Why are My Mailchimp Emails Going to Spam?

10 min
Abdul Mukati
Updated On: January 24, 2025
mailchimp email going to spam

Table Of Contents

Are you noticing a worrying trend with your Mailchimp emails going to spam?

Not reaching your recipients’ inboxes is a common frustration that can significantly undermine the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. The journey from crafting a perfect email to reaching the intended recipient involves more than just hitting send.

Understanding why your emails are not reaching your subscribers is crucial. Is it the way your email is set up? Or perhaps it’s the content itself that’s triggering spam filters? Could it be any issue from Mailchimp?

In this article, we will uncover what is happening and the pitfalls that might be sabotaging your Mailchimp campaigns.

10 Reasons Why You See Your Mailchimp Emails Going to Spam Folder?

Let’s look at some of the predominant reasons that lead your emails to end up in recipient’s spam folders.

1. Faulty Setup of Authentication Protocols

Authentication protocols, like Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC), are crucial for verifying that the sender is legitimate and authorized to use the domain.

When you don’t configure these protocols correctly, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and email servers struggle to verify the emails’ authenticity. For instance, if the SPF record is not correctly set up, it fails to confirm that MailChimp is authorized to send emails on your behalf, leading to emails being flagged as spam.

Incorrect DKIM settings can also lead to authentication failures, as DKIM provides a digital signature that helps verify the sender and not tamper with it. Without a DMARC policy, you’re leaving it up to each server to decide how to handle these failures, which often results in your emails going to the spam folder.

Email Authentication in SalesMix

Email authentication in SalesMix

2. Improper Email Warmup Practices

The warmup process involves starting with a low volume of emails and gradually increasing the count over several weeks. If you skip this step, ISPs might see the sudden spike in email activity as suspicious, likening it to spam behavior. It is particularly critical in cold email marketing, where establishing credibility is key.

Without a proper warmup, even well-crafted emails can end up in the spam folder. It can end up harming the effectiveness of your cold email marketing campaign. As a result, you should pay close attention to feedback like bounce rates and spam complaints to take action accordingly to ensure a proper warm-up for your email accounts.

Email warmup analytics in SalesMix

Email warmup analytics in SalesMix

3. Poor Email Domain Reputation

For cold email marketers, maintaining a strong domain reputation is crucial. Each recipient who marks your email as spam or complains about unsolicited emails can harm your reputation. If your domain has had any spammy emails in the past, ESPs are likely to treat emails from your domain suspiciously.

If your domain is new, it lacks a sending history, which can also lead to emails being flagged. Building a positive domain reputation takes time and involves consistently sending emails that generate positive engagements.

4. Issues with Email List Management

A common mistake that can cause your emails to be sent to the recipients’ spam folders is not regularly cleaning the email list. It involves not removing unengaged subscribers who haven’t opened or interacted with your emails over a significant period.

Continuing to send emails to inactive addresses can lead to high bounce rates and trigger spam filters because it suggests a lack of engagement, which is often characteristic of unsolicited emails.

Update Email List in SalesMix

Update your email list by editing or deleting contacts in SalesMix

Another critical aspect of list management is how you acquire your email addresses. Purchasing email lists or scraping emails without much care can lead to serious deliverability issues. Many of these addresses may not be valid, or the contacts may not have consented to receive emails, leading to high spam complaint rates.

5. Subject Lines are Not Compelling

Creating compelling subject lines is more art than science. It requires a deep understanding of your recipients’ needs and pain points while avoiding spam trigger words that can automatically route your emails to the spam folder.

A good subject line should be concise, clear, and relevant, ideally invoking curiosity or offering value that is hard to ignore. For instance, instead of a vague “Check Out Our Latest Offers,” a more targeted subject line like “Solve Your Conversion Woes with Our Latest Sales Tools” directly addresses a specific problem or need.

Subject Lines in SalesMix

Write Compelling Subject Lines

6. Not Personalizing Your Content

Without personalization, your cold emails will feel like part of a mass mailing. At this moment, recipients are less likely to engage with your cold emails and more likely to report them as spam.

