If your emails from Mailscale aren't getting through—or worse, landing in spam—you're not alone. Deliverability issues are frustrating, and the advice you’ll find online is often vague, outdated, or just wrong. This guide is for folks who want to actually fix deliverability in Mailscale, not just check a box or hope for the best. Whether you're dealing with bounces, spam folders, or ghosted emails, here's how to get your messages seen.
1. Pin Down the Problem
Before you start poking at settings or buying new tools, figure out what’s actually going wrong.
- Are your emails bouncing? Check your bounce logs for error codes. Hard bounces (address doesn’t exist) are different from soft bounces (mailbox full, temporary issues).
- Landing in spam? Send test emails to a Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo account. Don’t trust a single inbox—providers filter differently.
- Are emails missing altogether? Ask recipients to check promotions or junk. Sometimes emails vanish because of aggressive filtering.
Pro tip: Don’t rely on “email testing” sites alone—they can help, but they won’t catch real-world issues with your actual list.
2. Check the Basics (Don’t Skip These)
This stuff is boring, but 90% of deliverability headaches come from skipping basic setup.
a. Authenticate Your Sending Domain
If you haven’t set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, do it now. Mailscale walks you through this, but here’s what matters:
- SPF: Lets receiving servers verify you’re allowed to send for your domain.
- DKIM: Adds a digital signature to prove your message wasn’t tampered with.
- DMARC: Tells receivers what to do if SPF or DKIM checks fail.
What works: Use your own domain, not a generic “@mailscale.com” address. Free email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo) will tank your deliverability.
What to ignore: Wildcard SPF records. They’re a shortcut, but spammers use them, and your mail gets lumped in with theirs.
b. Use a Dedicated Sending Domain
If you’re on a shared sending domain (Mailscale’s default if you haven’t added your own), your reputation is tied to everyone else’s. Set up your own domain and subdomain (like mail.yoursite.com) for a clean slate.
3. Clean Your List (Seriously)
Most senders swear their list is “pristine.” Most are wrong.
- Remove hard bounces right away.
- Scrub out disengaged users. If someone hasn’t opened in six months, stop emailing them.
- Watch for role-based addresses (info@, sales@)—these usually go nowhere.
Pro tip: Don’t buy lists. Ever. You’ll get caught, and your reputation will crater.
4. Review Your Content
Spam filters are picky and inconsistent, but there are patterns.
- Avoid spam triggers: All-caps, lots of exclamation marks, “free,” “act now”—these still matter.
- Limit links and images: Too many, or linking to shady sites, will hurt you.
- Consistent sender name: Don’t change the “from” name or address from one campaign to the next.
What works: Plain-text emails often do better than slick HTML, especially for initial sends.
What to ignore: Anyone claiming “magic words” will guarantee inbox placement.
5. Warm Up Your Sending (If You’re New or Recently Switched)
You can’t go from zero to 10,000 emails overnight—providers will throttle you or block you.
- Start small: Send to your most engaged users first. Gradually increase volume over two weeks.
- Monitor bounce and open rates: If things nosedive, back off and investigate.
Pro tip: If you’re moving to Mailscale from another provider, don’t import all your contacts and blast them at once. Ease in.
6. Check Mailscale’s Sending Settings
Mailscale has a few knobs worth checking:
- Sending limits: If you’re hitting throttling errors, lower your batch size.
- Pacing: Spread larger sends out over hours instead of minutes.
- Unsubscribe links: Make sure they’re visible—burying them can get you flagged.
What works: Mailscale’s default settings are generally safe, but if you’ve customized them, double-check you’re not overdoing it.
7. Understand Reputation and Feedback Loops
Most mailbox providers (especially Microsoft and Yahoo) use their own secret reputation scores.
- Monitor spam complaints: If users hit “report spam,” your future emails will get filtered. Mailscale can show complaint rates—keep them under 0.1% if you can.
- Sign up for feedback loops: Mailscale may handle this, but check docs. If not, set up your own with major providers.
What doesn’t work: Trying to “game” reputation by changing domains frequently. This usually backfires and looks suspicious.
8. Test, Measure, and Adjust
- Send real test emails: Use friends or colleagues with different email providers.
- Check inbox placement: Don’t obsess over “deliverability scores” from third-party tools—they’re a rough guide, not gospel.
- Track opens and clicks, but don’t panic: Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection and similar features skew open rates now. Focus on real replies or conversions.
9. When to Call Support (and What to Ask)
If you’ve done all the above and you’re still stuck, it’s time to contact Mailscale support. But don’t just say “my emails aren’t working”—be specific:
- Which inboxes are you missing? (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
- What’s your bounce rate? (Provide numbers)
- What error codes or messages are you seeing?
- When did the problem start? After a particular campaign or change?
Pro tip: The more details you give, the less back-and-forth you’ll have.
10. What Not to Waste Time On
- Blacklists: Unless you’re on a major one (Spamhaus, Barracuda), most don’t matter. Check, but don’t obsess.
- Changing subject lines endlessly: This rarely helps if your other practices are off.
- Chasing “instant inbox” hacks: If someone claims a tool guarantees inboxing, they’re selling snake oil.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Deliverability is never “set and forget.” Even if you’ve fixed things for now, keep an eye on your metrics, clean your list regularly, and don’t try to outsmart the system. Email providers reward senders who behave like real people, not spammers or tricksters.
Stick to the basics, test as you go, and don’t overthink it. If your message matters and your practices are solid, you’ll get through.