So you’re sending emails, but too many are ending up in spam? You’re not alone. Plenty of smart folks get tripped up by spam filters—even when they’re not doing anything shady. If you want better inbox placement and you’re using Folderly, this guide’s for you. We’ll cut through the noise and show you exactly how to pinpoint what’s hurting your deliverability, what’s worth fixing, and what’s just noise.
Why Spam Triggers Matter (and Why Most Advice Misses the Point)
Spam filters are picky and often unpredictable. You can follow every common-sense best practice and still watch your open rates tank. That’s because spam triggers aren’t just about “spammy words.” It’s about sender reputation, technical setup, content, and even things you can’t fully control (like recipients marking you as spam out of habit).
Folderly tries to make sense of this mess by testing your emails against real spam filters, then flagging what’s likely to get you caught. But let’s be real: not every “trigger” is worth losing sleep over. Some are legit, some are noise, and some are just Folderly being extra cautious.
Let’s walk through how to use Folderly’s tools to spot the real problems—and which ones you can safely ignore.
Step 1: Run a Baseline Spam Test in Folderly
Why it matters: Before you fix anything, you need data. Folderly lets you send test emails to a bunch of seed addresses and then shows you where those emails land—inbox, spam, or promotions.
How to do it:
- Log into Folderly.
- Go to the “Spam Check” or “Deliverability Test” (Folderly loves to rename things, so poke around).
- Send a test email that matches your real campaigns—use the same template, sender address, and subject line.
- Wait for Folderly to finish its analysis. You’ll get a report showing:
- Where your email landed (inbox, spam, promo)
- Spam trigger breakdowns (content, technical, reputation, etc.)
Pro tip: Don’t just test once. Send a few variations—different subject lines, different times of day—to see if results are consistent.
What to ignore: Don’t panic if a small percentage go to spam in obscure mailboxes. Focus on Gmail, Outlook, and the providers your recipients actually use.
Step 2: Break Down the Spam Trigger Report
Folderly’s report will throw a lot at you—here’s how to make sense of it.
The Big Three Categories
- Technical Issues
These are things like missing or broken SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records, or bad sending IP reputation. - Worth fixing? Absolutely. These matter more than anything else.
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Ignore? No—if Folderly flags a technical issue, fix it before tweaking your content.
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Content Triggers
Folderly will point out “spammy” words, weird formatting, or sketchy links. - Worth fixing? Sometimes. If your content is genuinely heavy on salesy language, or you’re using lots of images and little text, back off a bit.
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Ignore? Don’t get obsessed with individual words. “Free” or “guaranteed” won’t kill your deliverability unless you’re overdoing it.
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Reputation Problems
Includes bad sender reputation, blacklists, or high complaint rates. - Worth fixing? If you’re on a blacklist, yes. If it’s just a warning about low reputation, focus on consistent, non-spammy activity.
Other categories (like “user engagement” or “list hygiene”) are nice to review, but Folderly’s advice here can be generic.
Step 3: Fix Technical Problems First
If Folderly flags any technical issues, don’t move on until you fix them. Spam filters are ruthless about this stuff.
Common technical issues and fixes:
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Missing or invalid SPF record:
Set up an SPF record for your sending domain. There are free SPF generators online, or ask your IT person if you have one. -
No DKIM signature:
Add a DKIM record for your domain. Most reputable email platforms have step-by-step guides. If yours doesn’t, that’s a red flag. -
No or weak DMARC policy:
Set up a basic DMARC record. Even a “none” policy is better than nothing. -
IP reputation issues:
If you’re on a shared IP (common with cheaper platforms), you’re at the mercy of everyone else on that IP. If spam problems persist, ask your provider for a dedicated IP or consider switching platforms.
Pro tip: Don’t trust “deliverability experts” who say you can skip these steps. Good technical hygiene isn’t optional.
Step 4: Tackle Content Triggers (But Don’t Overthink It)
Folderly will highlight words, phrases, formatting, and link issues that might trigger spam filters.
What actually matters:
- Too many images, not enough text
- All-caps subject lines or body text
- Excessive use of “spammy” words and aggressive formatting (bold, red, etc.)
- Broken or blacklisted links (always check your URLs!)
What doesn’t matter much:
- Using the word “free” a couple of times
- Having a colorful button
- Minor typos (spam filters don’t care unless your email looks like a phishing scam)
How to fix:
- Add more text if your email is mostly images.
- Use natural, conversational language.
- Make sure all your links work and point to reputable sites.
- If Folderly flags a specific word but it’s essential, don’t stress—just avoid overusing it.
Pro tip: Send yourself test emails to different providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) before blasting your list. Sometimes what Folderly flags won’t show up as an issue in the wild.
Step 5: Check Your Sending Reputation
Folderly aggregates data on your domain and IP reputation, including blacklists and complaint rates.
How to use this info:
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Blacklisted?
Use the links Folderly provides to request removal. Some blacklists are slow to update, but being on major ones (like Spamhaus) will kill your inbox placement fast. -
Low reputation, but not blacklisted?
- Send fewer emails for a while.
- Make sure your list is clean (no purchased emails, no obvious spam traps).
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Encourage engagement: ask recipients to reply, move your email to their inbox, or whitelist your address.
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Getting marked as spam by users?
That’s a big red flag. Your content or targeting needs work. Or your list is old and full of unengaged people—prune it.
Pro tip: Folderly can’t fix a bad reputation overnight. Consistency, engagement, and time are your friends.
Step 6: Ignore the Red Herrings
Folderly, like most tools, tries to be thorough. Sometimes it’s too thorough.
What you can skip:
- Warnings about “low text-to-image ratio” if your emails are already mostly text.
- Minor “missing alt text” on images (nice to have, not a spam trigger unless you’re a huge sender).
- Vague “engagement” warnings based on generic industry benchmarks.
- Overly broad “your subject line might be too generic” alerts—unless open rates are dropping, these are weak signals.
What NOT to ignore:
- Persistent technical errors
- Blacklist warnings from major lists
- Repeated spam placement in Gmail or Outlook in your real-world tests
Step 7: Re-Test After Every Change
Every time you tweak your setup or your content, run another Folderly test. Don’t assume one fix will solve everything.
- Test different campaigns, not just one email.
- Compare results over time—are things getting better, worse, or staying the same?
- If you’re not seeing improvement after fixing major issues, it might be your sending platform, your list, or just plain bad luck.
Pro tip: Track your Folderly scores and real-world open rates side by side. Sometimes tools report “perfect” scores, but your open rates still stink—that’s a sign to dig deeper.
Step 8: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Most people get sucked into endless tweaking, chasing perfect “deliverability scores.” Don’t. The basics matter most:
- Solid technical setup
- Clean, engaged list
- Realistic, human-sounding content
If Folderly keeps flagging minor stuff but your real-world results are good, trust your results over the tool. Spam filters are complicated, but you don’t need to outsmart them—you just need to avoid the obvious traps and keep improving bit by bit.
Bottom line:
Use Folderly as a flashlight, not a crystal ball. Fix the real problems, ignore the noise, and keep your email program simple. Test, tweak, repeat. If you stick to the basics and don’t fall for every spam panic headline, you’ll land in more inboxes—and sleep a lot better.