How to Fix Email Going to Spam from Your Server

Emails landing in spam is one of the most frustrating server problems. This systematic guide covers every possible cause and fix.

Step 1 — Get Your Email Score

# Send a test email to mail-tester.com
# Visit https://www.mail-tester.com — get unique address
echo "Test email" | mail -s "Deliverability Test" [email protected]
# Check your score — aim for 10/10

Step 2 — Check Authentication Records

# SPF — authorises your server to send
dig TXT yourdomain.com | grep spf
# Should contain your server IP

# DKIM — cryptographic signature
dig TXT mail._domainkey.yourdomain.com
# Should return a long public key

# DMARC — policy for failures
dig TXT _dmarc.yourdomain.com
# Should return v=DMARC1 record

Step 3 — Check Server IP Reputation

# Bulk blacklist check
https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx

# Google Postmaster Tools
https://postmaster.google.com
# Register your domain to see Gmail delivery data

Step 4 — Check Email Headers

In Gmail: open email → three dots → Show original → check:

# Look for:
SPF: PASS
DKIM: PASS
DMARC: PASS

# If any FAIL — fix that authentication method

Step 5 — Fix Content Issues

# Common spam trigger words to avoid:
# "Free", "Click here", "Buy now", "Limited time"
# All caps subject lines
# Too many links
# HTML with no plain text alternative

Step 6 — Warm Up New IP

# New server IPs have no reputation
# Start with low volume and increase gradually:
Week 1: 50 emails/day
Week 2: 200 emails/day
Week 3: 1000 emails/day
Week 4+: Normal volume

Step 7 — Set Up Reverse DNS

# PTR record must match your mail hostname
dig -x YOUR_SERVER_IP
# Should return: mail.yourdomain.com

# Set PTR record in your hosting control panel
# or contact your data centre

Conclusion

Achieving 10/10 email deliverability requires all authentication methods working correctly. Our team provides complete email deliverability setup — SPF, DKIM, DMARC and reputation management.