Why Are My Emails Landing in Spam or Gmail's Promotions Tab?

When you send appointment confirmations, estimates, and other triggered emails through Contractor Accelerator, these emails are dispatched from our servers but use your email address as the sender. This setup can sometimes cause Gmail to categorize these messages under the Promotions tab—or worse, send them to the Spam folder.

Why Does This Happen?

Gmail and other email providers employ complex algorithms to sort incoming emails into various categories such as Primary, Promotions, Social, and Spam. Several factors influence this categorization:

• Email Content: Messages containing promotional language, multiple images, special formatting, or numerous links may be flagged as promotions—or in some cases, spam.

• Sender Information: Emails sent on your behalf from third-party servers like Contractor Accelerator (and other CRMs) can appear less personal or suspicious to email filters if domain authentication isn't in place.

• Recipient Engagement: Low engagement rates—such as not opening or replying to your emails—can hurt deliverability. Emails may then get routed to Promotions or Spam folders over time.

• Missing Authentication: If your email domain is missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records, Gmail may not trust your emails, increasing the likelihood they will be marked as spam.

What Can I Do to Keep Emails Out of Promotions or Spam?

While Gmail's sorting is mostly automated, here are several steps you and your customers can take to help your messages land in the Primary inbox:

Ask Recipients to Move Emails to the Primary Tab:

• Desktop Users: They can drag the email from the Promotions tab to the Primary tab. Gmail will ask, “Do this for future messages?” Encourage them to click Yes.

• Mobile Users: They should open the email, tap the three-dot menu, choose Move to, and then select Primary.

Ask Recipients to Mark as “Not Spam”:

If your email ends up in the Spam folder, customers should open the message and click “Report not spam” at the top. This helps Gmail learn that your messages are safe and should go to the inbox in the future.

Request to Be Added to Contacts:

Ask your customers to add your email address to their Gmail contacts. Messages from known contacts are much more likely to stay out of the Spam folder and land in the Primary inbox.

Personalize Email Content:

Our system includes the customer's first name by default, but your tone also matters. Keep messages conversational and avoid language that sounds overly promotional (e.g., “Act now!” or “Limited-time offer!”).

Minimize Promotional Elements:

Reduce the use of multiple images, buttons, bold formatting, or long strings of links. The more your message looks like a personal note instead of a marketing blast, the better the inbox placement.

Authenticate Your Email Domain:

If you're using a custom email domain (e.g., you@yourcompany.com), work with your web provider or IT support to ensure your domain has the proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records set up. These are email security standards that help Gmail and other email providers confirm your identity and prevent spoofing. Lack of authentication is a common cause of spam classification.

Conclusion

Contractor Accelerator helps you communicate professionally and efficiently with your clients, but email services like Gmail use their own rules to sort messages. If your emails are ending up in the Promotions tab or Spam folder, reviewing the tips above and educating your customers can help improve visibility and ensure your messages arrive where they’re meant to be—front and center.