steps to improve deliverability.

by Milena Baghdasaryan

Last Updated:
7 min read
Why Are My Emails Going to Spam? Common Causes & Fixes
Table Of Contents−

Key Takeaways

  • SPF, DKIM, and DMARC misconfigurations increase the likelihood of spam.
  • Other reasons why your emails are going to spam may include high bounce rates, spam-like language, bad HTML formatting, etc.
  • You can use blacklist checkers, record generators and other online tools to boost your email deliverability. 
  • Microsoft is following Google’s and Yahoo’s decision to introduce stricter email authentication requirements. 
  • Following best email authentication practices will reduce spam while also enhancing compliance with global requirements.

When you start noticing that your emails are going to spam, it signals a serious deliverability issue. If your messages never reach the inbox, they won’t be opened, clicked, or acted on, which translates to lost engagement, lost leads, and wasted marketing spend.

Spam filters scan every message to decide whether it’s safe, looking at your domain reputation, authentication setup, sending behavior, and even the content of the email. If something seems suspicious or even slightly off, filters may route your messages straight to the spam folder.

When this happens consistently, you lose potential revenue and risk damaging your reputation with customers who rely on your emails for updates, announcements, or important information.

When you clear up authentication problems, strengthen your sender reputation, and meet the modern email standards providers expect, your messages stand a much better chance of landing in the inbox where they’re meant to be, not drifting off into spam.

How Spam Filters Work

Modern spam filters review every email to decide if it’s safe. They look at several aspects as they analyze sender behavior, message content, and overall trustworthiness. One major factor is sender reputation. If your domain or IP has a history of spam complaints, high bounce rates, or irregular sending patterns, filters may treat your emails as untrustworthy.

Additionally, they check email authentication. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC help confirm that the message genuinely comes from your domain. Without these checks in place, even legitimate emails can be flagged.

Spam filters examine content quality, scanning for risky wording, misleading formatting, too many links, or attachments that look unsafe. They also consider user engagement. When recipients rarely open your emails, delete them quickly, or mark them as spam, filters assume the messages are low value and may move them out of the inbox.

All of these signals come together to determine where your email ends up: safely in the inbox or diverted to the spam folder before anyone sees it.

Reasons Your Emails Are Going to Spam

If your emails keep landing in the spam folder, it means mailbox providers see something in your email sending behavior or message setup that looks risky or untrustworthy. Spam filters are designed to protect users, so every issue, including missing authentication, poor engagement, heavy use of images, or no unsubscribe link, can push your emails out of the inbox.

Understanding the most common causes makes it much easier to fix the problem and restore your deliverability.

Missing or misconfigured SPF, DKIM, or DMARC

SPF helps specify which mail servers have the authority to send emails on your domain’s behalf. If you don’t have SPF correctly configured or if you have it missing completely, it’s a big issue. Receiving servers won’t be able to check whether or not your email is from an authorized source. Hackers can also exploit this to send unauthorized emails on your behalf. This will automatically result in your emails getting flagged as spam. 

Without DKIM, recipient servers may view your emails as suspicious and put them in the spam folder. This is because the recipient’s server cannot validate the signature and may doubt the legitimacy of your email. 

If the SPF or DKIM records are misaligned, they can cause failures in DMARC checks. This may lead to emails getting quarantined or rejected (this depends on the DMARC policy).

Spammy subject lines or content triggers

Spam trigger words, whether in subject lines or email body, may lead your emails to spam. Examples of spam triggers include words like “best price,” “big bucks,”  “cash bonus,”  “extra income,” etc.

Blacklisted IP or domain

When you are on a blocklist, you might experience very low email deliverability and consistent spam. This is the very point of blocklists; they include suspicious IP addresses or domains that have spammed or sent malware in the past. It’s similar to blocking phone numbers that annoy you with calls. 

High bounce rate or bad email lists

When your email lists include invalid or inactive addresses, it is very likely for you to experience low email deliverability rates. 

Improper HTML formatting or heavy use of images

When you have incorrect HTML formatting, this may cause your emails to land in spam. Excessive use of images and too little text may also result in spam. 

When you don’t include an unsubscribe link in your bulk emails, uninterested recipients can’t opt out. This may result in bad email lists and consequently lead to high soft and hard bounces. 

Emails sent from shared IPs with poor reputations

Sending emails from a shared IP address that already has a bad reputation may lead to spam as well. This may happen even if your email is completely fine and follows the best practices (e.g., no spam trigger words, right text-image ratio, etc.). This is because the IP address itself already has a bad reputation, which it spreads to all emails like a virus.

