How To Fix The WordPress Emails Going To Spam 

I was testing passwordless login on my WordPress site and discovered. I logged out and requested a magic link. The email never came. Refreshed my inbox. Still nothing. Waited a few minutes. Nada. Was my WordPress site not sending emails? Finally, checked my inbox and discovered crucial WordPress emails going to spam.

I did some research and realised that this happens to WordPress site owners all the time. Your emails go to spam. What I learnt was that WordPress wasn’t designed to send emails successfully. Most mail servers flag it as untrustworthy. 

It’s frustrating. But it’s fixable. This guide will show you exactly how to stop your WordPress emails from going to spam.

TL;DR: Fix it by setting up SMTP or using services like SendGrid. But, before you start troubleshooting, test everything on a staging site first. 

Why do WordPress emaild go to the spam folder?

WordPress uses your web server’s built-in mail function to send emails. This is like sending mail without a return address. Email providers don’t trust it.

Here’s what happens. Your server sends an email claiming to be from “noreply@yoursite.com”. But there’s no proof it actually came from your domain. Gmail, Outlook, and other providers see this as suspicious. They dump it in spam.

What gets flagged:

• No authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• Mismatched sender domains
• Poor sender reputation from shared hosting
• Generic “from” addresses like wordpress@yoursite.com
• Missing proper email headers

How do you fix the “wordpress emails going to spam ” error?

You can’t afford to have your WooCommerce emails going into spam folders. Password resets that never arrive. Order confirmations that vanish. Contact form messages that customers think you’re ignoring. Every email that goes to spam is a potential lost customer. A frustrated user. A broken user experience.

In this section, we’ll go over how to fix the problem. 

Step 1: Identify the root cause

When your WordPress site’s emails consistently land in spam folders, the first step is to diagnose the root cause. We’ll go over a bunch of things to figure out exactly what is happening. 

A. Check if your server has been blacklisted

Email blacklists are databases maintained by various organizations that track IP addresses and domains known to send spam or malicious content. When your server’s IP address appears on these blacklists, email providers automatically filter your messages into spam folders or reject them entirely.

To check that go to MXToolbox Blacklist Check. Enter your server’s IP address or domain name. Click Blacklist Check to scan multiple blacklist databases.

If blacklisted, follow the delisting procedures provided by each blacklist service. Maybe even consider switching to a dedicated IP or reputable email service if blacklisting persists

B. Check for selective spam filtering:

When only certain types of emails from your WordPress site end up in spam, it indicates content-specific or recipient-specific filtering. 

Email providers use algorithms that evaluate individual messages. They look at subject lines, body content, sender reputation, and recipient engagement patterns. Certain email types may trigger spam filters due to specific keywords, formatting, or sending patterns, while others pass through normally.

Here’s what you can do to find out:

• Test different email types from your site (contact forms, password resets, newsletters, order confirmations)
• Send test emails to multiple email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) using different accounts
• Document which emails consistently reach the inbox versus spam folder
• Check if spam issues correlate with specific content types, subject lines, or recipient domains
• Review your email logs to identify patterns in delivery failures or spam classifications
• Use email testing tools like Mail Tester or GlockApps to analyze specific message content

C. Problems with image and attachments 

There are a lot of things that can trigger your email being flagged as spam. Here’re what you should look out for: 

• Compare delivery rates between text-only emails and image-heavy emails from your site
• Test emails with different image-to-text ratios (aim for 60% text, 40% images)
• Remove all images and attachments from a problematic email and test delivery
• Ensure images are hosted on your domain or reputable CDNs, not third-party image hosts
• Check if your images have proper alt text and are optimized for email clients
• Verify that any attachments are necessary and use common, safe file formats
• Use email preview tools to see how your emails render across different clients

D. Look out for Top-Level Domain (TLD) Issues

Your website’s top-level domain (TLD) – the suffix like .com, .org, or .info – can influence email deliverability. Some TLDs have poor reputations due to widespread abuse by spammers, while others are considered more trustworthy by email providers.

Ceain TLDs, particularly newer generic TLDs (gTLDs) like .click, .download, or .top, have been heavily exploited by spammers and scammers. Email providers may apply additional scrutiny to emails originating from domains using these TLDs. Even legitimate websites using these domains may face deliverability challenges due to the overall reputation of their TLD.

Here’s what you can do:

• Research your TLD’s reputation using domain reputation tools like Sender Score by MTToolbox. 
• Compare your email deliverability with similar websites using different TLDs
• Check spam filter logs to see if your TLD is specifically mentioned in filtering decisions
• Test email delivery using a subdomain of a more reputable domain if possible
• Monitor industry reports about TLD reputation and spam trends
• Consider the age and registration history of your specific domain within the TLD
• If using a problematic TLD, evaluate migrating to a more trusted extension like .com, .org, or .net

Step 2: Set Up SMTP

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is like hiring a professional mail service instead of dropping letters in random mailboxes. It authenticates your emails and sends them through trusted servers.

