If your emails are landing in spam folders—or worse, getting blocked entirely—you’re not alone. Email deliverability issues affect businesses of all sizes. But here’s the good news: in just 30 minutes, you can take serious steps to fix your email reputation and improve your inbox placement.
Check Your Domain’s Reputation (5 Minutes)
- Start by looking up whether your sending domain or IP address is on any public blacklists. Use tools like MXToolbox, Talos Intelligence, or Google Postmaster Tools.
- Some blacklists are worse than others. For example, if you are listed on Spamhaus, major inboxes will block your email outright.
- If you’re using Outlook, consider checking Microsoft SNDS: to see if Microsoft is throttling your mail
And if you are on a blacklist, don’t panic—remediation often starts with fixing authentication.
Fix Your Authentication Records (10 Minutes)
- Misconfigured or missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records are a leading cause of deliverability problems.
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells the world which servers can send email for your domain
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) confirms that your emails aren’t tampered with
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) enforces your SPF/DKIM policy and lets you receive reports on abuse
- Run a quick check with: dmarcian.com, mail-tester.com
- Google Admin Toolbox
- Make sure: SPF includes your current sending servers or platforms
- DKIM is published and signs every outbound email
- DMARC is present and ideally set to at least p=quarantine
- Need help interpreting this? We offer quick-turn audits at MailingListServices.com. Just email info@dundee.net.
Remove Problem Senders (5 Minutes)
- If you host a discussion list or send on behalf of multiple users, one misconfigured sender can take your whole IP down.
- Look who just sent in a message before the block Look for senders using Exclaimer, Salesforce, or other tools without proper SPF alignment
- Disable or delay bulk sends from unverified users.
Clean Your List (5 Minutes)
- Nothing hurts your sender reputation like high bounce rates or spam complaints.
- Remove invalid addresses and role-based emails (like sales@, info@, admin@)
- Segment out unengaged users and reconfirm them before sending them again
- Never buy or rent lists
- By the way If someone uses Gmail and hasn’t opened your last 10 emails, stop sending. Gmail tracks engagement.
Monitor and Improve (Ongoing)
- Sign up for DMARC reports (use rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com in your DNS)
- Use feedback loops where available (especially for AOL/Yahoo)
- Monitor open rates by domain—if Gmail drops, that’s your early warning
Need Help Fixing Your Email Reputation?
We offer hands-on Email Deliverability Audits and SPF/DKIM/DMARC setup for businesses, nonprofits, and list hosts. If your emails are getting blocked or disappearing, let us help you get back on track fast.
Contact Us Today at info@dundee.net