I set up SPF and DKIM. Why is my email still going to spam?
Passing those two checks isn’t always enough. Gmail and Outlook also look at whose name the checks were passed in. Many tools pass them in their own name rather than yours, so to Gmail the email still isn’t vouched for by your business. The fix is usually the “verify your domain” setting in each tool. If everything really does line up, the cause is likely what you’re sending, not your settings.
Check your own email first. Free, about 90 seconds. You get a grade and a plain-English list of what's working and what isn't.
Why this happens
Picture a courier with a valid ID badge from their own company, delivering a letter signed with your name. The badge is real, but it doesn’t prove you sent the letter. That’s what happens when your newsletter or invoicing tool signs its email with its own name. Each check passes, and the email still fails the one Gmail cares about: does this match the business it claims to be from?
What to do
- Run the free check below, then send a test email from each tool you use. The test shows, tool by tool, whether it’s really sending in your name.
- In each tool that fails, find the “verify your domain” or “authenticate your domain” setting. It gives you a few settings to add where your domain is managed.
- Test that tool again once your web person has added them.
If everything lines up and you’re still in spam
Then it’s probably not your settings. Look at how much you send, whether people mark it as spam, and what the emails look like. The business email going to spam guide covers those causes.
What this guide can’t do for you
It covers the common causes. It can’t tell you which of your tools is the one that’s failing, or give you the exact settings for your business and the company that manages your domain. That’s what the Email Fix does. We check every tool that sends email for you and give you steps written for your setup. If we can't find what's wrong with your email settings, you get your $299 back. The guarantee covers your email settings. No settings can fix email sent to people who didn't ask for it, like bought lists or mass emails.
See what's wrong with your email, free
Type in your business's web address (the part after the @ in your email). You'll get a plain-English answer: what's working, what isn't, and what to do next.
Common questions
My tool says my domain is verified. Why does it still fail?
Some tools check that you own the domain without signing your email in your name. Look for a second step, often called authenticating or signing with your domain, and send a test email to confirm.
Do I need all three settings?
Yes. Gmail and Outlook expect the approved senders list, the email signature and the protection setting, and at least one of the first two has to be in your name.
How do I check it myself?
Send an email to a Gmail address, open it, choose Show original, and look for DMARC: PASS. That line only passes when the checks were done in your name.
For your IT person or web developer
You can forward this page as it is. Everything below is written so someone who doesn't work with email settings every day can follow it.
SPF and DKIM passing isn't sufficient for DMARC. At least one must pass and align with the header From domain:
1. SPF alignment
SPF checks the envelope (Return-Path / MAIL FROM) domain. If the service uses its own bounce domain, SPF passes for that domain and doesn't align. Set a custom return-path or bounce domain on a subdomain of the business's domain if the service offers one.
2. DKIM alignment
The DKIM d= domain must be the business's domain (relaxed alignment allows a subdomain). Services that sign only with their own domain need their “authenticate domain” / custom DKIM setup completed, which usually means adding CNAME records.
3. Avoid strict alignment unless you need it
adkim=s or aspf=s in the DMARC record requires an exact domain match and breaks many services. Leave them out (relaxed is the default).
4. Check it worked
DNS changes usually show within an hour, though some hosts take up to a day or two. Then send a test message to a personal Gmail address, open it, click the three dots at the top right of the message and choose Show original. You want to see SPF: PASS, DKIM: PASS and DMARC: PASS. You can also run the free check at senderfix.com again.
Related guides
Written by the SenderFix team. Last updated .