Why are my emails going to spam?

If some of your emails land in spam or the Promotions tab instead of the inbox, you're not doing anything wrong - and it's one of the most common questions in email marketing. This article explains how inbox placement actually works, why it varies, and what you can do to land in the inbox as often as possible.

First, the single most important thing to understand:

Once you accept that placement is a spectrum rather than a switch, the rest makes sense.

How inbox placement is decided

Whether an email reaches the inbox isn't set by Wiz or by the content of a single email - it's decided by the inbox provider (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) based mostly on your sender reputation: how trustworthy your sending domain looks, and how people have engaged with your past emails.

Every provider scores this differently and re-evaluates constantly, which is why the same campaign can place differently across Gmail vs Outlook, or even across two Gmail users. It's probabilistic, not a fixed rule.

The common causes of spam placement

• A brand-new or newly-connected domain. Inbox providers don't trust an unknown sender yet. Trust is earned by sending consistently to people who engage - see Warming up a new domain.
• Previous domain reputation. If your sending domain has history (from you or a prior tool), good or bad, it carries over.
• Low engagement. If lots of recipients ignore or delete your emails, providers learn your mail isn't wanted and start filtering it. This is why who you send to matters as much as what you send.
• Over-mailing. Blasting your whole list too often drags engagement down and hurts placement.

The throughline: reputation and engagement, not any single email.

How to maximize inbox placement

Placement improves over time when you build a healthy sending history. The essentials:

1. Warm up a new domain before big sends - see Warming up a new domain.
2. Send to engaged people. Follow the recommended segments and don't over-mail - see Email deliverability best practices.
3. Keep your flows on. Flows go to your most engaged, expecting recipients, which steadily strengthens your reputation.
4. Give it time. Reputation is a habit, not a one-time fix; it compounds the longer you send well.

Quick fix if your own test email lands in spam

When you send a test to yourself and it lands in spam or Promotions, you can actively teach your own inbox that your mail is wanted:

1. Move the email to your Primary tab.
2. Open it.
3. Click a link inside it.

These are strong "this is wanted" signals - and doing the same encourages your provider to treat future emails from you more favorably.

Help customers find their welcome email

New subscribers sometimes miss the first email because it lands in Promotions or spam. Add a line to your pop-up telling them to check their spam or promotions folder for the discount - a small note that recovers a lot of first-purchase discounts. (See Customizing your pop-up design.)

Common questions

Why did the same campaign land in the inbox for one person and spam for another?

Because each inbox provider - and even each mailbox - scores placement independently based on reputation and that person's own engagement. Variation between recipients is normal.

Can Wiz guarantee 100% inbox placement?

No tool can - placement is controlled by the inbox providers, not by Wiz. What moves the needle is your sending reputation, which the best practices above are designed to build.

Will this get better on its own?

Largely yes - reputation improves over time when you warm up properly and keep sending to engaged people. Deliverability is a habit you maintain, not a one-time fix.

Updated on: 27/07/2026