mail going to spam from gmail to multiple domains

[pcpete]

I have a client with google apps using Gmail and their domain. About one or two months ago she noticed her emails were going to some users spam folder. She said some of the recipients had Gmail and some had other email services. When I did a test, sending it to my personal Gmail, it went to my spam folder. I marked it as not spam, then it went fine the next time. If it was just Gmail recipients that were getting it put to spam it would be logical that Google was flagging it as spam. But the fact she says it is happening with other emails just makes this more confusing. I did ask and she said she will sent out group emails from 20- to 130 people at a time. I am not sure that would even factor in. Thanks for any help.

 

[britechguy]

Many e-mail services automatically classify as spam any message with "too many" (and what "too many" is varies by receiving service) as spam.

I always tell anyone who intends to send out "mass" email messages that they send to a maximum of 10 people per cycle if it's being done by hand. And with Gmail it's simple to create labels for groups of addresses that are limited in size.

 

[NJW]

About one or two months ago she noticed her emails were going to some users spam folder.

There should be information in the received message headers giving the reason for it being treated as spam. Some filter headers may be more useful/verbose than others – what's in the test message that you sent to yourself?

 

[Markverhyden]

Have you setup DKIM, DMARC, and SFP records? Because that's what it sounds like, those records are missing and many IMAP and Exchange servers mark those as spam. I'm pretty sure it's not done automatically when the domain email is setup. You can check all of those at mxtoolbox.com.

 

[Diggs]

sent out group emails from 20- to 130 people at a time

Sounds like she triggered Google's max send of 100.

Gmail sending limits in Google Workspace - Google Workspace Admin Help

To keep systems healthy and accounts safe, Google limits the

support.google.com

 

[Markverhyden]

Sounds like she triggered Google's max send of 100.

Gmail sending limits in Google Workspace - Google Workspace Admin Help

To keep systems healthy and accounts safe, Google limits the

support.google.com

That deals with sending emails. Per the OP they are being received so it can't, in theory, be that since they have to be sent to be received.

 

[britechguy]

That deals with sending emails.

Indeed, but based on my experience it's also reasonable to believe that for Gmail there is a symmetry on "the receiving side."

As I mentioned earlier, I have seen a number of services that will spam trap messages with more than their limit on the number of recipients, whether in the To:, CC:, or BCC:, fields. That's really what I suspect the genesis of the reported issue is.

 

[Diggs]

That deals with sending emails. Per the OP they are being received so it can't, in theory, be that since they have to be sent to be received.

she said she will sent out group emails from 20- to 130 people at a time.

Sending in excess of 100 emails will trigger Google spam filter or in this case Google is classifying her emails as spam.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I have a client with google apps using Gmail and their domain. About one or two months ago she noticed her emails were going to some users spam folder. She said some of the recipients had Gmail and some had other email services. When I did a test, sending it to my personal Gmail, it went to my spam folder. I marked it as not spam, then it went fine the next time. If it was just Gmail recipients that were getting it put to spam it would be logical that Google was flagging it as spam. But the fact she says it is happening with other emails just makes this more confusing. I did ask and she said she will sent out group emails from 20- to 130 people at a time. I am not sure that would even factor in. Thanks for any help.

Yes it factors in. As noted you need to setup SPF, DKIM and Dmarc. You also probably need to use a bulk mail service like Mailchimp.

 

[Sky-Knight]

mxtoolbox, check the domain against black lists, verify SPF, DKIM, and DMarc.

And yes if they do bulk mailing through their own systems they're asking for trouble. But some industries are just SOL on this... Anyone that's doing mortgages for example... I swear if the word loan or mortgage appears in a message body or subject line it's auto-spam'd.

 

[pcpete]

mxtoolbox, check the domain against black lists

it is not on any of the of those lists. I will stil check SPF, DKIM, and DMarc

 

[pcpete]

Yes it factors in. As noted you need to setup SPF, DKIM and Dmarc.

this can be setup if they are using gmail web mail?

 

[nlinecomputers]

this can be setup if they are using gmail web mail?

Is this free gmail or a domain? If a domain of course it can.

 

[nlinecomputers]

SPF/DKIM/DMARC Setup Guide for Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite) (Gmail for Business) - DMARCLY

Grav is an easy to use, yet powerful, open source flat-file CMS

dmarcly.com

 

[Markverhyden]

this can be setup if they are using gmail web mail?

Has nothing to do with the client, as in how they get their email. Those three things are server side. So they just need to log into the admin control panel. The entries are through DNS.

 

[nlinecomputers]

All are dns entries.

SPF tells the world what mail servers are valid servers to send mail for your domain.
DMIK Is a digital signature added to to all of your outgoing emails. The public key is posted in DNS
Dmarc is the instructions to your recipient email servers advising it what to do if an email fails the spf test or is unsigned. Hard fail or soft. It also tells them where to send fail reports if you desire to receive them.

All emails servers that send for your domain has to be listed here. For example if they sign up with mailchimp you’ll need to add their records as well.

 

[MudRock]

I did ask and she said she will sent out group emails from 20- to 130 people at a time. I am not sure that would even factor in. Thanks for any help.

Not sure your country of origin, but if they are of anything marketing, and not following standard practices, they will get blacklisted pretty quick. I'm surprised Google hasn't flat out banned her from the platform.

Obviously, you would have to see the whole story, but if she's bulk sending, good chance it will be because she is being viewed as spamming. All it takes is 1 or 2 people clicking 'Spam' to trigger it, especially if there is not an automated unsubscribe mechanism.

My experience, is that even though hosted by Google, it treats each domain much like a Microsoft tenant and scores its behaviour based on it. EVERY time someone has told me their Google/Google Workspace emails are bouncing, account lock-out, etc, and they "Don't know why!", almost every instance has been not following CAN-SPAM Act in the US, or CASL for Canada.

End of the day, the keyword is "20-130 people at a time" -- This action will net you no good experience. Recommend to her to be using something like MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, or similar platform, even if just mailing out family newsletters in bulk. It will help with compliance and won't risk your actual domain to being permanentally blacklisted (I know one domain that Microsoft has 100% blacklisted and act and claim it isn't, but when they finally let me see their history, massive amount of spams and 3 email compromises.)

The 100 limit, BTW, comes from Gmail/Microsoft agreeing that 100 per hour per email address is plenty reasonable for most users. If you read on setting up your own email server and Gmail/Microsoft's recommended limits, they detail a bit more about it (But let me tell you, you push that 100 limit frequently and the emails look like the same general content, you will still get blacklisted, like, fast.)

it is not on any of the of those lists. I will stil check SPF, DKIM, and DMarc

I can tell you, blacklist checker is only good for when they THINK it might be by accident. If they think it is intentional and/or malicious, they don't even post it there. I know Microsoft doesn't. And I was pretty sure Google Workspace told you if you had your SPF/DKIM/DMARC wrong.

 

[NJW]

Jings, instead of guessing, check the received headers first! If there's a problem with the smtp config, it'll likely be mentioned in the spam-score.

 

[MudRock]

Jings, instead of guessing, check the received headers first! If there's a problem with the smtp config, it'll likely be mentioned in the spam-score.

I wasn't thinking. This. If you're getting a bounce notice, it will tell you a bunch of stuff.

 

[pcpete]

I have lots of stuff to try and digest. Thanks everyone. Does it seem odd that mxtoolbox does not have the domain flagged, yet they are having issues?