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Why are my emails going to spam? 6 Quick Way To Fix It

Have you ever sent an email, waited for a reply, and then found out it went straight to the spam folder? 

It’s annoying, especially when the email was important. You're left wondering what went wrong, even though you didn’t do anything unusual.

The truth is, this happens more often than you think. 

And it isn’t because you did something “wrong.” 

It’s usually because email providers flag small issues in your message, your domain, or the way you send emails.

In this guide, we’ll break down why your emails are going to spam, and show you 6 quick fixes that actually work. 

Let’s start.

Why Emails Go To Spam: Key Takeaways

  • Your emails go to spam mainly because of trust issues, missing authentication, weak sender reputation, or spam-looking content.

  • Fixing the problem doesn’t take long; most solutions can be done in a few minutes.

  • Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is one of the fastest ways to stop emails from being flagged.

  • Cleaning your list and improving your content helps reduce spam complaints and bounces.

  • Using a tool like PrimeForge can quickly improve deliverability and keep your emails in the inbox.

Common Reasons Your Emails Are Going to Spam

Spam filters check your emails the same way you do, they look for anything that feels unsafe, untrusted, or unwanted. 

If they spot even one red flag, your email could end up in the spam folder.

Here are 7 common reasons your emails are going to spam:

1. Domain isn’t verified (Missing SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

If your domain isn’t authenticated, email providers can’t confirm the message came from you.

To them, it looks like someone could be spoofing your email, so they send it to spam to be safe.

2. Email content “looks” like spam

Spam filters scan your message, and certain things set them off, like, all caps, too many images, clickbait subject lines, too many links, and no proper signature.

Even if your message is legit, the formatting can make it look suspicious.

3. Sender reputation is low

Email providers give every sender a kind of “trust score.”

If people ignore, delete, or mark your messages as spam, your score drops, and more of your emails go to spam automatically.

4. Email list is old or messy

Sending emails to people who never open your messages (or to addresses that don’t exist) tells providers that your emails aren’t valuable.

This leads to high bounce rates, low engagement, or spam complaints.

All of which hurt your deliverability.

5. Subject lines are misleading or look like clickbait

Subject lines are scanned as heavily as the email itself.

If yours feels exaggerated, vague, or overly salesy, filters assume the message is spam. Short, honest, clear subject lines perform best.

6. Sending too many attachments

Spam and malware often hide inside attachments. 

So when your email has multiple files or unexpected downloads, filters get nervous.

Using a cloud link instead of attaching big files helps avoid this.

7. Sending emails too quickly or too often

If you suddenly send a lot of emails at once, especially from a new domain, spam filters think you might be a bot or a scammer.

Sending too frequently to people who don’t open your emails has the same effect.

6 Quick Ways to Fix Emails Going to Spam

Now that you know what’s causing the problem, let’s talk about how to fix it. Here’s the first one to start with:

1. Verify Your Domain (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC)

This is the most important step. If your domain isn’t verified, email providers can’t confirm your message is real. 

When they see an unverified sender, they automatically treat the email as risky and send it to spam.

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are simple records that prove you are the actual sender. 

Once you set them up, your emails become trusted instead of “unknown,” which instantly improves inbox placement.

What to do:

  • Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC from your email provider to your domain settings

  • Verify that all three records are active

  • Use a tool like PrimeForge if you want to make the setup process easier

Getting your domain verified is one of the quickest ways to stop emails from going to spam.

2. Clean Up Your Email Content

A lot of emails go to spam not because they’re harmful, but because they look like spam. 

Spam filters judge your email the same way a person would. 

If the content feels messy, salesy, or suspicious, they flag it.

Here’s how to clean it up:

  • Use a clear, honest subject line

  • Avoid ALL CAPS or too many exclamation marks

  • Don’t overload the email with images

  • Keep your links limited to what’s necessary

  • Add a simple, real email signature

  • Keep your message short and easy to read

When your email looks clean, simple, and trustworthy, spam filters are far more likely to let it through.

3. Clean Your Email List

If you keep emailing people who never open your messages, or addresses that don’t exist, email providers assume your emails aren’t useful. 

That’s when they start pushing more of your messages into spam.

Cleaning your list is one of the easiest ways to improve deliverability.

What to do:

  • Remove contacts who haven’t opened your emails in a long time

  • Get rid of invalid or bouncing email addresses

  • Don’t buy email lists (they always cause spam issues)

  • Keep only real, active, interested contacts

A smaller list will give you better results than a big one. Email providers trust you more when your audience actually opens your emails.

4. Improve Your Sender Reputation

Your sender reputation is basically how much email providers trust you. 

If they see a pattern that looks even slightly “off,” they start blocking or filtering your emails.

Here’s what actually affects your reputation:

  • People deleting your emails without opening

  • People marking your emails as spam

  • You sending emails to bad or inactive addresses

  • You sending too many emails out of nowhere

So to improve your reputation, focus on behavior that looks safe and consistent.

What to do:

  • Send smaller batches instead of sending everyone at once

  • Avoid sudden spikes in sending volume

  • Make sure your list only has real, active people

  • Let people unsubscribe easily so they don’t report you

  • Send content that matches what people signed up for

When your reputation goes up, your inbox placement improves almost instantly.

5. Use a Reliable Email Service Provider

Your emails can still land in spam even if you write good content, simply because your email platform has a bad reputation.

Some providers use shared servers where other senders might be spamming, and that can affect your deliverability too.

This is one of the most overlooked causes of spam problems.

What to do:

  • Use a trusted email service (not cheap or unknown ones)

  • Avoid sending bulk emails from personal Gmail or Outlook

  • Check if your provider supports SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

  • Choose a platform that actively protects deliverability

A good email service makes your emails look safer before you even press “send.”

6. Use Primeforge to Fix Deliverability Automatically

If you don’t want to deal with all the technical steps, verifying domains, setting DNS records, setting up mailboxes, warming up emails, Primeforge does it for you.

This image shows the Primeforge homepage

Primeforge creates Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 mailboxes that are already optimized for deliverability.

That means the hard work is handled:

  • SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are set up for you

  • Clean US IP addresses

  • Automated DNS configuration

  • Reliable mailboxes ready in under 30 minutes

You simply create your domains and mailboxes, and Primeforge makes sure everything is configured the right way from day one.

For anyone who wants fast, consistent inbox placement, Primeforge is the simplest way to get there.

Bonus Tips to Keep Your Emails Out of Spam

Here are a few bonus tips to keep your emails in the inbox:

Email Deliverability Tips

Email Deliverability Best Practices

Tip Why It Helps
Don’t send without permission Emailing people who didn’t sign up leads to instant spam reports.
Avoid spammy words Words like “FREE,” “Buy now,” or “Act fast” can trigger spam filters.
Use a real reply-to address No-reply@ emails look untrustworthy and reduce engagement.
Keep a healthy text-to-image ratio Too many images increase spam risk — aim for more text than images.
Add an unsubscribe link It’s legally required and reduces spam complaints dramatically.
Ask subscribers to whitelist you Being added to contacts boosts inbox placement immediately.
Send at the right frequency Too many emails annoy users; too few makes them forget you.

Conclusion

If your emails are going to spam, it’s not just bad luck. 

There’s always a reason, maybe your domain isn’t verified, your email looks suspicious, or your sender reputation needs work.

The fixes are simple, and now you know exactly what to do.

But if you don’t want to deal with all the setup and troubleshooting yourself, Primeforge is the easiest way to take care of it.

You get fully configured Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 mailboxes, with SPF, DKIM, DMARC, DNS, and everything else handled for you

Get started with Primeforge and stop your emails from going to spam.