My Mail Is Being Rejected
User reputation is a vital factor for making sure that an email message sends successfully. To help maintain it, following the best practices in sending emails is strongly recommended.
- Ensure valid SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are published.
- Do not mix message contents (i.e., Do not include upcoming sales information in a receipt).
- Ensure mailing list subscribers have opted in.
- Allow mailing list subscribers to easily unsubscribe.
- Follow CAN-SPAM requirements (https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business).
Additionally, several popular email hosts offer Postmaster services that can help you monitor whether your mail is being flagged as spam or not. Signing up for these services can give you valuable insight into how your emails are being received:
- Gmail Postmaster: https://gmail.com/postmaster/
- Hotmail SNDS & JMRP: https://sendersupport.olc.protection.outlook.com/snds/
Sending messages to people who never asked for them is one reason for them to mark it as spam, as well as not managing your mailing lists when a recipient asks to be removed. To this end, we require mailing lists to be "double opt-in" with a link to unsubscribe included in each message. For a list to be double opt-in, the user must explicitly request to be added to the mailing list and then confirm that the email address is their own. You can find more information on the mailing list in these articles:
Using certain subject lines or phrases that look "spammy" is a bit harder to manage, but you have to consider these options. If you experience difficulty sending an email, you should make sure you are utilizing appropriate formatting and sending habits.
- The subject line should accurately reflect the message content.
- If the message is an advertisement, you should clearly disclose that in the body.
It is also important to ensure that you are in control of your email. One of the most common ways that email reputations are degraded is through weak passwords being compromised. Using a secure password, regularly updating the password, and removing old accounts helps protect your reputation by limiting your exposure to compromise.
- Use a minimum of 8 characters (the more, the better).
- Use both uppercase and lowercase letters.
- Use numbers.
- Use special characters (e.g. !, #, $, %, etc.).
If your emails are being rejected, it may be due to your email reputation degrading to a point where hosts suspect spam is being sent. To restore your email reputation to a "safe" level, you should check to see if you are experiencing an issue similar to what is listed below:
- Overuse of certain HTML elements
- Lack of/improper email signature
- Lack of/improper subject line text
- Sending an email to a wider-than-average distribution list
- Sending email frequently within a certain timeframe
Related Articles:
Recipient Blacklisting or Rejection
Why Am I Getting Spammed and How to Prevent It?
Problems with Spoof, SPF
Where Can I Report Abuse and or Spamming?
Spam Scanning Service