Ending up in the spam folder is the worst nightmare of every marketer. If you're not careful, it may happen even if you're sending relevant emails to the audience that agreed to receive messages from you. Imagine your neatly crafted campaigns landing straight in the trash. Doesn't sound good, does it? Luckily for you, there are a few things you can do to avoid the spam folder. But, let's first dig into what spam is and why your emails may be marked as spam.
What is SPAM?
Email SPAM is also referred to as junk mail. These are all unsolicited messages that are most often sent in bulk and for commercial purposes. They can also be sent as a malicious attempt to gain access to your computer. These may include fake antivirus warnings, spoofing attacks, and money scams.
Why do legitimate emails go to the SPAM folder?
Let's assume you're sending legitimate and wanted emails, but somehow, they end up in the SPAM folder. Why does it happen? There are a few reasons for that.
First of all, whenever you send an email, it is scanned by spam filters, which are supposed to protect your audience and detect any dangerous or unsolicited content. What can make them suspicious is when you have not authenticated your domain or it has a bad reputation. The same goes for your IP address. If it has been used for spam in the past, it will no longer seem legitimate to spam filters.
Your emails may also go straight to the spam folder if you don't keep your list clean or if your sign-up forms are abused by bots. It may also be the case when your "From" address is not accurate, your subject lines are misleading or you use spam trigger words. Spam filters may also mark your emails as spam if you include suspicious attachments, your content is not relevant or you use too many images.
As you can see, there may be various reasons why your emails could be marked as spam. Let us go through the best practices on how to avoid the spam folder.
How to avoid the SPAM folder?
1. Authenticate your domain
Domain authentication will ensure that emails are not perceived as spam and, therefore, reach your recipients. To verify your domain, you need to add authentication records like SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). From February 2024, Google and Yahoo also oblige you to authenticate your domain with DMARC. Once you set it up, you can also add a BIMI record so that your logo appears next to your outgoing emails. Also, please remember that using a free domain is generally not recommended due to a lower level of security than paid domains.
2. Build your own email list
No matter how tempting buying an email list can be, it is illegal and will send your emails straight to spam. Sending emails to addresses that didn't confirm they agreed to receive emails from you will result in an unengaged audience. It will also ruin your sender reputation, as spam filters will see you as a spammer. Building your own email list may take longer than buying a ready list, but will be more rewarding and bring user engagement.
3. Clean your email list regularly
Email lists do not stay up-to-date forever. Some contacts become invalid, inactive, or stale. That's why it's crucial to clean your email list regularly. Imagine someone no longer wants to read your emails, but they don't unsubscribe. They do not open or interact with your content or, even worse, mark your emails as spam. Your open rate and spam rate will increase, destroying your sender reputation. You can send a re-engagement email as a final effort to connect with inactive recipients. If you decide to delete inactive contacts or those who have complained about your content from your list, your email list will become healthier and more up-to-date. Sending to invalid contacts, in turn, also increases your bounce rate, which also causes damage to your reputation and email deliverability.
4. Monitor your sender reputation
Speaking of reputation, there are a few indicators to help monitor it. It's crucial whether your subscribers mark your emails as spam or report your messages. The more complaints you get, the less reliable you seem as a sender. You should also keep an eye on your email bounce rate. Whether you get hard or soft bounces, this metric should be as low as possible. 2–5% is a healthy and accessible range. You can also check whether your domain or IP address is blacklisted. You can use blacklist lookup sites like MXToolBox.
5. Be compliant with anti-spam laws
Since sending advertisements via email has become so popular, there had to be regulations to govern the sending of commercial messages. Therefore, now we are all bound by the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. To meet its requirements, you have to, for example, let your recipients know where you're located and let them opt out easily if they don't want to receive emails from you.
6. Send relevant content
It may sound obvious, but sending relevant content is essential in nurturing the relationship with your subscribers, keeping them engaged, and avoiding the spam folder. You may send emails about updates on your products, helpful tips, and educational content. Make sure you offer the content that is useful and desired by your recipients. This will help your audience stay committed and engaged, and you'll be less likely to be seen as a spammer.
7. Avoid spam trigger words
We all want to come up with an original subject line that will make people open the email as soon as they see it. But, at the same time, we should avoid so-called "spam trigger words", which are risky and increase the chance of your emails landing in the spam folder. The same applies to the entire text of the email. Make sure you don't sound pushy, suspicious, or desperate in your messages.
