- 1
Read the symptom: opens near zero, replies silent
If opens are near zero and replies have dried up, your mail likely isn’t reaching the inbox — it’s landing in spam. The fix is a reputation stack, and each layer depends on the one before it: authentication → tracking domain → warmup → content. Work them in that order.
- 2
Check domain authentication first
Open Mailbox/Domain → Email Authentication. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC all need to show verified. Unauthenticated mail is the single biggest spam trigger, and nothing downstream can fix it. See Domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for the full setup.
- 3
Apply DNS fast with the Cloudflare one-click (if applicable)
If your domain is on Cloudflare nameservers, FirstSales offers a one-click modal: paste a scoped Zone › DNS › Edit API token and it writes your SPF/DKIM/DMARC records for you. The token is used once for that single request and is never stored or logged. On other registrars, add the records by hand — see DNS across registrars.
- 4
Add a custom tracking domain
Go to Deliverability → Tracking Domain and create a CNAME so your open/click tracking runs on your own subdomain instead of a shared host. Wait for the status to move through pending → CNAME OK → SSL OK → Verified. A shared tracking host that other senders have burned is a known placement drag.
- 5
Confirm warmup is healthy
Each sending mailbox’s Warmup tab should show a Healthy score (80+) or be in Maintenance. A cold mailbox with no warmup history lands in spam regardless of how clean your DNS is.
- 6
Fix the content
Spammy subject lines, image-heavy bodies, link-stuffing, and misleading copy get filtered even with perfect authentication. Keep it plain, personal, and to one clear link or ask. There’s no in-app content scanner — this is a manual review.
- 7
Watch the spam-complaint guardrail
Campaign → Settings → Delivery Protection shows the Spam complaint threshold (%) (default 0.1). If you’re tripping it, recipients are actively marking you as spam — that’s a content or targeting problem, not a DNS one.
- 8
Verify externally, then ramp back up
FirstSales has no built-in blacklist lookup or seed-inbox test. Use an external seed/placement service to confirm you’re now landing in the inbox, then slowly increase volume rather than jumping straight back to full send.
Pro tips
Hard-won shortcuts that keep warm-up on track.
Authenticate before anything else
A tracking domain and warmup can't rescue mail that fails SPF, DKIM, or DMARC. Fix authentication first.
Cloudflare users: use the one-click
The one-click modal writes all three records in seconds with a scoped, single-use token — far fewer typos than hand-editing DNS.
Don’t underrate the tracking domain
A custom tracking domain quietly moves your links off a shared host that other senders may have already burned — one of the biggest placement levers.
There’s no spam-test button by design
Use an external seed test to confirm placement, then trust your open-rate trend over any single tool's one-time score.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my emails going to spam?
Almost always one of: unverified SPF/DKIM/DMARC, a cold un-warmed mailbox, a shared tracking host, or spam-triggering content. Work through them in that order.
Does FirstSales have a blacklist or spam-test tool?
No. There’s no in-app RBL lookup or seed-inbox test. Use an external service for that; inside FirstSales, focus on authentication, tracking domain, warmup, and content.
Do I need a custom tracking domain?
Strongly recommended. It moves open/click tracking to your own verified subdomain instead of a shared host, which meaningfully helps placement.
I’m on Cloudflare — is the one-click safe?
Yes. You paste a narrowly-scoped Zone › DNS › Edit token; it’s used for a single request to write your records and is never stored or logged.
My auth is green but I’m still in spam — why?
Then it’s warmup or content. A perfectly authenticated but cold mailbox still lands in spam, and so does salesy, link-heavy copy.
How do I know I’ve actually fixed it?
Watch your open-rate trend recover and confirm with an external seed/placement test. There isn’t a single in-app “fixed” indicator.
Will the spam-complaint threshold auto-pause me?
Yes, if you cross it (default 0.1%). That means recipients are actively marking you spam — revisit targeting and content, not DNS.
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