Email deliverability is a major challenge in today’s digital world. Whether you’re a marketer, entrepreneur, or business owner, getting your emails into the primary inbox instead of spam or the promotions tab can significantly impact engagement and conversions.

In this guide, we’ll cover proven strategies to boost your email deliverability, avoid spam filters, and ensure your messages reach the right audience.

Why Email Deliverability Matters

According to Return Path’s Email Benchmark Report, only 79% of emails actually reach inboxes—meaning one in five emails is lost to spam or junk folders. If your emails aren’t getting delivered, you’re missing out on potential leads, sales, and critical business communications.

Let’s explore the best ways to improve email deliverability and build a strong sender reputation.

1. Use a Real Name in the “From” Field

One of the simplest ways to boost deliverability is using a real sender name instead of a generic one like “admin@yourdomain.com” or “sales@yourdomain.com.”

✅ Example:

• Good: John Smith (john@yourbusiness.com)
• Bad: Admin (admin@yourbusiness.com)

A real name increases trust and reduces the chances of your email being marked as spam.

2. Maintain a Good Balance of Text & Images

Emails that contain one large image with little or no text often trigger spam filters. Instead, follow these best practices:

✔ Use a mix of text and images for a natural email layout.
✔ Avoid excessive HTML formatting—keep it simple.
✔ Make sure your email looks like a genuine message, not a marketing ad.

learn more on The Ultimate Guide to Email Design Best Practices

3. Avoid Spam Trigger Words

Certain words and phrases can instantly flag your email as spam. Here are some common ones to avoid:

❌ “Make money fast”
❌ “Free trial”
❌ “Guaranteed”
❌ “Act now”
❌ “Congratulations, you won!”

To check your content, use tools like HubSpot’s spam word list to ensure your email sounds natural and trustworthy.

4. Use a Trustworthy Domain Name

Your email domain plays a huge role in deliverability. Here’s how to choose the best one:

✔ Use trusted top-level domains (TLDs) like .com, .net, .org instead of cheap, spammy domains like .xyz, .biz, .space.
✔ Older domains have more trust—if your domain is brand new, expect lower deliverability initially.
✔ Ensure your domain is properly verified with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.

📌 Check Your Domain Reputation: Use tools like MailTester.com to evaluate your email’s trust score.

5. Improve Your Sender Reputation

Email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo track your sender reputation—a hidden score that determines whether your emails reach inboxes or spam.

🔹 Positive Signals:
✔ High open and read rates
✔ Replies and forwards
✔ Emails marked as “important”
✔ Emails manually moved to the primary inbox

🔻 Negative Signals:
❌ Low open rates
❌ Emails deleted without reading
❌ Marked as spam or promotions

The best way to boost your sender reputation is by sending high-quality, engaging emails that people actually want to open and read.

Tool for Checking Reputation: Google Postmaster Tools

6. Warm Up Your Email Address

If your domain is new, warming up your email can improve its reputation and increase deliverability.

How to Warm Up Your Email:

✔ Manually engage with your emails—get friends, family, or coworkers to open, reply, and mark them as important.
✔ Use email warm-up services like:

• QuickMail
• AutoWarmUp
• Gmass

These services gradually increase sending volume and interactions, signaling to providers that your emails are legitimate.

7. Use a Reliable Email Provider

Self-hosting email can lead to poor deliverability. Instead, use a trusted email provider like:

✅ Google Workspace (Starts at $6/month) – Best for Gmail users
✅ Microsoft 365 Outlook (Starts at $5/month) – Best for business email
✅ Apple iCloud Plus ($0.99/month) – Budget-friendly with custom domains

These services have built-in deliverability advantages, making them the best choice for business-critical emails.

8. Check Your Deliverability Score

To ensure your emails are landing in inboxes, test them before sending. Use these tools:

✔ Mail-Tester.com – Get a deliverability score out of 10
✔ GlockApps.com – See where your emails land (Inbox, Promotions, Spam)
✔ MXToolbox.com – Check if your domain is blacklisted

A score of 8 or higher is considered good. If your score is low, tweak your email format, sender name, or domain settings.

Final Thoughts: There’s No Magic Fix—Just Smart Strategy

Improving email deliverability takes time and effort—but following these best practices will help your emails reach the primary inbox:

✅ Use a real sender name
✅ Avoid spam trigger words
✅ Balance text and images
✅ Warm up your email address
✅ Improve engagement signals
✅ Use a trusted email provider

🚀 By optimizing your email practices today, you’ll build long-term deliverability success.