# Avoid spam issues Source: https://yamm.com/help/usage/create-campaign/avoid-spam-issues/ When you launch big mass-emailing campaigns regularly, you'll face spam issues at some point. This article covers what spam is and the anti-spam rules that keep your campaigns deliverable. ## What is spam? A **spam** (or junk email) is usually defined as an unsolicited, undesired, or illegal email, most often sent in big batches via a mail merge tool. Using YAMM for emailing campaigns is legal; spamming is not. The most common example is the salesperson who purchases an email list online and emails the contacts with a targeted message hoping they'll become prospects. Why is this bad? The recipients **never agreed** to receive emails from the salesperson. Google (or other webmail providers) consider this activity as suspicious. Repeated spam behavior harms your account or domain reputation — and Google may block your account. ### From a legal standpoint Spam laws vary by country. Always apply two key rules: - Never use deceptive reply-to addresses, subject lines, or names. - Always include a valid unsubscribe link in your emails. ### From a technical standpoint Beyond legal requirements, your emails also have to get past spam filters and avoid triggering complaints from recipients. #### Spam filters Spam filters consider several criteria: - **Your email header (metadata)**: Date, From, To, Subject. Filters check whether recipients know you, so use a verified domain, personalize the subject, ask permission. - **Your IP address**: If you've spammed people before, filters remember and flag your future campaigns. - **The HTML code**: Unstructured HTML is suspect. Sloppy code can be inserted by copying from Word or Google Docs, so use one of the recommended methods to [Draft your template](https://yamm.com/help/usage/create-campaign/draft-template/index.md). - **Email content and formatting**: Specific words, aggressive colors (red), typography (capital letters, exclamation marks) may trigger filters. Keep content clear and consistent with the subject line. #### Abuse report People can flag any email as spam with one click. ![Spam button in the Gmail toolbar above an open message](https://yamm.com/help/images/docs/usage/create-campaign/avoid-spam-issues/what-is-spam-how-is-email-marked-as-spam-1.png) Sometimes people accidentally mark an email as spam when they only wanted to unsubscribe. To avoid this, always [include an unsubscribe link](https://yamm.com/help/usage/create-campaign/insert-unsubscribe-link/index.md). ## How to avoid being flagged as spam The rules below summarize the main practices that reduce your chance of being blocked by Google or getting spam complaints. Also check Google's [Bulk Sender Guidelines](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/81126), which set specific requirements for messages delivered to `@gmail.com` / `@googlemail.com` inboxes. ### Set a valid SPF record (Google Workspace) Info: This section applies if you send with a Google Workspace account. Not sure if your account is Google Workspace or personal Gmail? See [Account types](https://yamm.com/help/account-types/index.md). SPF [(RFC7208)](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7208) is an email authentication protocol that allows the **owner** of a domain to specify which mail servers are **authorized** to send mail from that domain. If your domain doesn't have a valid SPF record, your emails are more likely to be flagged as spam. You can also check your domain's configuration yourself using [Google Admin Toolbox](https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/checkmx/). If you see the following message, your domain doesn't have a valid SPF record for Google mail servers, and some recipient domains may reject messages from your users. ![SPF check result stating that there should be a valid SPF record](https://yamm.com/help/images/docs/usage/create-campaign/avoid-spam-issues/set-valid-spf-record-to-avoid-spam-google-workspace-admins-only-2.png) If you are the owner of your domain's DNS settings, you can configure the SPF record yourself. Otherwise, ask your Workspace admin or IT team to do it. See [Google's documentation on SPF records](https://support.google.com/a/answer/33786). ### Warm up your Google account Google carefully monitors usage on new Google Workspace or Gmail accounts. - Start with a small list (e.g., fewer than 50 emails). - Track the mini-campaign to see how recipients react. If you receive a lot of bounces, double-check your contact list. Your database may be outdated or not legitimate. See [Bounce rate](https://yamm.com/help/usage/track-campaign/bounce-rate/index.md). ![Contact list spreadsheet with a BOUNCED merge status and an Address not found tooltip](https://yamm.com/help/images/docs/usage/create-campaign/avoid-spam-issues/anti-spam-rules-how-to-avoid-spam-filters-and-being-blocked-by-google-1.png) Skipping the warm-up or ramping up volume too fast can get your account blocked . See [My account has been blocked by Google](https://yamm.com/help/usage/troubleshooting/account-delivery-scheduling/index.md#why-did-google-block-your-account). ### Use double opt-in Double opt-in gets you explicit authorization: after someone signs up on your website, send a confirmation email with a link they must click to activate their subscription. This confirms the address is valid and reduces [bounces](https://yamm.com/help/usage/track-campaign/bounce-rate/index.md#what-are-bounces). ### Don't purchase email lists Most lists of addresses sold online are collected without the owners' consent, or even their knowledge. Emailing such a list gets you marked as spam, generates abuse reports, and permanently damages your domain reputation. ### Don't assume people gave permission Ask customers directly for permission, whether through a paper form at a trade fair or a subscription checkbox at signup on your website. Public contact details (LinkedIn, social media) aren't permission to send promotional emails. ### Set expectations for your emails Tell subscribers what to expect: how often they'll hear from you (weekly, monthly) and what topics you'll cover. Then stick to it — sending too many emails or off-topic content erodes the trust that got them to subscribe in the first place. ### Don't wait too long to contact subscribers Transactional emails (welcome, purchase confirmation) follow immediately after the trigger action. Newsletters and bulk emails need to be planned. If your first newsletter arrives 6 months after the last purchase, subscribers will have forgotten you and flag the email as spam or unsubscribe. ### Insert a clear unsubscribe link Insert a clear [unsubscribe link](https://yamm.com/help/usage/create-campaign/insert-unsubscribe-link/index.md). Unsubscribers reduce campaign size, but the impact is mild. Without an obvious way to unsubscribe, recipients hit the **Mark as Spam** button instead, which damages your domain reputation. ![Gmail draft with an unsubscribe link pointing to the YAMM unsubscribe URL](https://yamm.com/help/images/docs/usage/create-campaign/insert-unsubscribe-link/insert-unsubscribe-link-in-email-to-reduce-spam-issues-1.png) ### Be consistent with your brand image Keep design guidelines, logo, tone, and messaging consistent across emails so subscribers recognize you. Drifting from your brand image confuses recipients and reduces engagement. ### Clean up and organize your contact list Update your contact list regularly by removing bounced, inactive, or unengaged addresses. Emailing a stale list drives up bounce rates, which lowers your open rates and can get your Google account blocked. See [My account has been blocked by Google](https://yamm.com/help/usage/troubleshooting/account-delivery-scheduling/index.md#why-did-google-block-your-account). Segment your list instead of emailing everyone the same way: group subscribers by how they signed up, what they're interested in, or how recently they've engaged, and tailor each campaign to the group.