Why do my emails go to spam even when SPF and DKIM pass?
SPF and DKIM pass, and your emails still land in spam? That is not a contradiction. The two checks show who sent the mail and that the signed parts were not changed. They do not show whether the recipient wants it.
What SPF and DKIM show
SPF shows which servers may send for your domain. DKIM shows that the signed parts of the mail were not changed on the way. Both are needed, but they are not enough for the inbox. A clean mail from a new or poorly rated sender can still land in spam.
What else decides
- Sender reputation: The history of your IP and domain. A new sender starts with little trust.
- Recipient reactions: Opens, replies and complaints. Mailbox providers learn from how recipients react.
- List quality: Old or purchased addresses cause bounces and complaints.
- Content and links: Shorteners, links to unknown domains, or mail that is almost all image.
- Bulk rules: Gmail and Yahoo require a one-click unsubscribe header (RFC 8058) for promotional mail from bulk senders. Transactional mail such as order confirmations is exempt. Without the header, bulk mail is filtered more often.
- The recipient's own filter: Each provider decides for itself.
What a test can and cannot do
A test checks the technical setup: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, blocklists, encryption and headers. A good score means the setup is right. A test cannot predict how a mailbox provider rates your sending history. Use the SPF check and the email test to see the technical state.
Next steps
- Fix the technical findings from the test.
- Remove addresses that bounce or never open.
- Offer a visible one-click unsubscribe.
- Send to active recipients first, and grow the list slowly.
The individual causes are covered in why emails go to spam.