Email guide

Why emails from your own domain go to spam, and how to fix it

You set up you@yourname.com, sent your first pitch, and it landed in spam. It’s almost always the same few things: missing records that prove the mail is yours, a brand-new domain sending too much too fast, or a message that looks like marketing. Here’s how to find which, and fix it.

By , founder of Bounley · Updated

Short answer

Mail providers trust email that proves where it came from. Make sure your domain has SPF (which services may send for you), DKIM (a signature on every email) and DMARC (what to do with mail that fails), all set to your email service’s values. Then send normal amounts from a new domain, write to people who expect you, keep signatures light and avoid link-heavy messages. Bounley, the platform built for personal brands, checks these records before your domain sends and warms new domains up gradually.

Why your emails go to spam: the Bounley inbox on a laptop with SPF, DKIM and DMARC passing for email at your own domain, so mail lands in the inbox, not spam.
Why your emails go to spam · Bounley

The three records that prove it’s you

RecordIn plain wordsWhere it lives
SPF“These services are allowed to send mail as my domain.”A TXT record on yourname.com starting v=spf1
DKIMA signature on every email, so receivers can check it really came from your domain and wasn’t changedTXT or CNAME records your email service gives you
DMARC“If mail claiming to be me fails those checks, here’s what to do with it.”A TXT record at _dmarc.yourname.com starting v=DMARC1

Gmail and Yahoo have required SPF or DKIM from everyone, and DMARC from bulk senders, since 2024; in practice, mail without all three is far more likely to be filtered.

Check yours in five minutes

  1. Send an email from you@yourname.com to a Gmail address you own.
  2. Open it in Gmail, tap the three dots, then Show original.
  3. Look at the top: SPF, DKIM and DMARC should each say PASS.
  4. Any FAIL or missing line points to the record to fix. Copy the exact value from your email service again and replace the one in your DNS.

The usual mistakes

  • Two SPF records. A domain may have only one. Merge them into a single v=spf1 ... ~all line.
  • DKIM never switched on. Some services make you click “start authenticating” after adding the records.
  • No DMARC at all. Start with v=DMARC1; p=none; to monitor, then tighten to quarantine once everything passes.
  • Old records from a previous provider still listed, pointing mail at a service you no longer use.
  • Sending through a tool that isn’t in your SPF (a newsletter app, a CRM): add it, or send from it on its own subdomain.

Habits that keep you in the inbox

  • Start slowly on a new domain. A few emails a day at first, more over a few weeks. A brand-new domain that suddenly sends hundreds looks like spam.
  • Write to people who expect you or have a clear reason to hear from you. Never buy lists.
  • Get replies. Conversations are the strongest sign your mail is wanted.
  • Keep signatures light: a small photo and a few links. Big images and a dozen links look like marketing.
  • Use plain subject lines. No ALL CAPS, no “FREE!!!”, no clickbait.
  • Don’t shorten links with public shorteners; link to your own domain.

How Bounley handles it

With Bounley Premium, your domain must pass SPF, DKIM and DMARC before it sends, and new domains are warmed up gradually so your first emails reach inboxes. On a domain from Bounley every record is put in for you, and your signature, made from your site, stays light. Premium is invitation-only during the beta. How it works.

Questions

Why do my emails go to spam with a new domain?

New domains have no sending history, so providers are cautious. Correct records plus a slow start and real replies build a reputation within a few weeks.

How long until the fix works?

Record changes take effect within minutes to hours. Reputation improves over days to weeks of normal sending.

Which DMARC policy should I use?

Start with p=none while you confirm everything passes, then move to p=quarantine. p=reject is the strictest and best once you’re sure every service that sends for you is set up.

Do “spam words” matter?

Much less than records and reputation, but heavy sales language, all caps and lots of links still add up. Write like a person.

Sources

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