Why are my business emails going to spam?

Last updated 13 October 2026 · By the XKey team

What are the most common reasons emails go to spam?

1. Missing or broken SPF, DKIM or DMARC records. Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook check these to confirm an email really came from your domain. Without them, your email looks like it could be forged.
2. Sending through a service your records don't mention – a booking system, invoicing app or newsletter tool that sends "from" your address without being added to SPF and DKIM.
3. A poor sender reputation – your domain or the server you send through has been used for spam, or many recipients marked your emails as spam.
4. The content – lots of links, link shorteners, image-only emails, attachments people didn't expect, or wording that reads like a sales blast.
5. Sending from a free address such as Gmail or Hotmail through a business tool, which those providers block.

How do I check my email records?

Enter your domain in our free checkers – nothing to sign up for:

• SPF checker – lists every service allowed to send for you and counts DNS lookups (more than 10 breaks SPF).
• DKIM checker – tests whether your emails are signed.
• DMARC checker – shows your policy and where reports go.
• MX lookup – confirms which provider receives your email.

To set the records up for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and other providers, follow our guide to setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

What rules do Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook have for senders?

Since 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require every sender to have SPF or DKIM and to send from a domain with valid DNS, and require anyone sending around 5,000 or more emails a day to them to have SPF, DKIM and DMARC, a one-click unsubscribe on marketing emails and a low spam complaint rate. Microsoft brought in similar rules for Outlook.com in 2025. Even if you send far fewer, meeting these rules is the surest way into the inbox. The full list is in Gmail, Yahoo and Microsoft sender rules.

How do I improve my sender reputation?

• Only email people who asked to hear from you, and make unsubscribing easy.
• Send newsletters through a proper email marketing service, set up with your domain's DKIM, rather than from your normal inbox.
• Remove addresses that bounce.
• Ask regular customers to add your address to their contacts or mark you "not spam".

How do I test whether an email lands in spam?

Send a plain test email to free Gmail and Outlook.com addresses you own and see where it lands. In Gmail, open the message, choose "Show original" and look for SPF: PASS, DKIM: PASS and DMARC: PASS. A fail tells you exactly which record to fix.

Frequently asked questions

Why do only some of my emails go to spam?

Usually because they're sent by different systems. Emails from your inbox may pass checks while those from your website's contact form or invoicing app don't. Check each service is covered by SPF and DKIM.

Will fixing SPF and DKIM stop all spam folder problems?

It fixes the most common cause. Reputation and content still matter, and each recipient's own filters have the final say.

Does my website's SEO affect email delivery?

No, they're separate. But the same domain is used for both, so a domain with a bad reputation for spam can be harder to trust everywhere.