What is an email spam score?

Email spam score refers to a numerical rating that email service providers (ESPs) and spam filters assign to incoming emails. This score helps them determine whether an email is legitimate and safe to deliver to a user's inbox or if it should be flagged as spam and sent to the junk folder. Essentially, it's a measure of how "spammy" your email appears based on a variety of factors.These factors can range from the technical setup of your sending domain to the content and formatting within the email itself. A low spam score indicates that your email is likely trustworthy, while a high score suggests it has characteristics commonly found in unsolicited bulk email. Understanding and managing your email spam score is crucial for any marketing team relying on email communication.

Why your email spam score matters

Your email spam score directly impacts the success of your email marketing campaigns. If your emails consistently receive high spam scores, they are less likely to reach your subscribers' inboxes. This has several significant consequences for your marketing efforts.First, poor deliverability means your carefully crafted messages might never be seen. This translates to lower open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, reduced conversions and return on investment (ROI). Second, a consistently high spam score can damage your sender reputation. Email providers track your sending history, and if you're frequently flagged for spam, future emails from your domain will face even stricter scrutiny, making it harder to reach the inbox. Finally, it can lead to higher unsubscribe rates or even complaints, further harming your reputation and list health.

How to improve your email spam score

Improving your email spam score involves a combination of technical setup, content quality, and audience management. Here are key areas to focus on:

Authenticate your sending domain

This is a critical technical step. Implement Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and DMARC records for your sending domain. These protocols verify that your emails are genuinely coming from your domain and haven't been spoofed, building trust with email providers. SPF specifies which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails, allowing recipients to verify the sender. DMARC tells receiving servers how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.

Maintain a clean email list

Sending emails to old, inactive, or invalid addresses can significantly harm your spam score. Regularly clean your email list by removing unengaged subscribers, bounced addresses, and known spam traps. Avoid purchasing email lists, as they often contain many problematic addresses that can instantly flag your sender reputation. Use double opt-in processes to ensure subscribers genuinely want your emails.

Craft high-quality, relevant content

The content of your email plays a huge role. Avoid common spam trigger words (e.g., "free money," "urgent," "win big"), excessive capitalization, or too many exclamation marks. Balance text and images; emails that are all images with little text can be flagged. Ensure your links are reputable and not suspicious. Personalize your content where possible, as relevant emails are less likely to be marked as spam by recipients.

Optimize email structure and formatting

Use clean HTML code and ensure your emails are responsive across different devices. Avoid large fonts, bright colors, or overly complex layouts that can look unprofessional or spammy. A good text-to-image ratio is often recommended, typically favoring more text.

Best practices for ongoing deliverability

Improving your spam score isn't a one-time fix; it requires ongoing effort and monitoring.

Monitor your sending reputation

Regularly check your sender reputation using tools provided by your email service provider or third-party services. Keep an eye on your open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates, as these metrics can indirectly indicate deliverability issues.

Encourage engagement

Actively encourage subscribers to open, click, and reply to your emails. Positive engagement signals to email providers that your emails are valuable and wanted, which helps improve your reputation.

Provide clear unsubscribe options

Make it easy for subscribers to opt out if they no longer wish to receive your emails. Forcing them to search for an unsubscribe link or making the process difficult can lead to spam complaints, which are far more damaging to your sender reputation.

Test your emails

Before sending a large campaign, use email testing tools to check your email's spam score, rendering across different clients, and overall deliverability. This allows you to catch and fix potential issues before they impact your audience.By focusing on these practical steps, marketing teams can significantly improve their email deliverability, ensure their messages reach the intended audience, and maximize the effectiveness of their email marketing efforts. Consistent attention to these details will help maintain a strong sender reputation and drive better campaign performance.