Personalization goes beyond merely inserting the recipient’s name into the email. It involves tailoring the message to meet the specific interests, needs, and pain points of the individual. When an email resonates personally, it captures the recipient’s attention and significantly boosts the chances of engagement.

Another issue with not personalizing your content is it leads to a generic tone in your messaging. Modern spam algorithms are sophisticated and can detect when an email does not genuinely target the recipient and treat it as a red flag.

7. Triggering Spam Filters with Email Content

Spam filters scrutinize email content for specific triggers that often indicate spammy behavior. These triggers include the overuse of sales-oriented language such as “Buy now,” “Limited time offer,” or “Act fast.”

While the phrases mentioned might seem like effective calls to action to many people, they are commonly associated with unsolicited and aggressive marketing tactics. Each spam filter is programmed to block emails with these phrases.

Similarly, excessive use of capital letters, multiple exclamation marks, or overly promotional language can also alert these filters. Including too many hyperlinks or URL shorteners within a single email or links that lead to unreliable or unsecured sites can raise red flags. Using large images or attachments can also trigger spam filters while hampering user experience by increasing your email’s load time.

8. Consequences of Spam Complaints

Spam complaints are a serious concern for anyone utilizing cold email marketing. When recipients mark your emails as spam, it not only affects the delivery of that particular message but can also have long-term repercussions on your email campaigns.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) register each spam complaint, and the complaints contribute negatively to your sender reputation. A poor sender reputation can lead ISPs to limit the number of emails you can send at a time or block your emails altogether. It can drastically reduce your email deliverability rates, meaning even non-spam-marked emails may not reach the intended inboxes.

9. Not Including an Unsubscribe Link

A critical yet often overlooked aspect of cold email marketing efforts that can send your MailChimp emails straight to the junk folder is the absence of an unsubscribe link. The absence of an unsubscribe link can frustrate recipients who no longer wish to receive your communications.

Not having an easy way to get rid of your emails will make them feel trapped in receiving unwanted emails. It will increase the chances of their marking your email as spam as a last resort. It can also risk you falling in trouble with spam-protecting laws like the CAN Spam Act.

This scenario is particularly detrimental in cold email marketing, where building trust and maintaining positive relationships with potential leads is essential. As we discussed earlier, every spam report will also negatively impact your sender reputation and diminish your email deliverability.

Unsubscribe Link SalesMix

Include an Unsubscribe Link with SalesMix

10. Low Cold Email Engagement Rates

Engagement rates are a key metric that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) use to gauge the relevance and value of your emails to recipients. These rates encompass metrics like open rates, response rates, etc.

Low engagement happens when recipients do not interact with your emails—be it opening them, clicking links, or responding. When engagement is consistently low, it signals to ISPs that recipients are not interested in the content, which can lead to emails being flagged as spam.

SalesMix Analytics Summary

Analyze your cold emails’ performance in SalesMix

Persistent low engagement rates can trigger deeper repercussions. ISPs will use this data to determine the quality and desirability of your communications. If your emails consistently fail to engage users, it’s not just the spam filters you need to worry about; your overall deliverability could face issues.

What Could Be The Issue from Mailchimp’s End for Email Spam?

If your email campaigns are underperforming and have a high spam rate with Mailchimp despite following best practices, the problem might stem from Mailchimp itself. Let’s explore potential reasons why your Mailchimp emails could be landing in spam without your fault.

Insufficiently Warming Up Your Emails

A potential issue from Mailchimp’s end that could impact the deliverability of your emails is the platform’s approach to warming up new email-sending domains. If Mailchimp’s system does not adequately support or manage the warmup process for your campaigns, it might lead to issues with deliverability.

Without a proper warmup, ISPs might view the sudden increase in email volume as suspicious and potentially mark your emails as spam, even if your emails are from one of the reputed bulk email services like Mailchimp.

This issue is especially true if your account quickly ramps up to large volumes of emails without having established a history of consistent and engaged interactions. As a result, your email deliverability will get a negative impression, and your well-crafted emails won’t even reach your recipients’ inboxes and lose you possible opportunities.

