If your outgoing mail is landing in spam folders or being rejected outright, the cause is usually a combination of misconfigured DNS, a poor IP reputation, or content patterns that trigger spam filters. This article walks through how to test your spam score, fix the most common issues, and adjust your sending habits to keep your messages in the inbox.
About spam scoring
Most receiving mail servers assign every incoming message a numeric spam score based on dozens of signals: authentication results, sender reputation, content patterns, header anomalies, and more. Messages above a threshold are filtered to spam or rejected. Lowering your score means addressing those signals one by one.
Step 1: Send a test email to a scoring service
The fastest way to learn what is hurting your score is to send a message to a free testing service and read its report.
- Visit mail-tester.com and copy the test email address shown on the page.
- Send a normal email from your account to that test address.
- Return to the mail-tester page and click Then check your score.
- Review the score and the detailed breakdown of what affected it.
Tip: Aim for a score of 9/10 or higher. The report explains each point lost, which makes it easy to fix the largest issues first.
Step 2: Confirm SPF and DKIM are valid
SPF and DKIM are the two records that prove a message really came from your domain. If either is missing or misconfigured, every outgoing message takes a large hit.
- In your mail-tester results, click You're (not) fully authenticated.
- Review the SPF and DKIM details and note any failures.
- Fix any missing or invalid records. For SPF, see Setting Up SPF Records for Exact Hosting Email. For DKIM, contact Exact Hosting Support to generate or verify your DKIM record.
Step 3: Check the health of your sending IP
If your IP is on a public blocklist, for example SORBS or Abusix, or has no proper reverse DNS, your mail can be rejected outright regardless of content.
- Visit ifconfig.me and copy your IP address.
- Go to MxToolbox Blacklist Check, enter your IP, and click Blacklist Check.
- Run a reverse lookup at MxToolbox Reverse Lookup. A properly configured IP returns a hostname in the result.
Warning: Only the IP owner, your ISP, can request delisting from public blocklists. Exact Hosting Support cannot safelist a public blocklist entry. If your IP is listed, contact your ISP so they can pursue delisting or assign you a new address.
Step 4: Adjust your sending habits
Filters look at the content and structure of your messages, not only your DNS and IP. The patterns below consistently affect spam scores.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Use lowercase or mixed-case subject lines. | Use ALL CAPS subject lines. |
| Trim extra spaces, especially at the start and end of subject lines. | Add padding spaces around the subject. |
| Trim reply history to only the relevant parts. | Leave long reply chains attached to short replies. |
| Keep attachments under 27 MB. | Send attachments larger than 27 MB. Upload to Google Drive or Dropbox and share a link instead. |
Tip: See Exact Hosting Email Deliverability Best Practices for a deeper checklist that covers subject line writing, message body content, and list hygiene.
Next steps
- Set up DMARC. See Understanding Gmail, Microsoft, and Yahoo DMARC Requirements for Hosted Email.
- Investigate ongoing rejections. See Troubleshooting Spam and Rejections in Exact Hosting Hosted Email.
- Re-test after every change. Re-run mail-tester after each fix so you can confirm the score improves.
Questions? Contact Exact Hosting Support.
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