Are Your Emails Going to Spam? A 10‐Minute Checkup

Why this matters (and how to tell fast)

Most “bad campaigns” are actually inbox issues, not messaging. Here’s how to spot deliverability trouble in minutes—then fix it without becoming a postmaster.

Fast signs you’re not landing in inboxes

• LinkedIn messages or warm intros get replies; email gets crickets across a few hundred sends.

• Bounces > 2% or lots of “deferred/temporarily rejected” notices.

• Sudden open-rate cliff after a domain change or a volume spike.

• Friends say they found you in Spam/Promotions—or never saw you at all.

• Replies come only from a handful of corporate domains; Gmail/Outlook free accounts stay silent.

The 10‑Minute Triage

Set a timer. Do these in order:

1. Send plain text to yourself (and two friends) on Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud. Subject: “quick test—see me?” Ask them to check Spam/Promotions and hit “Not spam” + reply.

2. Check hard bounces. If invalids > 2%, pause and clean lists before anything else.

3. Look for a recent change. New domain? New provider? Big send spike? Roll back volume to ≤80/day/inbox for 48 hours.

4. Kill link shorteners & heavy HTML. Use your own domain links; keep 1–2 links max; try a text‑first version.

5. Verify the basics. SPF + DKIM are published; DMARC exists (even p=none is a start). Your “From” domain matches the domain you send through.

6. Get replies on purpose. Email 10 friendly contacts with a clear question. Positive engagement lifts reputation faster than any tool.

Common Causes (and quick fixes)

List quality
Bad data = bounces and blocks. Verify emails, and prefer recent, high‑intent sources over giant scraped lists.

Volume & timing
Large bursts from a cold domain look robotic. Ramp gradually; spread sends through the day; avoid Monday 9am pile‑ups.

Content patterns
Filters dislike near‑duplicate templates, aggressive tracking, and spammy formatting (all‑caps, RE:/FWD: fakery). Keep copy short, human, and specific.

Links & images
Link shorteners, unbranded tracking links, too many images, or big attachments push you to Promotions/Spam. Use branded links; attach only when asked.

Authentication
Publish SPF & DKIM for the tool you use; add a basic DMARC record. Misaligned or missing records are a silent killer.

“I’m using HubSpot/Apollo/etc.—is that the problem?”

The big platforms aren’t inherently bad. The issues come from how they’re used:

• Default tracking domains you didn’t brand.

• Same templates thousands of others send.

• Bursty schedules and large lists on day one.
  Fix by branding your links, throttling sends, and making each message one‑of‑one to the lead.

Copy‑Paste: Inbox Health Checklist

• Hard bounces ≤ 2%; list verified last 30 days

• SPF + DKIM published for current sender; DMARC record exists

• Daily send cap ≤ 80 per inbox; sends spread across workday

• No link shorteners; links use your domain

• Text‑first variant tested; images/attachments removed

• One clear subject + preview; no “RE:/FWD:” tricks

• Each opener references a real trigger about the lead

• Two friends marked Not spam and replied to a test

• Paused campaigns for 24–48h after spikes to cool off

• Weekly deliverability review on Tuesday (10 min)

If you are in the penalty box (48‑hour rehab)

Day 1: Send only to 20–40 friendly contacts. Ask a question that invites a reply.
Day 2: Add 40–60 recent, high‑fit leads; keep copy short; one link max.
Day 3: Review metrics; only then resume normal volume. If bounces or complaints persist, consider a fresh subdomain and stricter list filters.

Spin up a safe micro‑campaign in under 10 minutes. Skyp throttles volume, checks links, and generates unique copy per lead (no regurgitated templates) so you can rebuild reputation while staying relevant.

Try Skyp free for 7 days → skyp.ai