Good Mail – Bad Mail: How to Avoid Invitations Ending up in the Spam Folder

Overview

This article provides guidance on how to prevent survey invitations and other emails from being classified as spam. It covers various techniques and best practices to improve email deliverability, including understanding spam classification, using the Mail report feature, and implementing email authentication methods.

Information

Learn about spam classification, email authentication methods, and strategies to ensure your survey invitations reach participants' inboxes.

• How Is Email Classified As Spam?
• The Role of the Mail Report
• Preventing Messages from Being Classified as Spam
• Adding Mail Senders Correctly in EFS
• Using List-Unsubscribe Header

How Is Email Classified As Spam?

To ensure an email isn't spam or carrying a virus, it undergoes multi-stage filtering and security checks at the receiving mail server. This spam detection uses various technologies:

Filter Lists: Spam filters use blacklists containing spam characteristics like sender, IP address, or keywords. If these are recognized, the message is flagged, moved, or deleted. Whitelists ensure messages from certain senders are always delivered.

Checking IP Addresses: The sender's IP address is checked to determine if they are known for spam, as spammers often fake email addresses.

Content Filtering: Keywords typical of spam, such as "Viagra," are scanned. However, if keywords have special characters or misspellings, the filter may fail.

Reputation Score: All factors above contribute to a reputation score for an email. If the score exceeds a threshold, the email is classified as spam. We can't control the receiving mail server, so some emails may still end up in the spam or Junk folder.

Note: You can check your mails in advance with online tools, e.g.   Newsletters spam test by mail-tester.com.

The Role of the Mail Report

The Mail report in the Survey menu helps monitor the sending process and provides an overview of all emails sent during the survey. It displays various statuses relevant to spam classification:

• Sent
• Rejected
• Delivery failed
• Not reachable

The report also shows responses from the receiving mail server, which can help identify issues with email delivery. The following list shows some examples of possible responses from the receiving mail server with regard to the statuses described above. The list is not complete and TIVIAN has no influence on the responses.

Not reachable

• 550-5.1.1 user unknown{CRLF}550 5.1.1 Unknown recipient. In response to the RCPT TO command.

• 550 Requested action not taken: mailbox unavailable In response to the RCPT TO command.

• 550-5.1.1 The email account that you tried to reach does not exist. Please try{CRLF}550-5.1.1 double-checking the recipient's email address for typos or{CRLF}550-5.1.1 unnecessary spaces. Learn more at{CRLF}550 5.1.1 Fix bounced or rejected emails - Gmail Help m24si2824391pfo.129 - gsmtp In response to the RCPT TO command.

Rejected

• 421-4.7.0 This message does not have authentication information or fails to pass{CRLF}421-4.7.0 authentication checks. To best protect our users from spam, the{CRLF}421-4.7.0 message has been blocked. Please visit{CRLF}421-4.7.0 https://support.google.com/mail/answer/81126#authentication for more{CRLF}421 4.7.0 information. cm23si5831536edb.119 - gsmtp In response to the end of message mark (CRLF.CRLF)

• 550 91.217.141.35 is not allowed to send mail from xxxxrlin.de. Please see the SPF record, with scope mfrom, identity [e-mail], and ip 91.217.141.35 In response to the end of message mark (CRLF.CRLF).

Delivery failed

• 550 91.217.141.36 is not allowed to send mail from xxxxxx.de In response to the RCPT TO command.

Preventing Messages from Being Classified as Spam

To improve email deliverability, consider implementing the following methods:

Sender Policy Framework (SPF)

SPF prevents spam or virus emails by verifying the sender's domain. The SPF record checks if the sending mail server's domain is authorized. If the domain is recognized, the email is more likely to be delivered. If not, the email may be marked as spam or undelivered, depending on the receiving mail server's settings, which TIVIAN cannot control.

Checking the SPF Record

The mail sender's domain is crucial. For example, emails sent by EFS on behalf of [e-mail] are checked by the receiving server to see if TIVIAN mail servers can send emails from that domain. The domain _spf.tivian.com must be included in your SPF record.

