If your Engage emails are landing in spam instead of the inbox, a few common issues are usually responsible. This guide walks through each cause and how to fix it.
Possible causes
Your sending domain hasn't been authenticated (missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records)
You're sending too many emails too quickly
Your email content contains spam triggers
Your sending account has accumulated a poor reputation
You're sending to contacts with invalid or low-quality email addresses
Fix 1: Authenticate your sending domain
Domain authentication tells email providers that Lusha is authorized to send on your behalf. Without it, your emails are far more likely to be flagged as spam.
You need three DNS records set up for your domain:
SPF - authorizes Lusha's mail servers to send on your behalf
DKIM - adds a digital signature to verify email integrity
DMARC - tells providers what to do when SPF or DKIM checks fail
To set these up, ask your IT or DNS administrator to add the records that Lusha provides. You can find the required values in Settings → Engage → Email Setup → Domain Authentication.
💡 Note: DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate. After making changes, allow time before testing again.
Fix 2: Reduce your daily sending volume
Sending large volumes of emails from a new or low-activity mailbox triggers spam filters. Email providers expect ramp-up over time.
Start with no more than 20–30 emails per day from a new mailbox
Increase volume gradually over 2–4 weeks
Spread sends throughout the day rather than sending in one burst
For provider-specific daily limits, see the Email Sending Limits by Provider & Email Limits Best Practices articles.
Fix 3: Review your email content
Spam filters score email content for known trigger patterns. Common causes:
Spam trigger words - avoid phrases like "Free", "Guaranteed", "Act now", "No obligation", "Click here"
All-caps subject lines - these are a strong spam signal
Too many links - keep links to 1–2 per email
Image-heavy emails - plain text or low-image-to-text ratio performs better in deliverability
Missing unsubscribe link - legally required in many countries and expected by spam filters
Fix 4: Clean your contact list
High bounce rates damage your sender reputation quickly. Before launching a sequence:
Use Lusha's email confidence score to filter out low-confidence addresses
Remove contacts with generic mailboxes (info@, support@, contact@) — these rarely convert and often cause spam complaints
Remove contacts who have previously bounced or unsubscribed
Fix 5: Warm up a new mailbox
If you recently connected a new Gmail or Outlook account to Engage, it needs time to build a sending reputation. Use a mailbox warm-up tool before sending high volumes, or use an existing mailbox with a track record of regular sending.
Fix 6: Check your sender reputation
You can check your domain and IP reputation using free tools like Google Postmaster Tools (for Gmail) or MX Toolbox. A poor score means past sends have been marked as spam by recipients - address the content and volume issues above before sending again.
⚠️ Important: If you believe your domain has been blacklisted, contact Lusha Support immediately - continued sending from a blacklisted domain makes recovery harder.