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How do I prevent my emails from going to spam?

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By Josh B

February 11, 2025

There are many factors that determine whether your emails land in the inbox or the spam folder. Some of these factors are outside your control, while others can be managed with best practices.

Factors Outside Your Control

  • Email API & Infrastructure: We use Bird, a leading email API that powers ~40% of all B2B and B2C emails, ensuring excellent deliverability and a strong sender reputation. This means your emails are being sent from a reliable infrastructure with high inbox placement rates.

Factors You Can Control

1. Domain Reputation & Warm-Up
  • Your sending domain has a reputation that email providers track. If your domain has a poor reputation (e.g., from past spam complaints or low engagement), your emails are more likely to go to spam.
  • If you’re sending from a new domain, it's crucial to warm it upby gradually increasing email volume. Start by sending to a small group of engaged subscribers:
    • Day 1-3: 100 emails
    • Day 4-7: 200 emails
    • Day 8-14: 500 emails
    • Beyond: Gradually scale up to larger lists
  • Prioritize sending to people most likely to open, click, and reply to build a strong domain reputation.
2. Authentication & DNS Records

Ensure your domain is properly authenticated with:

  • SPF (Sender Policy Framework) – Prevents spoofing by verifying that mail servers are authorized to send on your behalf.
  • DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) – Adds a digital signature to prove authenticity.
  • DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) – Helps prevent phishing and improves email security.
  • Custom Tracking & Sending Domains – Using your own domain for tracking links and sending can improve deliverability.
3. Email Content Best Practices

Spam filters scan your email’s content to determine if it looks suspicious. Here’s how to optimize it:

  • Avoid spam trigger words like "free," "guarantee," "urgent," and excessive use of exclamation marks.
  • Use our Spam Check tool to scan and identify problematic words/phrases before sending.
  • Limit excessive images or links – Too many images and links can look suspicious.
  • Ensure a good text-to-image ratio – At least 60% text, 40% images.
  • Write natural, engaging subject lines – Avoid all caps or misleading clickbait.
4. List Quality & Engagement
  • Only send emails to people who opted in to receive them.
  • Remove inactive subscribers who haven’t engaged in a while.
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