Example SPF record:

v=spf1 mx a include:mail.zendesk.com include:_spf.tivian.com ~all

Adding the SPF Record

To prevent emails from being marked as spam due to SPF checks, your system administrator should add the following to your domain's SPF record:

include:_spf.tivian.com

This ensures the TIVIAN mail servers are recognized. Note that directly adding IPs instead of the SPF record is not recommended, as IP addresses may change without notice. For detailed IP information, visit SPF Check & SPF Lookup - MxToolBox. For more information, refer to Sender Policy Framework.

DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail)

DKIM is a method of email authentication. DKIM adds a signature to the email, which is assigned to the sender domain and is used for all outgoing emails. The use of a domain key is a technique (similar to SPF) that is intended to make it more difficult to forge the sender of an email.

Adding a DKIM Record
There are two different scenarios for adding a DKIM record. Which one is right for you depends on whether you manage the domain yourself or whether it is managed by TIVIAN. The domain key is free of charge for you.

If you manage the domain, proceed as follows:

• Request the domain key from Support, naming the technical contact person in your organization who will be responsible for implementation.
• IT Operations creates the key and Support forwards the key to the technical contact person you have specified.
• The technical contact person you have specified stores the key in the DNS.

If the domain is managed by TIVIAN, proceed as follows:

• Request the domain key from Support.
• IT Operations will create the key and you will be informed by Support after implementation.

 

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance)

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) aims to reduce email misuse by addressing authentication issues. It works alongside DKIM and SPF records to define how recipients should handle non-compliant emails and specify addresses for reporting violations. More information can be found here.

Adding a DMARC Record:

Prerequisites: Existing SPF and DKIM entries.

If You Manage the Domain:

• Store the DMARC record yourself. Start with "v=DMARC1; p=none" and later configure a policy suitable for your company. Further guidance is available here.

If TIVIAN Manages the Domain:

• Request DMARC from Support.
• IT Operations will set up the DMARC record.
• Support will inform you after implementation.

Own/External Mail Server

Using an external mail server for your EFS installation is possible, but some EFS features will be lost, including the Mail report and hard bouncing for emails. All mails will be marked as sent, and you won't see which participants were unreachable.

Setting up Your Own/External Mail Server: To set up an external mail server, provide the following information:

• Server/Host
• Port
• Account/User
• Password

Processing takes approximately 3-5 days and is free of charge. Note that this setup is an open SMTP relay with no separate authentication between EFS and the mail server.

Adding Mail Senders Correctly in EFS

To correctly add mail senders in EFS, follow these steps:

1. Define Sender Addresses: Sender addresses are defined in advance, especially if using shared mailboxes.

2. Manage Sender Addresses: Go to Libraries → Mail templates → Mail senders.

3. Add a New Sender: Click on the Add e-mail address button to open the dialog. Enter the email address, associated real name (if needed), and authorized teams.

4. SPF Check: When adding a mail sender, an SPF check of the sender's domain is performed. If the SPF check result is conspicuous, the sender cannot be created.

5. Using Default Sender Address: If you can't change the SPF record for your email domain, you can use the default sender address Survey [e-mail]. Create a new mail sender with the email address [e-mail] and use your company name as the real name.

This ensures your emails are sent from verified addresses, reducing the risk of delivery issues or being marked as spam.

Using List-Unsubscribe Header

Another way to reduce the likelihood of your emails ending up in the spam folder is the List-Unsubscribe Header option. You can add a link in Email templates that participants can use to unsubscribe from automatic emails.

Proceed as follows to set this up:

• Expand the Advanced mail settings area in your mail template.

• In the free text field next to List-Unsubscribe Header, insert a valid link to a website that participants can use to unsubscribe. You can also enter the following placeholders in the field:

  • #unsubscribe_survey#: Link in the email that deactivates further emails for this survey

  • #unsubscribe_global#: Link in the email that deactivates further emails for all communication

• Click on Save to apply your changes.

FAQ

How can I check if my email might be classified as spam?

You can use online tools like https://www.mail-tester.com/ to check your emails in advance for potential spam indicators.

What should I do if I can't change the SPF record for my email domain?

If you cannot change the SPF record, you can use the default sender address "Survey <[e-mail]>" and customize the realname to your company's name.