After moving to Flodesk my emails started to go to spam. What should I do?

If your emails started landing in spam after switching to Flodesk, you’re not alone, and it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.

This is a common and temporary issue when moving to any new email service provider (ESP). The good news: there are clear steps you can take to rebuild trust with inbox providers and get your emails back where they belong.

Inbox providers like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and others use spam filters to protect their users. These filters look at who is sending the email, how it’s sent, and how recipients interact with it.

When you move to Flodesk:

• Your emails are suddenly sent from new sending infrastructure

• Inbox providers treat this as “new behavior”

• Trust (also called sender reputation) needs to be rebuilt

Even if you’ve emailed the same subscribers for years, spam filters must relearn that your emails are safe.

Sending from a free email address (like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com) is one of the fastest ways to trigger spam filters.

As a best practice, send from a fully authenticated custom domain email, for example:

• hello@yourbusiness.com

• support@yourdomain.co

Custom domain emails support authentication (DKIM, SPF, DMARC), which inbox providers now expect from bulk senders.

After switching platforms, you should gradually resume sending, not email your full list immediately.

Recommended warm-up:

• Start with your most engaged subscribers

• Send smaller batches at first

• Increase volume slowly over 2–4 weeks

This shows inbox providers that recipients want your emails.

Review: How to Warm Up a New Sending Domain

Importing cold, inactive, or very old subscribers can hurt deliverability fast. As a best practice, avoid uploading large lists of inactive contacts “just in case”.

Low engagement = spam signals.

Review: Flodesk migration checklist: Who to bring (and who to leave behind)

Spam filters analyze email content too.

Avoid:

• Excessive images with little text

• ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation (!!!)

• Spam-trigger words (e.g., “guaranteed,” “act now,” “free money”)

• Overly long subject lines

Focus on:

• Clear, human-written copy

• A healthy balance of text and images

• Alt text for images

• One clear goal per email

Link shorteners (like bit.ly or other redirect services) are commonly abused by spammers.

Best practice:

• Use full, direct links

• Link to your own domain whenever possible

If everything above looks good, the next step is to help inbox providers learn faster that your emails are wanted. One of the simplest and most effective ways to do this is by asking your subscribers to mark your emails as safe.

When subscribers actively tell their inbox provider that your emails are safe, it sends a strong positive signal. This action is commonly referred to as whitelisting.

Even if your subscriber is not using Gmail, these actions help across many inbox providers:

• Add your “From” email address to their Contacts / Address Book

• Mark one of your emails as “Not Spam”

• Move your email from Spam to Inbox

These steps work for Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Apple Mail, and most other providers.

You can encourage this in:

• Your welcome email

• Your first few campaigns after switching

• A short PS at the top of an email

It’s completely normal to see some spam placement early on after switching to Flodesk. This doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Your sender reputation just needs time to rebuild.

For most senders, deliverability improves within a few weeks as inbox providers see consistent, positive engagement.

Inbox providers reward senders who:

• Send emails on a regular schedule

• Get opens and clicks

• Receive very few spam complaints

• Email people who actually want their content

Focus on consistency and engagement, and your inbox placement should steadily improve over time.

Use this as a reference:

• Send from a custom domain email

• Warm up your list gradually

• Import only engaged subscribers

• Ask subscribers to add you to contacts

• Send valuable, relevant content

• Avoid link shorteners

• Maintain consistent sending patterns

Why did my emails go to spam after switching to Flodesk?
Because inbox providers see emails sent from a new platform as new behavior and need time to rebuild trust.

Does this only happen with Flodesk?
No. This can happen when switching to any email service provider.

Do subscribers need to use Gmail for whitelisting to work?
No. Adding your email to contacts or marking it as “Not Spam” helps across all inbox providers.

How long does it take for deliverability to improve?
Usually a few weeks of consistent, engaged sending.

Can importing old or inactive subscribers cause spam issues?
Yes. Low engagement is one of the strongest spam signals.

Is sending from a free email address a problem?
Yes. Free email addresses are more likely to be filtered. A custom domain email is strongly recommended.

Spam placement after switching platforms is temporary, fixable, and common. With the right setup and sending habits, your deliverability should stabilize and often improve over time.