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Mailchimp emails going to spam? Here's the fix

When Mailchimp campaigns land in spam, the cause is usually one of four things: your domain isn't authenticated, you're sending from a free address, there's no DMARC record, or your list has gone stale.

1. Authenticate your domain in Mailchimp

This is the biggest single fix. Without it, Mailchimp signs your campaigns with its own domain rather than yours, so Gmail and Yahoo can't tie the message to your business.

1. In Mailchimp, go to your account's Domains settings (under Account & billing) and choose to authenticate your sending domain.
2. Mailchimp shows two DKIM CNAME records with names ending in ._domainkey, pointing to Mailchimp's servers. Add both at your DNS host exactly as shown. They must be CNAME records, not TXT, and copied from your own account rather than a blog post.
3. If your DNS is at Cloudflare, set these records to DNS only, not proxied.
4. Back in Mailchimp, click to verify. DNS can take a few hours to update.

Mailchimp's current authentication is built around DKIM. If Mailchimp also shows an SPF value, add it to your existing SPF record rather than creating a second one: one domain, one SPF record.

2. Don't send from a Gmail or Yahoo address

You can't authenticate a domain you don't own, so a campaign "from" yourname@gmail.com can never pass DMARC for gmail.com. Gmail's and Yahoo's sender rules expect bulk mail to come from an authenticated domain. Use an address at your own domain, such as news@yourcompany.com.

3. Add a DMARC record

Add a TXT record named _dmarc with v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourcompany.com if you don't have one. Gmail and Yahoo require a DMARC record from bulk senders. Our DMARC guide covers tightening it later.

4. Look at your list

If authentication passes and campaigns still land in spam, the list is usually the reason. Mailbox providers watch how people react: complaints, deletes without opening, and mail sent to old addresses that bounce.

• Only send to people who signed up. Never import a bought or scraped list.
• Remove or re-confirm subscribers who haven't opened anything in six months or more.
• Keep the unsubscribe link easy to find. Gmail's bulk sender rules require one-click unsubscribe, which Mailchimp adds for you, and ask senders to keep spam complaints below 0.3%.
• If you haven't sent in months, start with your most engaged subscribers before sending to everyone.

Test it

Send a test campaign to a Gmail address you own and choose ⋮ → Show original. DKIM should show PASS with your own domain, and DMARC should say PASS.

Questions

Why are my Mailchimp emails going to spam?

Usually because your sending domain isn't authenticated in Mailchimp, you're sending from a free address like Gmail, your domain has no DMARC record, or your list includes people who don't engage. Authentication fixes the first three; cleaning your list fixes the last.

How do I authenticate my domain in Mailchimp?

In Mailchimp's Domains settings, start authentication for your domain, add the two DKIM CNAME records it shows at your DNS host, then verify. Copy the records from your own account, keep them as CNAMEs, and set them to DNS only if you use Cloudflare.

Can I send Mailchimp campaigns from a Gmail address?

You shouldn't. You can't authenticate gmail.com, so campaigns from a Gmail address can't pass DMARC, and Gmail and Yahoo expect bulk mail from an authenticated domain. Use an address at your own domain.

Why are my Mailchimp test emails going to spam?

Test emails often go to a handful of your own addresses with no history of opening your campaigns, so they're a poor guide. Check authentication first with Show original in Gmail. If DKIM and DMARC pass, test with a real, engaged segment instead.

Related: HubSpot emails going to spam · DMARC policy not enabled · emails suddenly going to spam.