Expert Advice:
SMTP’s help because it:
– Uses proper authentication protocols
– Sends through reputable mail servers
– Includes proper email headers and signatures
– Builds sender reputation over time
– Provides delivery tracking and analytics

There are a lot of SMTP plugins for WordPress. But, for this article, we’re going to use WP Mail SMTP.

Here’s how to do that:

1. Install WP Mail SMTP plugin
2. Choose your email service
3. Enter your SMTP server details
4. Add your email credentials
5. Set the “From” email address
6. Enable authentication
7. Use the plugin’s test email feature

Once configured, all WordPress emails route through your SMTP service instead of your web server. Your emails get proper authentication and much better delivery rates.

Step 3: Setting Up DNS Authentication Records

DNS authentication records are special entries in your domain’s DNS settings that verify your legitimacy as an email sender. They act as digital signatures proving your emails are genuine.

Email providers require proper DNS authentication to combat spam and phishing. Without these records, your emails appear unverified and are likely marked as spam or rejected entirely. Major providers like Gmail and Outlook have strict authentication requirements, making proper DNS setup essential for inbox delivery.

Since you’ve already installed WP Mail SMTP, you can use their DNS Check. Just access the “Tools” section where WP Mail SMTP provides specific DNS record instructions for your chosen provider. The plugin automatically generates the correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records based on your selected email service. Copy these records exactly as provided and add them to your domain’s DNS settings through your hosting provider or domain registrar’s control panel.

Allow 24-48 hours for DNS propagation, then use WP Mail SMTP’s built-in testing tools to verify your authentication is working correctly. The plugin will show you the status of your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records and highlight any issues that need attention.

Step 4: Modify content to suit spam filters

Ensuring Your Email Content Isn’t Spammy

Certain words, formatting patterns, and content structures are associated with spam and can cause your WordPress emails to be filtered, even if they’re legitimate.

Here’s what to look for:

1. Subject Lines: Avoid words like “FREE,” “URGENT,” or “CLICK HERE” and don’t use ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation
2. Text-to-Image Ratio: Keep emails at least 60% text and 40% images or less
3. Language: Use natural, conversational language and avoid overly promotional terms
4. Formatting: Use standard fonts, proper spelling, and don’t overuse bold or colored text
5. Links: Limit the number of links and use descriptive anchor text instead of “Click here”
6. Unsubscribe: Always include a clear unsubscribe link in the footer for marketing emails

Prevent WordPress emails going to spam

When emails end up in spam, important notifications like password resets, order confirmations, contact form submissions, and security alerts may never reach their intended recipients. This can lead to frustrated users, lost sales opportunities, security vulnerabilities, and damaged relationships with your audience. But, now that you’ve configured your SMTP plugin, you’re all set. However, there are a few things I want to bring up. 

1. Maintain a clean email list: Regularly remove bounced email addresses and inactive subscribers. Use double opt-in processes for newsletter signups and implement spam protection like CAPTCHA on contact forms to prevent fake submissions.
2. Monitor sender reputation: Check your domain and IP reputation using tools like Sender Score. Set up alerts for reputation drops and track bounce rates, complaint rates, and engagement levels to identify issues early.
3. Use personalized sender information: Configure WordPress emails with recognizable sender names like “Your Business Name” instead of generic “noreply” addresses. Use email addresses from your domain that are consistent across all email types.
4. Maintain consistency in sending practices: Establish regular, predictable sending patterns rather than sporadic bulk emails. Avoid sudden spikes in email volume and gradually ramp up sending if you need to increase volume.

Final Thoughts

SMTP plugins like WP Mail SMTP are basically the only thing you need to fix the error. It was a one-stop solution to stop emails from going to spam. It was easy to setup and they had documentation for everything. 

However, before making changes on my live website, I setup a staging site first. I used MalCare to do so. I highly recommend you do this too. It’s to prevent any unforeseen issues that may come up. 

 FAQs

Why am I getting spam emails from WordPress?

If you’re receiving spam emails that appear to come from WordPress, your site may have been compromised or your contact forms are being exploited by spammers. Check for malicious plugins, update WordPress and all plugins to the latest versions, and implement spam protection like reCAPTCHA on your forms. Also verify that spammers aren’t spoofing your domain by setting up proper DNS authentication records.

Why are my outgoing emails suddenly going to spam?

Sudden spam filtering often indicates a change in your server’s reputation, DNS configuration issues, or problems with your email content. Check if your server IP has been blacklisted, verify your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are properly configured, and review recent changes to your email content or sending patterns. A hosting provider change or server migration can also trigger these issues.

How do I stop spam in WordPress?

Install spam protection plugins like Akismet for comments and use reCAPTCHA on contact forms. Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated to prevent security vulnerabilities. Implement strong passwords and limit login attempts. For email spam, set up proper authentication records and use a reputable SMTP service to improve your sender reputation.

How do I fix my emails going to spam?

Start by checking your server’s blacklist status using MXToolbox, then set up proper DNS authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Install an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP to route emails through a reliable service. Configure personalized sender information, maintain clean email lists, and ensure your content follows spam filter guidelines. Test your configuration thoroughly before going live.