When sending SmartMail through ARTERNAL, your emails are delivered directly through your own email server (Gmail, Microsoft, etc.). Because of this, spam-filtering is controlled by your email provider—not ARTERNAL.
However, there are steps you can take to greatly improve deliverability and reduce the chance of your messages landing in spam.
✅ 1. Ask your clients to add you as a contact
Spam filters often loosen when a recipient has saved your email address.
Hover over your email address and suggest clients “Add to Contacts” in Gmail or Outlook.
✅ 2. Ensure SPF & DKIM are correctly configured
These authentication records tell email providers your messages are legitimate:
SPF verifies your sending server is authorized.
DKIM adds a digital signature to confirm authenticity.
These must be set up in your domain settings by whoever manages your email hosting (IT team, Google Workspace admin, etc.).
Google Workspace setup guides:
SPF Setup: https://support.google.com/a/answer/33786
DKIM Setup: https://support.google.com/a/answer/174124
✅ 3. Confirm whether your domain uses DMARC
DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM to improve domain trust and reduce spoofing.
If DMARC is missing or misconfigured, some providers may filter your message into spam.
Your IT team or domain admin can check this within your DNS records
✅ 4. Avoid content that triggers spam filters
Even with proper authentication, certain email behaviors increase spam likelihood:
Excessive images or very large attachments
All-caps subject lines
Short, vague subjects like “Hello” or “Urgent”
Sending large batches to recipients who haven’t interacted before
Formatting that resembles marketing spam
✅ 5. If you're using Gmail
Gmail applies additional filtering based on domain reputation.
To improve deliverability:
Verify your domain in Google Workspace
Enable SPF and DKIM
Avoid sending large, identical batches of emails
Use clear subject lines and clean formatting
✅ 6. Use Online Spam Checkers (Optional but Helpful)
Tools like online spam analyzers can help you understand whether the content of your email might trigger spam filters.
Check your email score: https://mailmeteor.com/spam-checker
Learn additional best practices: https://sendgrid.com/en-us/blog/10-tips-to-keep-email-out-of-the-spam-folder
These tools scan for common red flags—such as formatting, wording, image-to-text ratios, and link behavior—and give you an estimate of how likely your message is to be flagged as spam.
📌 What ARTERNAL can and cannot control
Since SmartMail uses your own email server, ARTERNAL cannot override your domain’s authentication or the spam logic of Gmail or Outlook.
We can help review:
sending behavior
formatting concerns
unexpected bounce patterns
—but authentication must be configured by your domain admin.
💬 Still having issues?
If you’ve updated SPF/DKIM and emails are still landing in spam, send us an example including:
Recipient email provider
The message subject line
Approximate date/time sent
We’re happy to take a closer look and suggest next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q: Why does ARTERNAL show my email as sent, but the client can’t find it?
A: If SPF/DKIM aren’t configured, the receiving provider may place the email in spam or promotions even if ARTERNAL shows “sent successfully.”
Q: Do I need SPF, DKIM, and DMARC if I already use Google Workspace?
A: Yes. Google strongly recommends all three, especially DKIM, to improve deliverability.
Q: Who is responsible for setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?
A: Your domain or Google Workspace admin - these records must be added in your DNS settings.
Q: Will ARTERNAL support configure SPF or DKIM for me?
A: No. These records are tied to your own email domain and must be set up by your IT team or domain provider.”
Q: Why do some clients receive my emails while others do not?
A:Each email service provider (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) uses its own spam rules. Deliverability may vary if authentication isn’t correctly set up
Q: Does sending many emails quickly increase spam risk?
A: Yes. Providers may flag high-volume identical messages from unauthenticated domains.
Q: Can images or PDFs cause my email to go to spam?
A: They can contribute, especially if the email contains large attachments or resembles promotional content.
Q: If SPF/DKIM are incorrect, will my emails bounce?
A: Not always. Most email providers will accept the message but place it in spam instead.
Q: Does ARTERNAL have access to spam reports or filtering logs?
A: No. Spam filtering occurs on the receiving email server. ARTERNAL cannot view or override those logs.
Q: What should I do if my emails still go to spam?
A: Verify:
SPF is published
DKIM is passing
DMARC is configured
Content isn’t triggering spam filters
Then reach out to us with the details so we can investigate further.