How to Keep Your Emails Out of the Spam Folder

To keep emails out of spam, focus on your sender reputation: authenticate your sending domain (SPF, DKIM and DMARC), only email people who opted in, make unsubscribing easy, remove bounced and long-inactive addresses, and send emails people actually want to open. Mailbox providers judge you mainly on how recipients respond, not on individual words.

1. Authenticate your domain

Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for the domain you send from. Your email platform has step-by-step instructions. Major mailbox providers expect authentication from bulk senders, and unauthenticated mail is more likely to be filtered.

2. Send from your own domain

Use an address like hello@yourbusiness.com rather than a free webmail address, and keep the sender name consistent.

3. Only email people who opted in

Never buy lists. Consent is both a legal requirement in many places and the best predictor of engagement.

4. Make unsubscribing easy

Include a clear unsubscribe link in every marketing email and honour requests promptly. Many platforms add one-click unsubscribe headers automatically. People who cannot find the link click "report spam" instead, which hurts you more.

5. Clean your list

• Remove hard bounces immediately.
• Run a re-engagement or win-back email for inactive subscribers, then remove those who still do not engage.

6. Watch complaints

Keep spam complaints very low. Big jumps usually mean you are sending to people who forgot signing up, sending too often, or sending content they did not expect.

7. Write like a person

• Honest subject lines.
• A balance of text and images, not one big image.
• A plain-text version.
• Links to your own reputable domain.

8. Warm up a new list or domain

If you are new or returning after a long break, start by sending to your most engaged contacts and increase volume gradually.

For how often to email without annoying people, see how often to send a newsletter, and for the bigger picture, our email marketing playbook.