Why Is My Message Going to the SPAM Folder?

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Why Is My Message Going to the SPAM Folder?

There are two major factors to consider when you find that your message is going to the junk, bulk, or SPAM folders.

The Reputation of the Sender of Your Messages

As a hosted solution, AWeber's customers' messages are sent via our mail servers, something that the ISPs (e.g. Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, etc.) review when deciding whether to accept or reject a message.

We've been in the business of sending only requested messages since 1998, following the strict industry standards required for excellent deliverability.

The Content of Your Messages

Once your messages get through the door, ISPs will subject them to content filters to help determine whether to put messages into an inbox or another folder.

Some of these are commonly used, such as the SpamAssassin filter, for which we provide a content analyzer so that customers may test their messages.

Still, others are proprietary and to avoid the adaptation of spammers methods to get their junk through, ISPs won't release information on them.

What Can I Do to Avoid Deliverability Issues?

Use the SpamAssassin content analyzer to check your messages for issues. Your score should always be below 5 to ensure the message isn't filtered by the SpamAssassin filter.

Use Confirmed Opt-In to ensure the lowest rate of unsubscribes, undeliverable addresses, and SPAM complaints.

Avoid using excessive punctuation and CAPS in your messages, especially in the subject line.

Don't use a generic e-mail address for the 'From/Reply' setting for your list. Addresses hosted at yahoo.com, gmail.com, etc. are commonly used by spammers.

Always include a plain-text version of your message. It's perfectly acceptable to use a template or type in your own HTML message, but if you do so, also include a plain-text version.

Your message should not consist of one large image. Spammers commonly send just an image with a small amount of text added to try to bypass filters. Your message should be composed of mostly text if you include images.

More on effective image usage on our blog

Encourage your subscribers to add you to their address book. Some ISPs and email applications will place a message in an inbox always when this is the case.

Test your messages. Sign up for some free accounts and send yourself tests as an actual subscriber to your own list. Review how they're handled by those ISPs in particular to establish how it might be handled among others.

Use other fundamental best practices when working on your campaigns