How to Prevent Your Emails from Going to Spam in Gmail and Outlook

Introduction

Your emails ending up in the spam folder is one of the most frustrating email problems. You write to a customer, hit send and your email disappears into spam limbo. Why does it happen? How is it avoided?

In this article you’ll see all the causes and solutions, step by step.

Why emails go to spam

Gmail, Outlook and other providers use automatic filters. If your email meets any of these conditions, it can go to spam:

1. You don’t have SPF, DKIM or DMARC configured.
2. Your domain or IP has a bad reputation.
3. The content looks like spam (too many links, capitals, suspicious words).
4. You send to purchased lists or without permission.
5. Users mark you as spam.
6. Your domain is new and has no reputation.
7. You send many emails at once.

The good news: almost all these causes have a solution.

Solution 1: Configure SPF, DKIM and DMARC

It’s the #1 cause of emails going to spam. Without these three records, Gmail and Outlook don’t trust you.

• SPF: lists authorized servers.
• DKIM: signs emails.
• DMARC: defines what to do if verification fails.

You have complete guides for all three in our knowledge base. At miHosting, SPF and DKIM are enabled from cPanel.

Solution 2: Review email content

Content matters. Avoid:

• Excessive capitals (especially in the subject).
• Spam words: “free”, “offer”, “urgent”, “click here”.
• Too many links in a short email.
• Images without alt text.
• Suspicious attachments.
• Only an image without text (spammers do this).

A professional email, with clear text and few links, is less likely to go to spam.

Solution 3: Use a clear subject

The subject is the first thing the recipient sees (and the spam filter). Rules:

• Don’t deceive. The subject should reflect the content.
• Don’t use excessive capitals.
• Don’t use spam words.
• Be brief and clear.

Good examples: “Quote for your website”, “Order confirmation #1234” Bad examples: “UNIQUE OFFER!!!”, “CLICK HERE FREE”

Solution 4: Don’t send to those who don’t want to receive

The fastest way to ruin your reputation is sending to:

• Purchased lists.
• Emails that haven’t asked for permission.
• People who unsubscribed and you keep sending.

If users mark you as spam, your reputation plummets. Send only to those who want to receive your emails.

Solution 5: Make unsubscribe easy

Always include a visible unsubscribe link. It’s mandatory by law and reduces being marked as spam (if they don’t want your emails, let them unsubscribe, not mark you as spam).

Solution 6: Warm up your new domain

If your domain is new, Gmail distrusts. Start sending low volume and gradually increase:

• Week 1: 20 emails per day.
• Week 2: 50.
• Week 3: 100.
• etc.

This is called “warming up the domain”. It’s especially important for newsletters and mass sending.

Solution 7: Use Google Postmaster Tools

Register at Postmaster Tools to see your reputation in Gmail. If it’s low, you know that’s the problem.

You have a complete Postmaster Tools guide in our knowledge base.

Solution 8: Check with Mail-Tester

Mail-Tester is a free tool that analyzes your email and tells you why it might go to spam:

1. Go to the website.
2. Send an email to the address they give you.
3. It shows you a score from 0 to 10 and the problems.

If you get 9 or 10, your email is fine. If you get less, it tells you what to fix.

Anti-spam checklist

• SPF configured.
• DKIM configured.
• DMARC configured (at least with p=none).
• Email content without spam words.
• Clear and honest subject.
• Visible unsubscribe link.
• Don’t send to purchased lists.
• Mail-Tester gives 9 or more.
• Postmaster Tools shows high or medium reputation.

Useful tips

• Test before sending in bulk. Use Mail-Tester to check your email.
• If you send newsletters, use a platform. Mailchimp, Brevo or SendGrid are designed for deliverability.
• Don’t send from your hosting if it’s for thousands of emails. Hosting is designed for transactional email, not for mass newsletters.
• Clean your list regularly. Delete bounces and emails that don’t open.
• Be patient. Reputation takes time to recover if you’ve lost it.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my emails go to spam in Gmail but not Outlook?

Each provider has different filters. Gmail is stricter with authentication; Outlook, with content.

Does my hosting affect going to spam?

Yes. If your IP is on a blacklist or your hosting doesn’t configure SPF/DKIM, your emails go to spam. At miHosting we configure SPF and DKIM for you.

Can I recover if my domain has a bad reputation?

Yes, but it takes time. Stop sending to those who don’t want, clean your list, configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC and wait.

How many emails can I send from my hosting?

It depends on the plan. Hosting is designed for transactional email (tens or hundreds per day), not for mass newsletters. For mass sending, use a specialized platform.

Does email content matter for spam?

Yes, a lot. Spam words, too many links, only images… everything affects.

Emails that arrive, not that get lost

Your emails going to spam isn’t a curse: it has concrete causes and concrete solutions. If you configure SPF, DKIM and DMARC, take care of content and send only to those who want to receive, your emails will reach the inbox.

If you need help configuring email authentication on your miHosting domain, open a ticket from your client panel.