How To Stop Your Emails Going to Spam in 2025: Prevent Junk Folder Issues

Updated: 17/09/2025

Have your recent emails been flagged, or are you wondering how to stop your emails from going into spam? If your business sends out regular email campaigns or emails to contact your customers then you know how crucial it is that they do not end up in the black hole that is the junk folder!

Realistically if it ends up in the junk folder then you might as well have never sent it, because you are never getting a response.

There are several proven strategies to ensure your emails land in the inbox, from avoiding spam triggers to setting up authentication. Here’s how to stop emails going to junk in 2025:

Don’t Use Spam Words

There are a few words that you should avoid when creating your emails to make sure they don’t get flagged as junk. Words such as “Free” and “Fast Cash”. These words will definitely be flagged by spam filters and directed to the junk folder instead of the inbox.

Choosing your content carefully is crucial to stop your emails going into spam or being automatically flagged.

Modern spam filters (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) use AI to analyze context, not just words, but certain phrases still trigger flags. Avoid excessive punctuation (e.g., “!!!”, “$$”), all-caps, or phrases like “Act Now,” “Guaranteed,” or “Click Here.”

Here are a few examples of words & phrases you should avoid:

• Free Investment
• Credit
• No hidden costs
• 100% Free
• Free Gift
• Miracle
• Make Money
• Cheap
• Billion
• Best Price
• Guaranteed
• Click Here
• Act Now

There are plenty more words to avoid, read through this list of known spam words to learn more. Remember, you can use some of these words once or twice but if your email is littered with one spam word after another, it is most likely going to get flagged.

Create An Engaging Headline

The headline is key! It is not only what grabs the recipient’s attention, but it is what can avoid you going directly to junk. If your headline is overly sales focused or contains spam phrases then you are in trouble.

We recommend that you go for a subtle and mysterious headline. Reveal enough that you have their attention, but not enough for them to scroll past. Questions and bold statements work especially well at drawing people’s attention to your email.

For example, “Boost Your Sales Today!” may trigger spam filters, while “How Can You Improve Your Sales Strategy?” feels engaging and safe. Avoid all-caps or excessive punctuation. In 2025, Gmail’s tabbed inbox (Promotions vs. Primary) and Outlook’s Focused Inbox prioritize relevant headlines based on user engagement.

Think of something bold to stand out in the sea of unopened messages. This is an integral way how to stop your emails going into spam or getting flagged.

Text To Image Ratio

It is crucial that you find the sweet spot between text and images. The biggest mistake you can make is creating an image in Photoshop with all the information and uploading it to email. This will send as one big image as the text will not be detected, so will immediately show as spam.

When a spam filter only detects one big image and no text it often assumes the worst. So make sure you are using enough text to compliment your chosen images. Aim for a 60:40 text-to-image ratio, with alt text for images to improve accessibility and avoid spam flags.

Spam checkers do pay attention to the URLs that you are linking to. So you need to make sure that you are using reputable links. Avoid shortened URLs (EG: bit.ly) or links to domains with poor reputation, as these raise red flags. Use HTTPS links and check domain reputation via tools like Talos Intelligence.

Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

Modern spam filters rely heavily on email authentication to verify sender legitimacy. Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential to prevent emails from going to junk, especially for bulk senders (>5,000 emails/day) since Google/Yahoo’s 2024 mandates:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Specifies which IP addresses can send emails for your domain. Add an SPF record to your DNS (e.g., v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all).
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to emails to prove they’re from your domain. Enable via your email provider (e.g., Gmail, Zoho).
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication): Combines SPF/DKIM to tell receivers what to do with unauthenticated emails (e.g., v=DMARC1; p=quarantine;). Use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor compliance.

Without these, up to 50% of emails risk spam placement in 2025. ZeroBounce reports that up to 80% of users ignore an email as they think it’s spam. Use tools like MXToolbox to verify setup.

Good Links

Spam checkers do pay attention to the URLs that you are linking to. So you need to make sure that you are using reputable links.

Linking to pages with a poor reputation can have a negative effect on your emails, so beware!

Use A Spam Checking Tool

With the internet, there is a solution to every problem! There are multiple spam checker tools out there for you to utilise. Our favourite is GlockApps, which tests deliverability across Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. Other great options include Mail-Tester (free) and Litmus.

These tools analyze your email for spam triggers, authentication issues, and deliverability risks, flagging problematic elements like spam words or broken links. For example, Keap’s built-in checker (formerly KEAP) is solid for small businesses, but GlockApps offers broader testing across email clients.

This way you can create your wonderful emails easily, whilst not having to worry about spam. Spam checkers will automatically flag elements or phrases that need changing to avoid triggering spam filters.

Create A Clear Unsubscribe Link

Not only is this a legal requirement but is email etiquette at this point. At the bottom of your email, you should have a clear link that recipients can click in order to opt out of receiving your emails.

The emphasis is on CLEAR. You do not want to frustrate users and have them mark you as spam manually. Under CAN-SPAM (US) and GDPR (UK/EU), unsubscribe links must be visible, functional, and process opt-outs within 10 days. Include your physical address in the footer for compliance.

Send A Test

Before sending out your email it is beneficial to send out a test. This way you can see how the email presents itself in the inbox. Highlight any problems, such as unclear imagery, spelling mistakes, or links that may not be working. It is best to catch these mistakes sooner rather than later.

This test will also let you know if your email ends up in the junk folder. Use a seed list (multiple test email addresses across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) to check deliverability. Tools like Litmus or Email on Acid preview your email across 100+ clients. If it lands in spam, revise spam words, links, or authentication settings.

Maintain Sender Reputation

Your sender IP and domain reputation heavily influence whether emails go to junk. In 2025, 80% of spam flags stem from poor reputation or authentication issues. To maintain a strong reputation:

• Warm Up IPs: Gradually increase email volume for new IPs to build trust.
• Monitor Engagement: High open/click rates improve reputation; low engagement (or high spam complaints) hurts it.
• Avoid Blacklists: Check your domain/IP via Barracuda or Spamhaus.
• Use Dedicated IPs: For bulk senders, avoid shared IPs to control reputation.
• Track with Tools: Use Google Postmaster Tools or SendGrid to monitor bounces, complaints, and spam reports.

A strong reputation ensures your emails land in the Primary inbox, not Promotions or Junk.

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