This article breaks down the essentials of email health, explains why issues occur, and provides actionable steps to monitor and improve your deliverability.
Why Do Emails End Up in Spam or Get Bounced?
Modern spam filters are surprisingly smart. They analyze everything from your email content to your sending behavior. Hereās what typically triggers those filters:
- High volume sends: Sending to large lists, especially with outdated addresses
- Spammy language: Words like āFree,ā āBuy now,ā or excessive punctuation (!!!)
- Poor formatting: Too many links or images, not enough text
- Missing authentication: Lack of SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records
- New or inactive domains/IPs: Unfamiliar sender addresses or brand-new domains/IPs
- Recipient actions: Users marking your emails as spam
- Irregular sending patterns: Sending a huge batch after weeks of silence? Spam filters notice!
- Low engagement: If people never open your emails, inbox providers lose faith
Please Note: While Pipeline CRM provides the tools to send your emails, how those messages are received depends on factors outside our control, such as your recipientsā email providers and your own sending reputation.Why Do Emails Sent from My Inbox Work, But Bounce When Sent from the Platform?
If your emails are sent successfully from your personal inbox (like Gmail or Outlook) but begin bouncing when sent through our platform, hereās why that can happen:
- When you send directly from your inbox, itās usually a one-to-one message. Email providers recognize this as typical, low-risk behavior.
- With our platform, emails are often sent in larger batches or as part of a campaign. Due to this higher sending volume, recipient servers and spam filters apply more rigorous checks, which can sometimes result in messages being flagged or bounced.
Keeping tabs on your email health helps you identify and resolve issues before they affect your campaigns. Hereās how you can do it:
- Use Email Deliverability Tools
- GlockApps: Tests inbox placement and spam score.
- Mailgun Optimize: Validates emails and monitors sender reputation.
- MxToolbox: Checks blacklist status and SPF records.
- Sender Score: Rates your sender reputation.
- Check Your Sender Reputation
- Regularly review your domain and IP reputation to prevent being added to blacklists.
- Track Bounce and Complaint Rates
- Monitor how many emails bounce or are marked as spam.
- Maintain List Hygiene and Engagement
- Remove invalid or inactive addresses.
- Validate new contacts before adding them.
- Segment your lists and focus on engaged usersāquality beats quantity!
- Authenticate Your Emails
- Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain.
- Test Before and After Sending
- Use inbox placement and spam-check tools before you send.
- Monitor where your emails actually land after sending, not just if theyāre delivered.
- Personalize your emails: Avoid generic templates.
- Warm up new sending domains/IPs: Start with small batches and scale up.
- Send consistently: Regular sends help build trust.
- Encourage recipients to add you to their contacts.
- Include a clear unsubscribe link and a real reply-to address: Itās required and helps avoid complaints.
- Monitor reports: Adjust your strategy based on insights into deliverability.
- Follow compliance laws: Ensure you have consent to email your contacts and adhere to GDPR/CAN-SPAM guidelines.
- Keep your contact list clean and up to date.
- Use authentication protocols to prove legitimacy.
- Monitor sender reputation and bounce rates.
- Avoid spammy language and poor formatting.
- Leverage deliverability tools for ongoing health checks.
- Send consistently and focus on engaged contacts.
- Stay compliant and make it easy to unsubscribe.