How to Stop Your Emails from Going to Spam

Here are some useful strategies on how to stop emails from going to spam. 

Set Up and validate SPF, DKIM, and DMARC 

Numerous online tools can help you with your email authentication goals. You can use a free SPF checker to verify your SPF record. It can help you see if there are any syntax errors in your record and to stay within the 10 DNS lookup limit.

You can also use our free DMARC record checker tool to analyze your record and obtain accurate insights into your DNS record’s validity. This can help you significantly improve your email deliverability rate. 

Additionally, PowerDMARC provides a free DKIM checker to help you look up, check, and effectively validate your DKIM DNS record. This, too, can help boost your email deliverability.

Use a deliverability testing tool

The PowerDMARC’s MailAuth Analyzer Tool enables you to send an empty email to an auto-generated address. This will provide a detailed email header analysis with DMARC, DKIM, SPF, MTA-STS, and BIMI compliance details. This can help you test your email deliverability and address any issues you might have without bothering real customers. 

Check if your domain or IP is blacklisted.

PowerDMARC’s blacklist checker enables to monitor your domains and emails. It also enables you to check IPv4 and IPv6 addresses in over 200 real-time DNS Blacklists. 

Clean up your email list

You should regularly update your email lists and ensure that they include only active and valid contacts. This will help you craft a list that has relevant subscribers who are interested in your offerings.

Avoid spam-triggers

Refrain from subject lines that come across as sales-heavy or spam-like. Ensure your content is truly valuable, informative, and relevant to your target audience. This will ensure maximum engagement and reduce spam.

Balance text and images

You should have no more than 40% image coverage and a minimum of 60% text. While some exceptions exist, this is the golden rule you should follow. Also, always make use of clear unsubscribe options so uninterested recipients have a chance to get out of your list.

Microsoft, Google, & Yahoo’s Latest Sender Requirements

Just months ago, Google and Yahoo introduced new email authentication requirements for bulk senders. Per these requirements, those sending over 5000 emails daily must deploy SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These senders also need to enable easy, one-click unsubscribing and make their messages more relevant. DMARC should be enforced at a minimum of p=none policy.

Microsoft is also following in the footsteps of Google and Yahoo. Starting May 5, 2025, it will require those sending 5,000 + daily emails to fully implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This concerns hotmail.com, live.com, and outlook.com. In case you fail to meet this new requirement, your email might get blocked or land in the spam folder.

How PowerDMARC Can Help

PowerDMARC can help you overcome common email authentication and deliverability challenges, reducing spam. 

Email authentication suite (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, hosted options)

PowerDMARC’s email authentication suite covers all key email authentication protocols, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. In addition to record generators and checkers, PowerDMARC also provides hosted services. These can help you effectively and accurately configure and manage your email authentication without any hassle or risk of manual errors. 

DMARC analytics and reporting

PowerDMARC pays substantial attention to DMARC analytics and reporting. Its forensic and aggregate reporting capabilities ensure you have the necessary insights for smart, data-driven decision-making. 

Reputation monitoring tools

PowerDMARC’s Reputation Monitoring Service can help you check and monitor your domain names and IP addresses in hundreds of global blocklists. This will help you effectively address email deliverability issues and keep your brand reputation on top.

Easy setup and diagnostics

PowerDMARC ensures quick and hassle-free setup and diagnostics. This makes email authentication accessible even to those who are new to the field or lack technical knowledge. The platform also provides 24/7 support to support you in case of any issues you might face. 

Conclusion

Common issues why your emails may land in spam may include spam triggers, email authentication misconfigurations, blacklisted IPs, poor domain reputation, etc.

To ensure long-term, sustainable email deliverability, ensure you follow best practices. These may include removing inactive addresses, avoiding high-volume sending spikes, etc. Email authentication also plays a key role in boosting email deliverability and reducing spam. 

Try PowerDMARC tools today or book a demo session to experience the power of our tools firsthand!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Yes, it can. Too many images, too many links, or links that look suspicious can trigger spam filters. Using a balanced mix of text and visuals, along with trustworthy URLs, helps keep your emails safer.

Can changing my email subject line improve deliverability?

Sometimes. If your subject line contains spam-triggering words, excessive punctuation, or misleading language, updating it can help. A clear, honest subject line improves both deliverability and open rates.

How long does it take to fix a bad sender reputation?

It depends on how severe the issue is. Most domains see improvements within a few weeks of fixing problems like high bounce rates, missing authentication, or poor sending habits. For heavily damaged reputations, recovery can take longer, but consistent good practices will rebuild trust over time.

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