Email Horror Stories, part 2 of 3

A cold sender that suddenly sends big looks exactly like the thing the filters were built to catch.

Last week was about the dead addresses on your list. This week is about the sender. Picture a domain or IP with no history that goes from a trickle to a flood overnight because someone senior decided the deadline was tonight. A mailbox provider can't tell that apart from a spammer who just bought a new domain.

I'm skipping the warm-up how-to, since you've read it already. What follows is what providers do when the spike lands, and which numbers decide whether you come out the other side.

The creature awakens

Email Horror Stories, part 1 of 3

Your list isn't an asset. It's a graveyard, and mailbox providers are the ones who dig things up.

Every program has one: the file nobody wants to touch. The 2019 petition drive. The rented "likely donors" list a vendor swore was clean. The event sign-ins from a conference three cycles ago. It sits in the ESP, it makes the total look big, and the day someone needs volume, it gets mailed.

Then the bounces show up. This post is about why, and what to do before the next send.

The crypt keeper's ledger

Series Edition: Section 2 - Authentication Protocols “Your Emails' Identity Crisis”

Your Emails Need an ID Card

SPF, DKIM, DMARC Explained (Without the Jargon)

Here’s an example: You write the ideal email. It has everything. You have a good copy and good design. You send it to 50,000 recipients. Gmail blocks your email.

Why?

Because you didn’t verify your identity.

This is called authentication, and you must do it.

The Trust Problem

These days, ISPs (Internet Service Providers: Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, et al.) do not trust anything by default. The first thing they want to ask about an incoming email is whether it is legitimate and whether it really came from whoever the sender claims to be.

And why do they do that? Because spammers are sneaky. They use fake domain names, masquerade as your bank, clone organizations, and send you emails which are supposedly sent "from: [email protected]," whereas they were sent from some shady server located in Russia.

To establish authenticity, ISPs designed a special mechanism that we refer to as an email's ID card and authentication protocols!

But here's how things are different: In February 2024, just two years ago, Gmail and Yahoo implemented this rule. If you're not authenticated, and you're trying to send 5,000 emails per day, they will not be accepted or moved to the junk folder without any consideration for the content. You'll be rejected. And today, in 2026, there are even more severe measures in place. There are no temporary warnings from ISPs anymore. Your emails get immediately rejected.

So if you haven't set this up yet, you have a serious problem right now.

The Three Protocols

There are three authentication systems. They work together like a security team. SPF is your basic ID check. DKIM is your certified signature. DMARC is the enforcement layer.

SPF: The Clipboard

SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. Here's the simple version: SPF is a whitelist.

You make a list of the servers that are allowed to send emails using your domain name. The email will be passed by Gmail if the email comes from any of those servers. Otherwise, the email will fail.

Imagine a bouncer with a list at the entrance of a nightclub. "Names on the list, come in. Not on the list? Then you can stay outside!"

Now here’s the downside: SPF checks the source only. However, a smart attacker can spoof an email if they know the right server. Yet it is crucial. Every domain need SPF.

DKIM: The Wax Seal

DKIM, which stands for DomainKeys Identified Mail, is tougher to spoof than SPF. This involves digitally signing your message, like stamping a wax seal on an envelope.

Here's how it works: Whenever you send an email, DKIM digitally signs it (this is done automatically by your email provider). Once the recipient gets your email, they authenticate this digital signature and ensure two things: (1) that it is genuinely from you, and (2) that it hasn’t been tampered with since sending.

ISPs consider DKIM very important when evaluating emails. If your email has been DKIM-signed, the ISPs give it priority. On the other hand, if it is unsigned, they are suspicious of it.

Good news: Your email provider takes care of DKIM signing automatically.

DMARC: The Boss

DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. It's the boss of the group. It combines SPF and DKIM and tells ISPs what to do when something goes wrong.

DMARC has two functions:

1. Enforcement: You inform ISPs about what should happen if an email fails SPF and/or DKIM. Should they reject the email? Quarantine it? Or should they simply monitor it?

2. Visibility: Reports come in that will let you know exactly what's going on in your authentication process.

Here's where you have some serious control and insight.

How They Work Together

SPF checks: Is this coming from an authorized server?

DKIM checks: Is this properly signed digitally?

DMARC policy: If either fails, this is your response.

All three work together to create a castle. Basically, you're saying, "Email security is important to me. IISPs can rely on my emails."

If one of them is missing, there is a vulnerability. The ISPs will take advantage of this by using more filtering.

And it must be monitored. You don’t set it up once and leave it alone.

Why ISPs Got Strict

ISPs are overwhelmed with spam. In fact, approximately 46% of email traffic consists of spam. Thus, ISPs are ruthless when it comes to filtering. And one of the first criteria is authentication.

