# Why are my emails going to spam?

> The usual culprits: missing authentication, weak sender reputation, high complaints, poor list hygiene, sudden volume spikes, or spammy content — and how to fix each.

If your mail is landing in spam, it's almost always one (or a few) of the causes below. Work through them top to bottom — authentication problems are both the most common cause and the easiest to fix.

## 1. Authentication is missing or broken

If SPF, DKIM, or DMARC fail — or the visible `From` domain doesn't align with the authenticated domain — Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud will distrust the message. This is the **most common** reason new senders hit spam.

**Fix:** confirm your domain shows **Verified** in MailBlastr and that the DNS records are published correctly, then add a DMARC record. See [DNS records](https://www.mailblastr.com/docs/domains/dns) and [How to avoid Gmail's spam folder](https://www.mailblastr.com/docs/kb/avoid-gmail-spam).

## 2. Your sending reputation is low or new

A brand-new domain has no track record, so providers are cautious. A domain that previously sent to bad lists has a *bad* track record, which is worse.

**Fix:** [warm up](https://www.mailblastr.com/docs/kb/warm-up) gradually and start with your most engaged recipients to build positive history.

## 3. Too many spam complaints

If people mark your mail as spam, providers learn to pre-filter it for everyone. Gmail expects complaints under **0.3%** (ideally under 0.1%); Microsoft and Apple are similarly strict.

**Fix:** only mail people who [consented](https://www.mailblastr.com/docs/kb/consent), make [unsubscribe obvious](https://www.mailblastr.com/docs/kb/unsubscribe-link), and remove complainers (MailBlastr does this automatically — see [the suppression list](https://www.mailblastr.com/docs/kb/suppression-list)).

## 4. Poor list hygiene

Mailing dead addresses produces hard bounces, and a high bounce rate is a strong spam signal. Stale lists also have low engagement, which providers read as 'nobody wants this.'

**Fix:** remove bounces and unsubscribes, and re-engage or drop inactive contacts. See [keeping your audiences healthy](https://www.mailblastr.com/docs/kb/audience-hygiene).

## 5. Sudden volume spikes

Going from a trickle to a flood overnight looks like a compromised account or a spammer. Providers throttle or junk the surge.

**Fix:** grow volume in steps and keep it consistent — see [warm-up](https://www.mailblastr.com/docs/kb/warm-up).

## 6. The content looks like spam

- Image-only emails with little or no text.
- Spammy subject lines (ALL CAPS, "FREE!!!", heavy emoji).
- Link shorteners or link domains unrelated to your sending domain.
- Broken or bloated HTML, or a `noreply@` address that bounces replies.

**Fix:** send clean, balanced HTML from a real, reply-able address. See the content sections of [How to avoid Gmail's spam folder](https://www.mailblastr.com/docs/kb/avoid-gmail-spam).

## Read the spam banner Gmail shows

When a message lands in spam, Gmail usually shows a banner explaining why. The wording tells you which lever to pull:

| Banner message | What it means | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "It's similar to messages that were identified as spam in the past." | Your content is tripping spam filters. | Simplify the email — cut excessive links, images, and marketing language; favor plain, balanced HTML. |
| "This message seems dangerous." | A URL or some content was flagged as malicious. | Review every link and the body for anything that could look unsafe; keep link domains aligned with your sending domain. |

## Corporate / enterprise filters

Recipients on enterprise security services (Mimecast, Proofpoint, Barracuda, Microsoft Defender) get an extra filtering layer on top of normal spam checks, often keyed on domain age, content patterns, or URL reputation. If a specific business recipient isn't getting your mail, ask them to check their **quarantine/junk** and allowlist your sending domain — the fixes above still apply, but only their admin can release a quarantined message.

> **Note:** Remember opens are a noisy signal — corporate scanners and webmail image proxies fetch the tracking pixel. MailBlastr filters scanners and delivery-time prefetches out of your open counts, so a low open rate after fixing the above usually reflects real placement, not a tracking glitch.