Spam trigger words — the full A–Z list
A
Accept credit cards · Acceptance · Access · Access now · Access for free · Accordingly · Act Now · Act immediately · Action · Action required · Ad · Additional income · Addresses on CD · Affordable · Affordable deal · All natural · All new · Amazed · Amazing · Amazing offer · Amazing stuff · Apply here · Apply now · Apply Online · As seen on · At no cost · Auto email removal · Avoid · Avoid bankruptcy
B
Bargain · Be amazed · Be surprised · Be your own boss · Believe me · Being a member · Beneficiary · Best bargain · Best deal · Best price · Best offer · Beverage · Big bucks · Bill 1618 · Billing · Billing address · Billionaire · Billion · Billion dollars · Bonus · Boss · Brand new pager · Bulk email · Buy · Buy now · Buy direct · Buying judgments
C
Cable converter · Call · Call free · Call me · Call now · Calling creditors · Can't live without · Cancel · Cancel at any time · Cancel now · Cancellation required · Cannot be combined with any other offer · Cards accepted · Cash · Cash out · Cash bonus · Cashcashcash · Casino · Celebrity · Cell phone cancer scam · Cents on the dollar · Certified · Chance · Cheap · Check · Check or money order · Claims · Claim now · Claim your discount · Claims not to be selling anything · Claims to be in accordance with some spam law · Claims to be legal · Clearance · Click · Click below · Click here · Click now · Click to get · Click to remove · Collect · Collect child support · Compare · Compare now · Compare online · Compare rates · Compete for your business · Confidentially on all orders · Congratulations · Consolidate debt and credit · Consolidate your debt · Copy accurately · Copy DVDs · Costs · Credit · Credit bureaus · Credit card offers · Cures · Cures baldness
D
Deal · Dear (email/friend/somebody) · Debt · Diagnostics · Dig up dirt on friends · Direct email · Direct marketing · Discount · Do it now · Do it today · Don't delete · Don't hesitate · Dormant · Double your · Double your cash · Double your income · Double your wealth · Drastically reduced
E
Earn · Earn $ · Earn extra cash · Earn money · Earn monthly · Earn from home · Earn per month · Earn per week · Easy terms · Eliminate bad credit · Eliminate debt · Email extractor · Email harvest · Email marketing · Exclusive deal · Expect to earn · Expire · Explode your business · Extra · Extra cash · Extra income · Extract email
F
F r e e · Fantastic · Fantastic deal · Fantastic offer · Fast cash · Fast Viagra delivery · Financial freedom · Financially independent · For free · For instant access · For just $ (some amount) · For Only · For you · Form · Free · Free access · Free bonus · Free cell phone · Free consultation · Free DVD · Free gift · Free grant money · Free hosting · Free info · Free information · Free installation · Free instant · Free investment · Free iPhone · Free leads · Free Macbook · Free membership · Free money · Free offer · Free preview · Free priority mail · Free quote · Free sample · Free trial · Free website · Freedom · Friend · Full refund
G
Get · Get it now · Get out of debt · Get paid · Get started now · Gift certificate · Give it away · Giving away · Great · Great deal · Great offer · Guarantee · Guaranteed · Guaranteed deposit · Guaranteed income · Guaranteed payment
H
Have you been turned down? · Hello · Here · Hidden · Hidden assets · Hidden charges · Hidden fees · High score · Home · Home based · Home employment · Home based business · Human growth hormone · Huge discount · Hurry up
I
If only it were that easy · Important information regarding · Important notification · In accordance with laws · Income · Income from home · Increase sales · Increase traffic · Increase your chances · Increase your sales · Incredible deal · Info you requested · Information you requested · Instant · Instant earnings · Instant income · Insurance · Internet market · Internet marketing · Investment · Investment decision · It's effective
J
Join millions · Join millions of Americans · Junk
L
Laser printer · Leave · Legal · Legal notice · Life · Life Insurance · Lifetime · Lifetime access · Lifetime deal · Limited amount · Limited number · Limited offer · Limited supply · Limited time · Limited time offer · Limited time only · Loan · Long distance phone offer · Lose · Lose weight · Lower interest rates · Lower monthly payment · Lower your mortgage rate · Lowest insurance rates · Lowest price · Lowest rate · Luxury · Luxury car
M
Mail in order form · Maintained · Make $ · Make money · Marketing · Marketing solutions · Mass email · Medicine · Medium · Meet girls · Meet me · Meet singles · Meet women · Member · Member stuff · Message contains · Message contains disclaimer · Million · Millionaire · Million dollars · Miracle · MLM · Money · Money back · Money making · Month trial offer · More Internet Traffic · Mortgage · Mortgage rates · Multi-level marketing
