# How to keep cold email out of spam | GTM and Outreach

Source: https://exntra.in/guides/avoid-spam

[All guides](/guides)

# How to keep cold email out of spam

A plain checklist: domain setup, list quality, volume, content and engagement, in the order that matters.

Updated 2 November 2026, 5 minute read

Cold email lands in spam for a handful of reasons. Fix them in this order: the first ones matter most.

## 1\. Set up your domain

-   Add SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Without them, Google can reject your email outright. [Step-by-step guide](/guides/spf-dkim-dmarc).
-   Send from a separate domain, such as `tryacme.com`, so your main domain stays safe.
-   Use real mailboxes with a real name and signature.

## 2\. Clean your list

-   Keep bounces under 2%. Remove addresses whose domain can't receive email, throwaway inboxes and duplicates.
-   Leave out team addresses like info@ and sales@. They rarely reply and report spam more.
-   Never email people who unsubscribed or bounced before.

## 3\. Send slowly and steadily

-   Start a new mailbox at about 10 a day, and grow to 30 to 50 over three weeks.
-   Spread emails through the working day instead of sending in bursts.
-   Need more volume? Add mailboxes, don't push one mailbox harder.

## 4\. Write like a person

-   Short plain-text emails, under 120 words, with one clear question.
-   Few links, no images or attachments in the first email.
-   Personalise the first line, and vary wording with spintax so no two emails are identical.
-   Avoid hype: "free", "guaranteed", "act now", lots of capitals or exclamation marks.

## 5\. Earn real engagement

-   Target people who really fit your offer. Replies are the strongest signal there is.
-   Include a few of your own addresses in your first campaigns, on other domains. Open, click and reply, and mark any that land in spam as "Not spam".
-   Make unsubscribing easy and honour it straight away. Keep spam complaints under 0.1%.

## 6\. Watch and react

-   Pause a campaign if bounces pass 3 to 5%, and fix the list before continuing.
-   If one mailbox struggles, lower its volume. Don't move its campaign onto your other mailboxes.

GTM and Outreach does most of this for you: DNS checks with exact fixes, list checks on upload, a slow start for new mailboxes, smart scheduling, automatic bounce pauses and one-click unsubscribe.

## Start sending this week

Your first month is free and needs no card. Connect a mailbox, import a list and send your first test in about ten minutes.

[Start your free month](https://app.example.com/#/signup)[Talk to us](/contact)