How do I keep my charity emails out of spam?

Authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, mail only people who asked and make unsubscribing easy. Here is how WeGlow Mail supports DKIM setup.

To keep your charity emails out of spam, prove that the mail really comes from you: set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your own domain, send only to people who asked for your mail, make unsubscribing easy and watch your complaint rate. Google and Yahoo now require this from bulk senders, and it is good practice for everyone else too.

What do Gmail and Yahoo require?

Google's sender guidelines for bulk senders (people who send more than 5,000 messages a day to Gmail addresses) ask for SPF and DKIM authentication, a DMARC policy for the sending domain, a From domain that aligns with the SPF or DKIM domain, one-click unsubscribe, and a spam rate in Postmaster Tools below 0.30%.

Yahoo's Sender Hub asks bulk senders for SPF and DKIM, a valid DMARC policy of at least p=none, one-click unsubscribe plus a visible unsubscribe link, honouring unsubscribes within 2 days, and a spam rate below 0.3%. Both sets of requirements apply from February 2024.

Most charities send far fewer mails than that. The rules still show you what mailbox providers care about, and authenticating your domain is cheap insurance.

What are SPF, DKIM and DMARC in plain words?

SPF is a DNS record that lists which servers may send mail for your domain.
DKIM adds a digital signature to each mail, so the receiver can see that it was not altered and that it comes from a sender authorised by your domain.
DMARC tells receivers what to do when SPF or DKIM fail for the address in the From line, and where to send reports.

Microsoft's documentation describes them as building blocks that work together: anything less than all of them gives weaker protection. It also suggests starting SPF with a soft-fail rule and tightening it once you know all your sending sources.

What else lands you in the spam folder?

Six things that push your mail towards spam, and what to do about them.

Sending to people who did not ask. Complaints are the fastest way to a bad reputation.
A hidden unsubscribe link. People who cannot leave will press "report spam" instead.
Dead addresses. Keep sending to bounced addresses and providers read you as careless.
Shouting subjects. All caps, many exclamation marks and false urgency look like spam.
One big image and almost no text. Include real text and descriptive alt text.
A sudden burst from a quiet domain. Build your volume up gradually.

A checklist before every send

Is the sending domain authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)?
Does the From name show a person or your organisation, with a reply-to address someone reads?
Is there a visible unsubscribe link and your postal address?
Have you removed unsubscribed and bounced contacts?
Did you send a test to yourself and read it on your phone?

How does WeGlow Mail help?

In WeGlow Mail you can add your own sending domain. The screen gives you the DNS records to publish, including the DKIM CNAME records, shows the status as pending, verified or failed, and lets you check again. A step-by-step wizard has instructions per DNS provider. You can also register verified sender addresses.

In the Check step, before each send, WeGlow Mail verifies your sender and reply-to (it warns when the reply-to is a weglow.world address), confirms that the legal footer is present with your identity, address and unsubscribe link, and shows that bounced and unsubscribed contacts are left out.

The DKIM setup is what the tool tracks for you. SPF and DMARC are DNS records on your own domain: check your provider's guidance and the sender requirements above for those. Price: WeGlow Mail is included free up to 250 contacts (500 emails per month) in every plan. Start (up to 1,000 contacts) is €19 per month (excl. VAT), Growth (up to 2,500) is €29. With the Pro platform plan (€40 per month or €400 per year) mailing is included up to 2,500 contacts. Check the current prices in your dashboard, and add your domain under WeGlow Mail settings.

Frequently asked questions

Do small charities need DMARC?

The bulk-sender rules apply from large volumes, but a DMARC record is a small step and strengthens your domain against forgery. Start with p=none if you are unsure.

Can I send from a Gmail or Outlook address?

You can, but you do not control that domain's authentication. Sending from your own, authenticated domain is more reliable.

Will authentication guarantee inbox delivery?

No. It removes a reason to be blocked, but content, engagement and complaints still matter.

Sources

Google, Email sender guidelines: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, one-click unsubscribe and the 0.30% spam rate for bulk senders (checked on 3 October 2026).
Yahoo Sender Hub, best practices: SPF, DKIM, DMARC at least p=none, one-click unsubscribe, 2 days, 0.3% (checked on 3 October 2026).
Microsoft Learn, How email authentication works: what SPF, DKIM and DMARC do and how they work together (checked on 3 October 2026).