N
Name brand · Never · Never before · New customers only · New domain extensions · Nigerian · No age restrictions · No catch · No claim forms · No cost · No credit check · No deposit required · No disappointment · No experience · No fees · No gimmick · No hidden · No hidden costs · No hidden fees · No interests · No inventory · No investment · No investment required · No medical exams · No middleman · No obligation · No payment required · No purchase necessary · No questions asked · No selling · No strings attached · No-obligation · Not intended · Not junk · Not scam · Not spam · Now · Now only · Number 1 · Number one
O
Obligation · Offshore · Offer · Offer expires · Once in lifetime · Once in a lifetime · One hundred percent free · One hundred percent guaranteed · One time · One time mailing · Online biz opportunity · Online degree · Online job · Online income · Online marketing · Online pharmacy · Only · Only $ · Open · Opportunity · Opt in · Order · Order now · Order shipped by · Order status · Order today · Outstanding values
P
Passwords · Pennies a day · Per day · Per month · Per week · Performance · Phone · Please read · Potential earnings · Pre-approved · Presently · Price · Price protection · Print form signature · Print out and fax · Priority mail · Prize · Problem · Produced and sent out · Profits · Promise · Promise you · Purchase · Pure profits
Q
Quote
R
Rates · Real thing · Refinance · Refinance home · Refund · Removal · Removal instructions · Remove · Removes wrinkles · Request · Request now · Request today · Requires initial investment · Reserves the right · Reverses · Reverses aging · Risk free · Risk-free · Rolex · Round the world
S
S 1618 · Safeguard notice · Sale · Sample · Satisfaction · Satisfaction guaranteed · Save $ · Save money · Save now · Save big money · Save up to · Score · Score with babes · Search engine listings · Search engines · Section 301 · See for yourself · Sent in compliance · Serious · Serious cash · Serious only · Serious offer · Shopper · Shopping spree · Sign up free today · Social security number · Solution · Spam · Special deal · Special discount · Special for you · Special offer · Special promotion · Stainless steel · Stock alert · Stock disclaimer statement · Stock pick · Stop · Stop calling me · Stop emailing me · Stop snoring · Strong buy · Stuff on sale · Subject to cash · Subject to credit · Subscribe · Subscribe now · Subscribe for free · Success · Supplies · Supplies are limited
T
Take action · Take action now · Talks about hidden charges · Talks about prizes · Teen · Tells you it's an ad · Terms · Terms and conditions · The best rates · The following form · They keep your money — no refund! · They're just giving it away · This isn't a scam · This isn't junk · This isn't spam · This won't last · Thousands · Time limited · Traffic · Trial
U
Undisclosed recipient · University diplomas · Unlimited · Unsecured credit · Unsecured debt · Unsolicited · Unsubscribe · Urgent · US dollars
V
Vacation · Vacation offers · Valium · Viagra · Vicodin · VIP · Visit our website
W
Wants credit card · Warranty · Warranty expired · We hate spam · We honor all · Web traffic · Website visitors · Weekend getaway · Weight · Weight loss · What are you waiting for? · What's keeping you? · While available · While in stock · While supplies last · While you sleep · Who really wins? · Why pay more? · Wife · Will not believe your eyes · Win · Winner · Winning · Won · Work from home
X
Xanax
Y
You are a winner! · You have been chosen · You have been selected · Your chance · Your income · Your status
Z
Zero chance · Zero percent · Zero risk
8. Send test emails
Remember to always test your emails before sending them to your audience. Taking this extra step will allow you to see what your message looks like in the inbox, including if it's readable and whether everything loads correctly. You can also use email testing tools like Litmus or Email on Acid to check how your emails look in different email clients.
9. Use spam checkers
To keep your emails from landing in the spam folder, you can also use spam checkers. Tools such as Mail Tester or Mailreach scan your message in search of any spam content or malicious links. They often also inspect your sending domain or IP address and check its reputation. Then, you get a spam score of your email and insights into what you can do to improve your deliverability.
Avoiding the spam folder — wrapping up
We hope you now have a better understanding of how to avoid the spam folder. If you make sure your domain is authenticated and your sender reputation is intact, it's a very good start. Then, you should build your own email list and keep it clean and healthy. Finally, your emails should be relevant, wanted, and compliant with anti-spam laws. And don't forget to test your emails before sending them. Good luck!