Why are my emails going to spam? How to fix it

Receiving mail servers (Gmail, Outlook and others) decide whether a message is spam from many signals. The most important is proof that the mail really comes from your domain and an authorised server. Go through these checks in order.

1. Do all your DNS records show "Correct"?

Open your domain's page in the dashboard and select Check DNS records. These three in particular should be Correct:

• SPF: allows BasicMailer to send on your behalf.
• DKIM: signs your mail. With DKIM missing or wrong, mail is likely to land in spam.
• DMARC: not required, but big providers such as Gmail and Yahoo now trust domains with a DMARC record more.

Record details: Email DNS records.

2. Does your domain have exactly one SPF record?

A domain can have only one v=spf1 record. With two, both are treated as invalid. Combine several services in one record:

v=spf1 include:spf.basicmailer.com include:_spf.otherservice.com ~all

3. Do other services send mail from your domain?

If your website, online shop or newsletter tool sends mail from your domain, those services need their own SPF and DKIM setup. Otherwise their mail fails DMARC and lands in spam.

The DMARC reports tab on your domain's page shows which servers send mail in your domain's name. If the Sending sources table shows a source that fails, either add that service's DKIM record or someone is spoofing your domain.

4. The content of your mail

• Don't leave the subject empty or write it in all capitals.
• Messages that are just one image or one link look suspicious.
• Use full links instead of shortened ones (bit.ly and similar).
• Sending the same content to many people (bulk mail) is a spam signal; bulk and marketing mail aren't allowed on BasicMailer.

5. A new domain

If your domain or email service is new, receiving servers may take a while to trust it. In the first weeks, ask recipients to mark your mail as Not spam and add you to their contacts.