If your email lacks SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols, ISPs will instantly assume that you're a spammer. No "maybe" or "possibly." Assume. Because legitimate businesses always authenticate their messages. Professionals don't send unauthenticated emails. Spammers do.

When Google and Yahoo required authentication two years ago, they weren't being jerks. They were saying, "Look, we are overwhelmed with spam. If you want us to consider looking at your message, show us it isn't a scam."

Why ISPs Became a Bouncer

Approximately 46% of all email that is being sent at this very moment is spam. Yeah, about 46%. That's crazy!

Gmail receives 15 billion unsolicited emails EVERYDAY. Yes, you heard right. 15 BILLION!

That is why they decided to tell everyone that “Nobody can be trusted anymore. Everyone must show ID.”

Having SPF, DKIM and DMARC will mean that you are telling Gmail, “I’m here legally and I take security seriously.” Gmail listens to that.

Not having these three means that Gmail treats you as spam. Since only legitimate businesses authenticate emails.

The Death Spiral (This Is What Actually Happens)

1. You fail authentication -> ISPs won’t recognize you

2. ISPs won’t recognize you -> your emails go through filtering

3. Emails are filtered -> people ignore them -> ISPs see low user activity

4. ISPs see low user activity -> they’ll be stricter with filtering next time

5. You’re on the spam permanently -> nothing goes through anymore

And the worst part about it is that the recovery process is long. We’re talking about weeks or even months. You’re going to be struggling against Gmail and Yahoo to get off the spam blocklist. Your reputation is ruined. And even when you do fix the authentication, Gmail’s not going to trust you anytime soon.

But there’s no need for it at all. This is entirely preventable.

Real Talk

If you’re not positive that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are configured, chances are good they’re not.

Check it right now. Seriously.

Look up “SPF DKIM DMARC checker,” type in your domain, and you’re done in five minutes. If there’s a problem, send an email to your email service provider ASAP. They’ll get it sorted out.

Not done setting them up. Better get started right now. Don’t wait. Do it today. Gmail and Yahoo aren’t playing games.

What You Need to Remember

Authentication is mandatory. This is true for Gmail and Yahoo, which will enforce it by 2026.

No authentication means automatic fraud. ISPs make no exceptions.

There are serious consequences for making mistakes. Loss of income. Reputational damage. Contractor expenses. Support costs. Loss of elections.

It takes time and money to rebuild your reputation. Preventative measures are less expensive than remedial ones.

You need SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, all three.

Next Section

Authentication is the first hurdle that ISPs put up for your emails. They need to confirm that your emails are authentic before looking at anything else.

But there's a second barrier: sender reputation.

Even when emails are perfectly authenticated, ISPs will still question if they should trust the sender by asking: “Are we sure about this sender?” The answer lies in various metrics such as how many users open your email, how often are you reported as spam, your history of sending, and whether you send to invalid email addresses.

Series Edition: Section 1 - The Basics

Why Your Emails Might Be Going to the Spam Folder

A Stat That Should Scare You

The thing is, 1 in 6 actual emails never makes it to the inbox.

Not spam, not wrong addresses, actual emails from actual companies to actual people who opted in to receive them. Poof, gone!

If you've ever sent 1,000 emails in the past month, you've probably already lost 170 of them to the spam folder or bounced before anyone ever sees them. If you've ever sent 100,000 that's 16,900 emails that no one will ever read.

And the worst part is, you probably don't even know it's happening!

Most people look at their email reports and they say, "Sent: 10,000 | Delivery Rate: 99%." But that 99% "delivered" rate doesn't tell you if they were delivered to the actual inbox or the actual spam folder. That's two totally different results.

So... What Even IS Email Deliverability?

Email deliverability is a simple idea, but messy in practice:

It's the question of whether your emails actually show up in people's inboxes, not spam folders, not promotional folders, not nowhere folders.

That's it. That's the whole idea.

Deliverability is not about getting your email out the door from your server. You can send an email with no problem, but it can end up in a spam folder. Deliverability is the difference between "sent" and "seen."

Here's a way to think about it:

Sending an email is like putting a letter in the mail. Deliverability is like getting it delivered to the doorstep, rather than the junk mail heap.

Deliverability vs. Inbox Placement: What's the Difference?

This is where a lot of confusion happens. These two terms get used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing.

So, here’s the real talk: a 99% delivery rate means nothing if only 75% of those emails get into the inbox. You’re celebrating your emails making it to the mail server while your revenue opportunities are in the spam folder.

Why Should You Even Care?

