Mailchimp Emails Going to Spam

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Authenticate your domain

   Copy steps
   1. Profile icon > Account & billing > Domains tab
   2. Verify the domain, then click Start authentication
   3. Use the automatic Entri option or add two DKIM CNAME records and one DMARC TXT record (host _dmarc) manually
   4. Validation usually takes minutes but can take up to 48 hours
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Use a real domain address in the From field

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   1. Send from name@yourdomain.com, not @gmail.com or @yahoo.com
   2. Verify the address under Domains before sending
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Clean the list

   Copy steps
   1. Archive contacts who haven't opened in 6-12 months
   2. Remove hard bounces and complaints
   3. Send to engaged segments first when building reputation
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. 4. Check the campaign report

   Copy steps
   1. Open the report and compare delivered, bounced and spam complaints
   2. Bounce reasons are kept only about 30 days, so check promptly
   3. Seed-test against Gmail and Outlook inboxes before big sends
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Campaigns show as delivered but open rates collapse, recipients find emails in Spam or Promotions, or Gmail shows a warning.

Why it happens

• Sending domain not authenticated or using a free-mail From address
• No published DMARC record (Gmail and Yahoo require one for senders above 5,000 emails per day)
• Shared sending IPs and weak sender reputation
• Old or purchased lists with high bounce and complaint rates
• Spammy subject lines, image-only emails, broken links

This guide also covers

• mailchimp emails going to spam
• mailchimp emails not delivered
• mailchimp promotions tab
• mailchimp delivered but not received

The same problem in other apps

All notifications, reminders & messages not sending guides →

• Klaviyo Emails Going to Spam (Klaviyo)
• ConvertKit (Kit) Emails Going to Spam (ConvertKit (Kit))

Other Mailchimp errors

• How to Cancel Mailchimp Subscription
• Mailchimp Domain Authentication Failed
• Mailchimp Account Suspended or Disabled
• Mailchimp Free Plan Limits and Sending Paused
• Why Is Mailchimp So Expensive? Reduce Billable Contacts
• Mailchimp Contact Import Not Working
• Mailchimp Automation Not Sending
• Mailchimp Campaign Stuck Sending or Not Delivered