How to improve email deliverability
Practical steps to make sure your business emails reach the inbox instead of the spam folder.
If your emails are landing in spam — or you want to make sure they never do — there are concrete steps you can take. This guide covers the most important improvements, from DNS records to message style.
Quick summary
The most impactful improvements are: set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records on your domain; use a professional email platform (not a free consumer account); send from a consistent address; and keep your email list clean. Most of the technical steps can be handled by Chykalophia.
Step 1: Set up authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
These three DNS records are the foundation of email deliverability. Without them, receiving mail servers have no proof that your emails are legitimate.
- SPF — lists which mail servers are allowed to send email from your domain
- DKIM — adds a digital signature to every email so recipients can verify it wasn't tampered with
- DMARC — tells servers what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks
See SPF, DKIM & DMARC for email senders for a detailed explanation.
If Chykalophia set up your email platform, these records are likely already configured. If you're not sure, ask us to check.
Step 2: Use a professional email platform
If you're still sending from a free Gmail or Hotmail address, switching to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 with your own domain is the single biggest improvement you can make.
These platforms have excellent sender reputation, maintain their own IP address pools carefully, and fully support DKIM signing.
See Why not use a free Gmail/Hotmail for business? and Professional email options compared.
Step 3: Send from a consistent address
Spam filters value consistency. If you send from a different address or domain each time, you build no reputation. Pick one address (or a small set of addresses) and stick to it.
Step 4: Keep your email list clean (for bulk email)
If you send to a large list — a newsletter, marketing campaign, or automated notifications — list hygiene matters.
- Remove hard bounces immediately. A hard bounce means the address doesn't exist. Continuing to send to it hurts your reputation.
- Remove unsubscribers promptly. Sending to people who have opted out can get you flagged as spam.
- Re-engage or remove inactive contacts. Contacts who never open your emails drag down engagement metrics.
For bulk or marketing email, use a dedicated service (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, etc.) — not your regular inbox. See Transactional vs marketing email.
Step 5: Make your emails look legitimate
Even with perfect DNS setup, certain content patterns can trigger spam filters. Avoid:
- ALL CAPS in subject lines
- Excessive exclamation marks (especially in subject lines)
- Words commonly associated with spam: "FREE!!!", "Earn money fast", "Click here", "Urgent"
- Very image-heavy emails with little text
- Misleading or vague subject lines
Do:
- Write clear, specific subject lines
- Include plain text as well as HTML (email clients prefer emails with both)
- Include a real physical address in marketing emails (required by law in most countries)
- Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe from marketing messages
Step 6: Check whether your domain is on a blocklist
If you've had deliverability problems for a while, your domain or mail server IP might be listed on a blocklist. Use a free tool like MXToolbox to check.
If you are listed, each blocklist has its own delisting process. This takes time but is fixable.
Step 7: Warm up a new domain gradually
If you've just registered a new domain and are starting to send email, don't send hundreds of messages on day one. Start slowly — a few emails per day, to engaged recipients — and build up over a few weeks. This establishes a sending history and reputation.
Website form emails have their own setup
If your website contact form or order confirmation emails are going to spam, that's a separate issue from your personal email. See Email sent from your website explained and What is SMTP?.
Step 8: Use a reputable transactional email service for automated emails
If your website sends automated emails (order confirmations, password resets, booking notifications), use a dedicated transactional email service like Postmark, Mailgun, or SendGrid rather than routing through your regular email server. These services are purpose-built for reliable delivery of automated messages.
How to check your current setup
Chykalophia can audit your email configuration and tell you exactly what's set up and what needs attention. You can also use:
- MXToolbox — check MX records, SPF, blocklist status
- Mail-tester.com — send a test email and get a spam score with specific recommendations
- Google Postmaster Tools — if you send significant volume to Gmail users
Common questions
Related guides
- Why your emails land in spam (deliverability)
- SPF, DKIM & DMARC for email senders
- Transactional vs marketing email
- Email sent from your website explained
- Email DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Need a hand?
Learn more
Why your emails land in spam (deliverability)
What email deliverability is, why it matters, and the main reasons your business emails might be going to spam instead of the inbox.
SPF, DKIM & DMARC for email senders
A plain-English explanation of the three DNS records that prove your emails are legitimate and protect your domain from being spoofed.