# My emails are landing in spam

> Work through the causes of spam placement in the right order: authentication, sending reputation, list hygiene, then content. Most cases resolve in the first two steps.

Source: https://sendbroadcast.net/how-to/emails-going-to-spam

Work these in order. The first two resolve most cases, and there is no point tuning
subject lines while authentication is broken.

## 1. Check authentication first

Open **Domain DNS Health** and confirm SPF, DKIM, and DMARC show **Healthy** for your
sending domain. Anything showing **Missing** or **Changed** is very likely your whole
problem.

[The DNS Health documentation](https://sendbroadcast.net/docs/dns-health) explains each
status, and [fixing DNS authentication](/how-to/fix-dns-authentication) walks through
repairing them. Alignment matters as well as presence, which the
[DKIM signature alignment guide](/dkim-signature-alignment) covers.

![A domain card flagged Needs attention, with SPF marked Changed and DMARC marked Missing](https://sendbroadcast.net/assets/docs/dns-health/dns-health-needs-attention-b55f9621.png)

Domain DNS Health flags a domain before placement drops. Start here rather than at your DNS provider.

## 2. Check your sending reputation

A new domain or IP has no history, and mailbox providers treat unknown senders
cautiously. If you started sending recently, or resumed after a long gap, read the
[domain warm-up guide](/warm-up-email-domain) and build volume gradually.

If you were fine and are now not, something changed: a spike in volume, a list
import, or a rise in complaints.

## 3. Check list hygiene

Spam placement is often a list problem wearing a content costume.

- Look at bounce and complaint rates in [your metrics](https://sendbroadcast.net/docs/email-metrics).
  Rising complaints will sink placement quickly.
- Confirm [suppressions](https://sendbroadcast.net/docs/suppression-lists) are being honored
  and that bounced addresses are not being mailed repeatedly.
- Confirm ESP webhooks are configured. Without them Broadcast cannot see bounces or
  complaints, so auto-suppression never fires and you keep mailing bad addresses.
  See [webhooks not arriving](/how-to/webhooks-not-firing).
- If a chunk of your list has not engaged in months, stop mailing them. Build a
  [segment](/how-to/segment-your-subscribers) of recent engagers and send to that.

![Broadcast analytics showing delivery, open rate and click rate for a sent campaign](https://sendbroadcast.net/assets/docs/email-metrics/broadcast-analytics-799da111.png)

Per-broadcast delivery and engagement. A drop across several sends points at reputation rather than at the copy.

## 4. Then look at content

Only once the above is clean:

- Make sure a plain-text alternative exists alongside your HTML.
- Check that [unsubscribe headers](https://sendbroadcast.net/docs/unsubscribe-settings) are
  configured. Providers reward an easy opt-out.
- Watch link shorteners and heavily image-based emails.
- Test with the [free spam checker](/tools/free-email-spam-checker).

## Still stuck

Deliverability problems are rarely one cause, and the diagnosis depends on your
domain, provider, and list history. [Email us](mailto:simon@sendbroadcast.net?subject=Deliverability%20help)
with your sending domain, provider, and roughly when it started. There is also
[deliverability consulting](/deliverability-consultant) if you want someone to work
it end to end.

---