How can I improve email deliverability?

Last updated: May 4, 2026

Context

When sending emails through Unify, some users may experience deliverability issues where their emails are being marked as spam or landing in recipients' junk folders. This can significantly impact communication effectiveness and engagement rates.

Answer

Our testing has shown that switching to Google Workspace mailboxes can significantly improve email deliverability rates. Internal tests demonstrate that Google Workspace mailboxes achieve 4-8x better deliverability compared to standard Unify managed mailboxes.

To improve your email deliverability, you have two main options:

  1. Switch to Google Workspace mailboxes (Recommended)

    • Contact your Unify representative to initiate the switch to Google Workspace integration

    • Schedule a brief setup session with our team to configure the new mailboxes

    • Note that newly created mailboxes will be connected in Unify and require a 3‑week warming period before reaching optimal deliverability

  2. Purchase a new domain

    • Acquire a fresh domain for your email communications

    • Work with our team to properly warm up the domain for optimal deliverability

Technical Clarification: Domain Warming Requirements – Domain warming is specifically required for primary emails when switching domains. Unify emails use secondary domains and won’t be impacted by domain switches. This helps you plan your domain strategy, understand which email types require warming, and avoid unnecessary warming processes for Unify‑managed secondary domains. When working with our team on domain warming, clarify whether your emails are primary (requiring warming) or secondary Unify emails (no warming needed) to streamline the setup process.

Note that email warming does not guarantee that emails won't be flagged as spam—even with proper warming, newer domains often receive spam flags when an inbox encounters the domain for the first time, which is a standard occurrence even with primary domains.

Note: Unify currently supports only Google Workspace inbox types. Other email providers cannot be integrated at this time.

For the fastest resolution and best deliverability rates, we recommend switching to Google Workspace mailboxes as the primary solution.

Immediate Troubleshooting Steps

  • Turn off open tracking – This can reduce the likelihood of emails being flagged as spam

  • Remove excess links – Too many links in emails can trigger spam filters

  • Increase variability in your copy – Use snippets or variables to make your emails appear more personalized and less automated

  • Check your engagement metrics – Review open and reply rates to determine if this is an isolated issue or part of a declining trend

Note: If these steps don't resolve your deliverability issues, you can request to be connected to the deliverability team for specialized assistance with complex deliverability issues or questions beyond basic configuration changes.

Content Optimization Best Practices

  • Use trusted video hosting platforms – Host videos on established platforms like YouTube or Vimeo rather than file‑sharing services like Google Drive, as these are more trusted by spam filters

  • Minimize links in emails – Reduce the number of links in your messages, as multiple links can trigger spam filters

  • Add email variability – Use snippets and personalization to create variation between emails and reduce the likelihood of being flagged as repetitive spam

Understanding Test Email Behavior

Test emails sent within the same organization or to similar domains may be flagged by Google's spam filters as potential phishing attempts due to the combination of similar domain names and sender names triggering security measures.

  • Send test emails to external addresses (outside your organization) to get accurate deliverability results

  • Send multiple emails from the same inbox to help Google establish sender reputation and properly display the sender name

  • Avoid testing deliverability by sending emails to addresses within your own domain, as these are more likely to be flagged as spam

  • Be aware that forwarded emails may initially land in spam, especially if they're among the first forwarded replies from a new address. Mark these emails as "Not spam" in your email client to train your provider and improve future deliverability

You can verify your current deliverability by sending a test email to your Unify representative to confirm if it reaches their inbox properly.

Note: Internal test emails being marked as spam does not necessarily indicate poor deliverability for external recipients.