If your emails feel invisible, it’s not your pitch. It’s your domain.
Recruiters tell me, “some messages just go to junk.” Not fate. Not “their firewall”. It’s behaviour plus basics. Your domain’s reputation decides if you’re seen at all, and once it’s bruised, everything gets harder. The fix is simple to understand, if not always easy to do.
The truth in plain sight
- Spammers spin up new domains and blast. Filters know this, so they distrust domains that are less than 6 months old and accounts that suddenly send at scale.
- Broken basics (SPF/DKIM/DMARC misaligned), rewritten links from CRMs or signatures, and twitchy subject-line tells will trip filters even when your intent is good.
- You can measure your standing. Google Postmaster shows spam-report rates and authentication pass rates. DMARC reports show who’s sending as you and what fails.
How it works (plain English)
SPF – a list on your domain saying which systems are allowed to send as you.
DKIM – a cryptographic “wax seal” proving the message wasn’t tampered with and really came from an approved system.
DMARC – a policy telling receivers what to do if SPF or DKIM fail (do nothing, quarantine, or reject) and to send you daily reports.
What to do (in this order)
1. Stabilise the domain
Buy and hold early. Aim for about six months of presence before heavy sending.
Send human, value-first emails to earn replies and clicks. Ramp volume gradually so 365 or Workspace doesn’t think you’re compromised.
2. Nail the foundations
Inventory every system that sends as you (CRM, ATS, invoicing plug-ins, marketing tools).
Fix SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment for each. Ghost senders are common.
Turn on DMARC reporting (start at p=none) and read it weekly to catch forgotten sources.
3. De-risk your messages
Stop rewriting URLs. Kill signature or CRM link-tracking that masks your own domain (for example, some Exclaimer or CRM settings). Filters hate it.
Tidy subject lines: skip ?!, keep casing consistent, avoid shouty punctuation.
Keep attachments and links sensible. If in doubt, host assets on your site and link once.
4. Watch your ratios
Set up Google Postmaster Tools and track spam reports, authentication pass rates, and domain reputation. Lower user-reported spam means better reach.
Make unsubscribe easy. An opt-out is healthier than a spam click and still registers as a legitimate interaction.
5. Recover a tired domain
Treat it like a seesaw: reduce risky sends, increase positive engagement, and fix the tech. Expect progress in weeks, not hours.
Inbox Test (do this today)
Open a new email and hover your signature links.
If the display says youragency.co.uk but the hover shows a tracking domain first, that’s a rewritten URL.
Turn that feature off in your signature tool or CRM. It’s a classic phishing tell and drags you to junk.
Reality check
There isn’t a hack. Warmup tools can’t fix reputation if your behaviour stays spammy.
Reputation moves when real people find your emails useful and safe, and when your DNS is tidy.
Learn more
Check out this episode of the Amplifying Recruitment podcast Ben Fielding unpacks domain ageing, onboarding new mailboxes, and the exact tells filters look for.
Next sensible step
Still need help? Book a 30 min call and let’s find out what’s hurting, and get a plan in place.