Because it impacts your business in three ways:

1. Revenue loss before anything else happens

If 17% of your emails don't make it to your customers' inboxes, that's 17% of your sales, customers, sign-ups, or engagement that just... disappears. Before they even see your email, before they decide to not buy from you, before anything, and nothing happens. That's money on the table that you'll never see.

2. Your sender reputation gets damaged

ISPs (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and so on) monitor your email performance. If people are ignoring your emails, deleting your emails, and marking your emails as spam, an ISP will be thinking: "This email sender is not trustworthy." And the worse your reputation gets, the stricter their spam filters will be on your emails. So, your best emails will end up in spam because an ISP already determined that you're a suspicious email sender.

3. Trust is lost, and it happens quietly with each unseen email

Your customers will unsubscribe from your emails because they never see your emails in their inboxes. Your open rates will be terrible. Your team will wonder if email marketing is even working anymore. Meanwhile, email deliverability is quietly slipping under the radar.

The Chaos Part: Dozens of Systems Are Judging Your Emails

Here's where it gets crazy.

Because when you hit "send" on that email, it doesn't go directly to that person's inbox. Before that happens, it has to go through dozens of invisible checks and filters, all at the same time, all with different rules.

Gmail's got its own algorithm. Yahoo's got its own rules. Outlook's got its own rules – and they're all totally different. And then there are all the authentication systems like SPF, DKIM, and DMARK (don't even get me started on those).

Then there's your reputation score as a sender, and your domain's reputation score, and how many people are actually engaging with your emails, and whether or not you're accidentally sending spam keywords in your content...

And that's still not even all of it.

Each one of these email providers has its own way of doing things, its own way of weighing all these different variables and determining whether to deliver your email.

It's chaos. Beautiful, algorithmic, invisible chaos.

But here's the good news: it's not random chaos.

There are patterns and rules and things that you can control.

And that's what this whole series is about.

The Real Question

Before we delve deeper into who and what is responsible for checking your emails, ask yourself:

Do you know what percentage of your emails actually land in the inbox today?

Not sent. Not delivered. Land in the inbox. Where actual humans can see them.

If you don't know the answer to this question, it's totally fine. You're not alone. Most teams don't track it until something goes wrong. But the space between "sent" and "seen" is where all your problems reside.

In the next section, we'll be introducing you to the unseen actors in your email's journey: the ISPs, spam filters, authentication protocols, and algorithms working together to determine your email's fate.

Spoiler alert: it's going to change everything.

Key Takeaway

Email deliverability is the space between sending an email and it arriving in someone’s inbox. The sad truth is that 1 in 6 legitimate emails never makes it to the inbox, which means revenue and engagement are slipping through your fingers before you ever get a chance to engage with them in the first place. And it’s not because of any one thing, it’s a system of invisible checks and filters all working together to pass judgment on every single email you send. The good news is, it’s all based on a system of rules, and understanding them is the first step to winning at email.

Disclaimer: We encourage “rolling” in the case of fire… Just not emails

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

Similar to the response time one may have to being engulfed in flames, I will make this insightful tidbit brief and to the point.

When it comes to block mitigation and server communication, we cannot control how the server responds… or even IF they respond. What we CAN control is how WE respond to the block.

To help make this as simple as possible, our email team has developed a memory tool from the simple and commonly-known (well, I hope it’s commonly known…) phrase “Stop, Drop and Roll.”

STOP

Stop sending completely

Pros – The issue will not progress/worsen; may help to refresh or recover IP/domain reputation

Cons – Domain/IP warming progress may be reversed (in some cases to the point of restarting)

DROP

Drop sending volume

Pros – Can halt a block or prevent further damage; may help to defend our sending practices in server communications

Cons – Can just prologue the inevitable (block) or prevent throttling limits from ever increasing

ROLL

Roll with it (proceed as you would if no issue occurred)

Pros – In rare cases, this issue resolves itself with no loss of volume or engagement for future sends

Cons – In many cases, this worsens the block, making it harder to resolve in this case and future cases for an indefinite amount of time

In contrast to one who may be caught on fire, our team actually discourages “rolling” in response to emailblocks and deliverability errors in most cases. As in the game of poker or the investment of stock, your risks should always be calculated.

Having reviewed that information, keep in mind that every case is different, and nothing is ever definite in the world of email marketing.

If you think you may have encountered a deliverability issue to any capacity and are considering how your team should respond, do not hesitate to reach out to your point of contact for further assistance.

For more information, contact our team for training or insight and visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

Goonies Never Say Die when it comes to Spam Traps

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

You’ve heard us mention “spam trap emails” – but do you know what that is?

