How to Stop Your Emails Going to Spam
If your emails land in spam, nobody reads them. Here's what causes it and how to fix it.
2 min read · Updated 2026-04-15
Short answer
The main causes of emails going to spam are: using a free email address (Gmail/Yahoo) to send, trigger words in your content, poor sender reputation from a dirty list, and missing email authentication records.
Fix 1: Send from a business email address
Never send marketing emails from @gmail.com or @yahoo.com. Use your own domain: hello@yourbusiness.com. Most email marketing tools (MailerLite, Mailchimp, etc.) will walk you through setting this up.
Fix 2: Set up email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
These are DNS records that prove to email providers that you are who you say you are. Your email marketing platform will give you the exact records to add. Without them, you'll frequently land in spam.
Most platforms have a step-by-step guide:
Fix 3: Avoid spam trigger words
Certain words and phrases train spam filters to filter your email. Use them sparingly or avoid them:
- FREE, FREE!!!, Act now, Limited time, Click here
- Make money, Extra cash, No obligation
- Guarantee, Winner, You've been selected
Fix 4: Keep your list clean
Remove subscribers who haven't opened in 6 months. A list full of unengaged addresses lowers your sender reputation score, which causes your emails to land in spam for everyone.
Fix 5: Don't attach files or use too many images
Plain text emails or emails with one image have higher deliverability than image-heavy ones. Attachments are an instant spam flag.
Fix 6: Ask subscribers to whitelist you
In your welcome email, ask: "Add us to your contacts so you never miss an email." This signals to email providers that the subscriber wants your mail.