Why Your Emails Go to Spam and How to Fix It (South Africa Guide)

Emails usually go to spam for one of four reasons: your domain is not authenticated (missing or broken SPF, DKIM or DMARC), the sending server or IP has a poor reputation, the message itself looks like spam, or recipients have been marking your mail as junk. The good news is that the first cause is the most common and the easiest to fix, often in under an hour.

Work through the checks below in order. Each one rules out a cause.

Step 1 - Look at the headers of a message that went to spam

Before changing anything, find out what the receiving server saw. Send a message to an external mailbox (a free webmail account works) and open the full headers: "Show original" in Gmail, "View message source" in Outlook.

Look for the Authentication-Results header:

Authentication-Results: mx.receiver.example;
       spf=pass smtp.mailfrom=example.co.za;
       dkim=pass header.d=example.co.za;
       dmarc=pass header.from=example.co.za

All three pass: authentication is fine. Move on to reputation and content.
Any fail, softfail, none or permerror: fix authentication first (Step 2).

Step 2 - Fix SPF, DKIM and DMARC

These three DNS records prove your mail is genuine. Mailbox providers are increasingly strict about them, and missing records are the single most common reason small businesses land in spam.

A working set for example.co.za looks like this. The exact include, selector and key always come from your email provider:

example.co.za.                       3600  IN  TXT  "v=spf1 mx include:_spf.mailprovider.example ~all"
default._domainkey.example.co.za.    3600  IN  TXT  "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEA..."
_dmarc.example.co.za.                3600  IN  TXT  "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]"

Common mistakes:

Two SPF records. Only one v=spf1 record is allowed. Merge them.
Forgot a sending service. Your accounting package, online store or newsletter tool also sends as your domain. Each needs to be in SPF and, ideally, sign with DKIM for your domain.
DKIM key pasted incompletely. Copy it again from your provider.

Our full guide, SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained, covers each record and a safe rollout.

Step 3 - Check your sending reputation

If authentication passes but mail still lands in spam, check reputation.

Is your server or IP on a blocklist? Public blocklist lookup tools let you check a sending IP against the major lists. If your mail server's IP is listed, contact your email provider; on shared email hosting the provider manages the IP and the delisting.
Is a mailbox compromised? A sudden spike in bounces, or replies to messages you did not send, suggests a hacked account sending spam. Change the password, turn on two-factor authentication where available, and tell your provider.
Is your domain new? Brand-new domains have no history. Send normal, person-to-person volumes at first and avoid bulk sends from a new domain.

Step 4 - Fix website and app email

Contact forms, order confirmations and password resets are a frequent source of spam-foldered mail. Often the website sends mail using the web server's default mail function, from an address that is not covered by SPF or DKIM.

The fix is to send through authenticated SMTP from a real mailbox on your domain, or through a transactional email service that signs with DKIM for your domain. Also:

Send from an address on your domain, such as [email protected] or [email protected], not a free webmail address.
Put the visitor's address in Reply-To, not in From. Sending "from" the visitor's address fails DMARC.

Step 5 - Review your content and sending habits

Content matters less than it used to, but some patterns still trigger filters:

A message that is one large image with little text.
Link shorteners, or link text that does not match the actual URL.
Attachments that are commonly abused, such as macros in Office files or zipped executables.
Very aggressive sales wording, all-caps subjects and lots of exclamation marks.
Mismatched names, for example a From name that differs completely from the domain.

For marketing email:

Only email people who opted in. POPIA section 69 sets strict rules for direct marketing by electronic communication; see the Information Regulator at inforegulator.org.za. Take professional advice for your specific situation.
Include a working unsubscribe link and honour it promptly.
Clean your list. Remove addresses that bounce and people who have not engaged for a long time.
Send bulk mail from a dedicated service, not from your everyday mailbox, so a campaign problem does not hurt your normal business email.

Step 6 - Ask recipients to help

Once the technical side is right, ask regular contacts who found you in spam to mark the message as "Not spam" and add your address to their contacts. That positive feedback helps future delivery.

Quick checklist

SPF, DKIM and DMARC all show pass in the headers
Only one SPF record, under 10 DNS lookups
Every service that sends as your domain is authorised
Sending IP not on a blocklist
No compromised mailboxes, strong unique passwords
Website forms use authenticated SMTP and Reply-To
Marketing email is opt-in with a working unsubscribe link
Bulk mail sent separately from day-to-day email

If you are still setting up your mailboxes, follow how to set up email on your own domain first. And if you are moving providers because of ongoing problems, see how to migrate email to a new host.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my emails go to spam for only one recipient?

Each provider has its own filters and the recipient's own history matters. Check the headers of a message sent to that provider, and ask the recipient to mark your mail as not spam and add you to their contacts.

How long does it take for SPF and DKIM changes to help?

The DNS records usually take effect within a few hours. Reputation takes longer to recover, so allow a few days of normal sending before judging the result.

Can I pay to guarantee my emails reach the inbox?

No legitimate service can guarantee inbox placement. Proper authentication, a clean sending reputation, opt-in lists and relevant content are what improve delivery.

Does my website hosting affect my email delivery?

It can, if your website sends mail directly from the web server. Sending through authenticated SMTP or a transactional email service fixes that, regardless of where the site is hosted.

Why did my emails start going to spam suddenly?

Look for something that changed: a new DNS provider without your TXT records, a new service sending as your domain, a compromised mailbox, or a blocklisted IP. The message headers usually point to the cause.

Tired of fighting spam folders? NewHost email hosting gives you mailboxes on your own domain with DNS you can edit in one place, plus local support to help you get SPF, DKIM and DMARC right.