Spam trap emails can catch even the least spammy of emails. This is because these email addresses are utilized specifically to locate senders who are not closely monitoring their recipient lists.

The thought process behind is that, should one of these “fake” emails enter your recipient list, it would be less likely that you are maintaining your recipient list so well that every email on it is a valid & confirmed subscriber.

Sending emails too many of these “recipients” could lead to many blocks that can be detrimental to your domain reputation and overall deliverability.

So how do you know which emails are spam traps? You don’t. They can be previously active but now expired emails, random emails made by servers for this purpose, and really anything in between. The servers use this method to help protect their users from receiving spam content but it surely adds an extra obstacle to those sending mass emails.

At the very least, you are now aware of what we mean when we say “spam traps” & at the very most, you’ll do your best to keep your email list as healthy as humanly possible.

AND LUCKY FOR YOU… we have a few in-platform tools to help you do just that.

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind regarding your recipient list:

ALWAYS turn on validations when importing new lists, especially large lists that may contain emails you are not personally familiar with…

Be sure to review recipient engagement and behavior – this is made easy with our Automation feature. Creating an engagement series for recipients who have not recently engaged with emails allows us to unsubscribe expired or uninterested recipients and their emails.

Respect the wishes of those who would like to be unsubscribed from your list. This means including visible unsubscribe links in all of our emails & reviewing responses for those who may have intended to unsubscribe. This is not only a legal requirement but will benefit you in the long-run. Angry recipients generally yield more spam complaints…

For more information about spam traps and how you can be proactive about keeping your recipient lists healthy, be sure to contact our team for training or insight.

For more information, please visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

OR

Fail or Pass

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

A saga of bounces and deferrals

As many of you are aware, we track the amount of fails each email encounters while it is attempting to send to your list of recipients. And, as some of you can attest, this can lead to some rather overwhelming statistics.

Before we get ourselves too worked up over a few failed email sends, let’s get a better idea of what we’re dealing with.

Our system, like many others of a similar nature, recognizes 2 types of failures:

Let’s think of soft fails as ‘deferrals’ – an email can defer multiple times & still ultimately go through. These can signify an impending block or simply be how that server delivers emails with a high volume of recipients.

Some servers, such as Verizon & Comcast, slowly deliver their messages so it can actually be common for them to have thousands of soft fails without having any hard fails. In some cases, a few messages may “time out.” This is still not necessarily a hard block.

Think of it as a waiting room with hundreds of people – they are either going to wait their turn (send) or they are going to get impatient and leave (time out).

Let’s think of hard fails as ‘bounces’ – an email can only bounce once. It either signifies a bad/invalid email, a server block, or the final soft fail.

It is important to look into these errors especially. Invalid emails should ALWAYS be removed from a recipient list; Server blocks always need appropriate attention and, when necessary, mitigation; and too many soft fails that permanently bounce means that we may be sending at too high of a volume.

Oftentimes, soft fails can be used proactively while hard fails generally require us to work reactively & learning how to best respond to both is key to successful email marketing. It is crucial to have an understanding of these types of errors because the quicker we respond to factors affecting our deliverability, the less damage they are able to cause.

INBOX PLACEMENT VS. DELIVERABILITY

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

I’m sure you’ve wondered, at one point or another, what we are really monitoring during our domain warming phases.

Well, I’ll tell you…

The two main things we are watching while determining how quickly or slowly we can increase our sending volume is:

1. Deliverability
2. Inbox Placement

I am sure you’ve heard both of these terms used by our email team; let’s discuss what they are, why they are important, & how we can be tracking them.

The WHAT

Deliverability implies to the rate at which your sends are getting through to the server

Inbox placement refers to where your email lands – whether it lands in spam, your promotional inbox (‘other,’ ‘promotions,’ etc.), or your primary inbox.

The WHY

Deliverability is a key player in your email ‘delivering;’ it simply means the rate at which a server is allowing your messages through to the recipient. This does not ensure where the email will land within the inbox, just that the server did not fully block the message.

Inbox placement is, arguably, even more important because it determines where the email lands within the inbox. Since many of us are not regularly looking through our junk mailboxes, I think we can all agree the email will reach the most recipients when it is visible in the general inbox.

The HOW

When it comes to tracking your success with deliverability, we are looking at our deliverability rate. The closer the deliverability rate is to 100%, the better!

In terms of our inbox placement, we will be monitoring our open rate. While it can be impossible to precisely measure our inbox placement, a higher open rate means that more people are likely seeing the email, meaning it is more likely to be landing in our recipients’ general inbox

The graphic above shows us a couple of different servers & their deliverability and open rate. It is a great example of how our deliverability & inbox placement can reflect on each server differently.