Sending Your Cold Emails with A Bulk Email Sender Email Service Provider (ESP)

One potential problem when using Mailchimp campaigns or similar ESPs campaigns is that these platforms typically send emails from shared IP addresses. Many different users use these IPs to send various types of content, including promotional and newsletter emails.

If other users on the same IP engage in poor emailing practices, this can negatively impact the reputation of the IP as a whole. As a result, even your well-crafted, compliant emails might suffer from reduced deliverability because ISPs may flag emails from these IPs based on the shared history of spam-like behavior.

Mailchimp’s standard settings and algorithms are optimized for engagement and retention in permission-based email marketing, where recipients have opted-in to receive communications. In cold email marketing, where recipients have not pre-approved contact, the same algorithms that work to optimize engagement for opted-in lists may not be as effective.

This issue can lead to higher bounce rates and lower open rates, as Mailchimp’s system might not be fine-tuned to the nuances of cold email deployment, such as timing and frequency adjustments based on recipient engagement.

How Can SalesMix Help You Prevent Email Going to Spam?

SalesMix is a cold email service provider that helps you transform your cold email strategy to ensure your messages consistently land in inboxes and not spam folders. With its robust suite of tools, you won’t need to worry anymore about Mailchimps emails going to spam.

Automated One-Touch Email Warm Up

SalesMix’s email warmup service’s main purpose is to prevent your emails from being flagged as spam. This service automatically and methodically increases the volume of emails sent over a period, thus demonstrating to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that your email behavior is consistent and trustworthy. 

You only need to switch the email warmup button on; it will integrate with any email provider to allow you a seamless and hassle-free start to warming up your emails. There are no constraints on the number of emails you can send, which means your campaigns can scale without risking deliverability issues. However, it is advisable to limit the number of emails you send daily to around 35-50 not to raise any suspicious flags.

Email Warmup in SalesMix can stop Mailchimp emails going to spam

Automated Email Warm-Up in SalesMix

SalesMix’s warmup process includes several advanced features that mimic human email interaction patterns. This human mimicking ensures that emails do not appear automated. The peer-to-peer warmup technique also allows your emails to be put to the test thousands of times, fine-tuning their ability to avoid spam folders.

Test Emails Before Sending

SalesMix offers a crucial feature for anyone looking to enhance their email marketing effectiveness: the ability to test email deliverability anytime before sending. This test email feature allows you to send a preliminary email to ensure it lands in the recipient’s inbox and not in the spam folder.

Test Mail in SalesMix

Test your email deliverability with SalesMix

You can use this feature to conduct real-time checks on how your emails are being received. This is vital for identifying any issues that could affect your email’s performance, such as poor formatting, triggering phrases, or other factors that might flag the email as spam.

Personalizing Your Emails With Minimal Effort

SalesMix harnesses the power of detailed personalization to make each recipient feel like the email they receive is tailored specifically for them. Using data from your CSV file that contains the prospectus list, SalesMix allows you to embed dynamic content within your emails.

For example, placeholders such as {{first_name??FALLBACK}} can automatically insert the recipient’s first name and {{company_name??FALLBACK}} can automatically put each recipient’s own company name in the content, making the email more personal and engaging.

Detailed Personalization in SalesMix

Detailed Personalization in SalesMix

Moreover, SalesMix employs Spintax – a feature that varies the words used in your emails—to prevent your content from sounding repetitive or generic. This flexibility in word choice by putting {tool|platform|service|app} ensures that each email feels fresh and unique. Such customization not only enhances the appeal of your emails but also significantly reduces the likelihood of their getting spam flags.

Spintax in SalesMix

Spintax in SalesMix

Conclusion

Going through the pitfalls of email marketing can sometimes feel like steering through a storm. Your carefully crafted Mailchimp campaigns could be hitting spam folders for various reasons, as we discussed. It can affect your campaign’s reach and performance and dampen your brand’s voice.

Looking ahead, taking proactive steps to optimize your email practices is key. You should consider auditing your current strategies, investing time in understanding Mailchimp’s functionalities, or even seeking alternative options, like SalesMix, that are more thoughtful about each aspect of your cold email campaign.

Author’s Details

Abdul Mukati

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