If you use SendGrid to send emails, you may encounter a problem where your emails are marked as spam instead of being delivered to the inbox. This can be frustrating and can lower the number of people engaging with your emails. However, there’s no need to worry – this post will cover some useful tips and best practices to improve your delivery rates and ensure your emails arrive in the inbox.
1. Verify Your Domain
One of the first steps you should take with SendGrid is verifying your domain. This process shows email providers that you’ve given SendGrid permission to send emails on your behalf. To verify your domain, go to the ‘Settings’ page on your SendGrid dashboard and follow the instructions.
2. Set Up Email Authentication
Email authentication can significantly improve your delivery rates. It is a technical solution designed to fight against spoofed and fraudulent emails. There are mainly three types of email authentication methods:
- DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail): This authentication method helps protect email senders and recipients from spam, phishing, and spoofing.
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): SPF prevents spammers from sending emails on behalf of your domain.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): DMARC uses both DKIM and SPF to verify whether the email was actually sent from your domain and to report back on actions taken on fraudulent activity.
To set them up in SendGrid, you need to go to the ‘Authentication’ section in your dashboard and follow the instructions.
3. Maintain a Good Sending Reputation
Just like a credit score, your sending reputation is a key factor that email providers consider when deciding whether to deliver your emails to the inbox or spam folder. The following tips can help you maintain a good sending reputation:
- Make sure your email list is clean and up-to-date. Regularly remove non-engaged subscribers.
- Don’t buy email lists. These often contain old or fake email addresses that can harm your sending reputation.
- Monitor your email metrics. High bounce rates, low open rates, or high spam complaint rates can indicate issues with your email practices.
- Send emails consistently. If you send a large volume of emails at once, especially if you don’t usually do so, email providers may mark your emails as spam.
4. Test Your Emails Before Sending
Before you send out your emails, it’s a good idea to test them to see if they might trigger spam filters. SendGrid provides a ‘Design and Test’ feature where you can send test emails to see how they’ll appear in different email clients and whether they trigger spam filters.
Conclusion
By following these best practices, you can increase the likelihood of your emails reaching the inbox rather than the spam folder. Remember, maintaining a good sending reputation, verifying your domain, setting up email authentication, and testing your emails are all essential parts of successful email delivery. Happy sending!