If you send B2B emails, you know the drill: you craft a solid message, hit send, and then... crickets. Turns out, your emails are rotting away in spam folders, never to be seen by real humans. Sound familiar? This guide is for marketers, sales teams, and anyone tired of guessing why their B2B emails vanish. We’ll dig into using Emailonacid spam testing tools—a practical way to spot and fix deliverability issues before you hit send.
Let’s cut through the noise and get your emails where they belong: the inbox.
Why B2B Emails Get Stuck in Spam (And Why Testing Matters)
First, a reality check. B2B inbox placement is tough. Corporate filters are stricter than consumer ISPs. Even if you’re not a spammer, things like a single trigger word, a clunky HTML email, or a dodgy link can get you flagged. And B2B spam filters are black boxes—what works for Gmail might fail for Outlook or an on-premise Exchange server.
Here’s what trips up most teams: - Overly promotional language (“Free!” “Act now!”—you get the idea) - Bad sender reputation (maybe your domain’s been flagged before) - Broken or mismatched links - Weird HTML or CSS - Missing authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) - Unsubscribes or complaints
Testing before you send isn’t just nice—it’s necessary. That’s where Emailonacid comes in.
Step 1: Setting Up Emailonacid for Spam Testing
Emailonacid is best known for email previews, but its spam testing is what you want for deliverability. Here’s how to get started:
- Sign up and log in. Pretty self-explanatory. There’s a free trial, but real spam testing is on paid plans.
- Create a new project or campaign. Upload your HTML email or paste in your content.
- Choose “Spam Testing.” Don’t skip this step—render testing and spam testing are separate tools.
Pro tip: If you’re using an ESP (like Mailchimp or HubSpot), export the raw HTML from there. Don’t just copy and paste from your browser—the code can get mangled.
Step 2: Sending Your Email to the Spam Test Addresses
Emailonacid gives you a list of test email addresses, each connected to a real spam filter (think: Gmail, Outlook, Barracuda, Symantec, etc.).
Here’s how to use them: - Send your actual campaign to these addresses from your ESP. This ensures your sending reputation, headers, and authentication are included—stuff you can’t check by pasting HTML. - Wait a few minutes. Emailonacid will analyze the results and show you how each filter handled your message.
You’ll get a report that looks something like this: - Pass/Fail per filter: Did you get flagged by Barracuda? Did Gmail spam you? - Spam filter feedback: Sometimes you’ll see why you failed (e.g., “Message contains suspicious links” or “SPF authentication failed”).
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over one obscure filter failing—focus on the ones your audience actually uses. If all the major ones (Gmail, Outlook, and the big security appliances) pass, you’re in solid shape.
Step 3: Interpreting the Results (And Not Panicking)
Here’s the honest truth: you’ll almost never see a perfect report. That’s normal. What matters is spotting the big, fixable issues and ignoring the noise.
Look for: - Consistent failures: If multiple filters flag your email, something’s up. - Authentication errors: SPF/DKIM/DMARC problems are a red flag—these are basics. - Content triggers: If “phishing” or “promotion” gets flagged, check your copy, subject, and links.
What to do next: - Tackle authentication first. If SPF or DKIM fail, fix it on your domain. This is non-negotiable. - Clean up your links and HTML. Broken links, mismatched URLs, or messy HTML are common culprits. Use absolute URLs and double-check your code. - Dial back aggressive language. If the report flags “spammy phrases,” rewrite those sections. - Remove unnecessary images or code. Sometimes less is more—B2B spam filters hate bloated emails.
Stuff to ignore: If only one filter you’ve never heard of fails, but all your main targets pass, don’t lose sleep. No tool can guarantee 100% inbox placement.
Step 4: Making Changes and Re-Testing
This is where most people give up: they tweak a few things and assume it’s good. Don’t.
- Make one change at a time. Change, re-test. That way, you know what actually fixed the problem.
- Keep a log of what you changed. Seriously, write it down or track it in your ESP.
- Re-send to the test addresses. Don’t just re-upload in Emailonacid—send the email again from your real platform.
If you’re still failing: Sometimes, your sender reputation is the issue. If your domain or IP has a bad history, no amount of tweaking will help. In that case: - Talk to your IT or ESP. You might need to warm up a new IP or fix your domain’s reputation. - Check public blacklists. Use tools like MXToolbox to see if you’re listed.
Step 5: Beyond Spam Testing—Don’t Forget the Basics
Spam testing tools are great, but they’re not magic. Here’s what else you need to do:
- Authenticate your domain: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Some B2B filters flat-out require them.
- Warm up new domains/IPs: Don’t send 10,000 emails from a cold address.
- Keep your lists clean: Remove bounces, unsubscribes, and unengaged contacts regularly.
- Send relevant content: If people mark you as spam, filters notice. Boring or irrelevant emails get flagged fast.
- Test regularly: What works today might break next month. Make spam testing part of your routine, not a one-off.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Overhyped
Let’s call out a few myths and realities: - Works: Sending from a real, authenticated domain; testing with real filters; fixing HTML and links. - Doesn’t work: Chasing a “perfect score” on every possible spam filter. You’ll drive yourself nuts. - Overhyped: Fancy deliverability “hacks” or chrome extensions that promise inbox placement. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Emailonacid’s spam testing is useful—but it’s not a golden ticket. It tells you what’s likely to go wrong, so you can fix the obvious stuff. The rest is up to you: smart sending, clean lists, and good habits.
Keep It Simple and Ship
Don’t overthink it. B2B deliverability is about stacking the odds in your favor, not chasing perfection. Use Emailonacid to catch the big mistakes, fix what matters, and get your emails in front of people who care. Test, tweak, and send—then do it again next time. That’s how you stay out of the spam folder and stay sane.