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How to Make Sure Your Emails Land in the Inbox
Blog →
by
Samuel Chenard
February 23, 2024
· Updated on
Every day, approximately 350 billion emails are sent and received. Of these, more than 45% end up in spam. This leads to significant losses for businesses, as marketing emails don't reach their subscribers, transactional emails fail to inform users, and colleagues struggle to communicate effectively.
Email deliverability is somewhat of a black box, much like SEO. The rules are constantly changing and are not clearly disclosed by major Email Service Providers (ESPs) like Google, Apple, Microsoft, and others.
Sometimes these rules are disclosed, as seen recently with the announcement from Google and Yahoo about the enforcement of new security protocols starting in February, but they are often kept unclear.
The good news is, despite the uncertainty, you can greatly improve your email deliverability. If you are worried your messages are getting lost in an email black hole, keep on reading as we’ll delve deeper to understand the main reasons why emails end up in spam, and how to prevent this.
Table of Contents
Before we dive into why your emails end up going into spam, let’s first explore a subtle yet so important distinction:
It’s not because your emails show as delivered in the tools you are using (also known as bounce/delivery rate) that they are actually reaching your recipient’s inbox.
Email deliverability is the odds that your email makes it to your customer's inbox and not in their spam.
There are several reasons why your emails might end up trigger the spam filters. It can be a long story, but it can be simplified into four pillars:
By avoiding these red flags, your emails will be able to land in the inbox of your recipients more easily.
The method you use to collect emails and build your subscriber list has a significant impact. If you employ a deceptive approach to obtain emails and then send these users unsolicited messages, it's likely that these recipients will be displeased with your unexpected emails. The more dissatisfied they are, the more likely they are to mark you as spam.
Ensure you use an opt-in form that clearly communicates to users that they will receive content from you by agreeing and checking a box or a similar mechanism. Be clear, don’t try to be sneaky.
Make it easy for people to unsubscribe. Don’t try to hide the link grey on white at the bottom of your email template. People who are unable to unsubscribe are actually people who will flag your email as spam and damage your reputation.
To encourage organizations to have the best practices on this, Google and Yahoo just made it mandatory to have an Unsubscribe button directly in the header of your email. Here’s how it looks:
You can use third-party tools to remove emails that have been deactivated or accounts that have been banned. Those create hard bounces and hard bounces are bad for your reputation.
We personally like Neverbounce.
If a certain group of subscribers has not opened a single email in the last six months, you might want to send them an email asking if they're still interested. Ultimately, emails that are not interacted with are likely to be flagged as spam.
This is not beneficial for your sender's reputation, and it's a poor final point of contact with your brand for the user. We recommend being kind and warm about it. Let them sail into the sunset if that's their wish!
It's no secret that the type of content you send to your recipient is one of the most important aspects of a successful email campaign. People's time is extremely valuable, so ensure that when you ask for their time to read your content, your content is of top quality and feels genuine.
Here are the most important questions to ask yourself before hitting send:
Authenticating and securing your emails is a crucial step in ensuring your emails reach the inbox. It's often overlooked by many companies, yet it's one of the easiest ways to improve deliverability.
There's a complex relationship between security and compliance. ESPs aim to reduce spam, scams, and phishing attempts. To support this, they favor domains that have well-configured security and authentication protocols on their domain's DNS.
Although this part can be quite tricky to understand and configure, it's incredibly valuable. It can make the difference between a +39% open rate and a +34% purchase likelihood. Isn't that amazing?
So, What Are Those Authentication and Security Protocols?
DNS is like the address book of the internet. Computers use DNS to look up domain names to find the corresponding IP addresses needed to connect to websites, servers, and other internet resources.
That’s also where email service providers like Google, Apple, and Microsoft are instructed on how your emails are secured and authenticated:
Let's dive into each one of these one by one.
SPF Records are like a guest list for sending emails. An SPF record is a line of text that specifies which domains or IP addresses are permitted to send emails on behalf of your domain. It resides in your DNS manager, under TXT records.
Here’s an example of an SPF record:
v=spf1 ip4:192.0.2.0/24 ip6:2001:db8::/32 include:_spf.example.com ~all
If an email from your domain is sent to a recipient server without your domain's permission, it could potentially decrease the email's deliverability.
A quick tip: To analyze whether your DNS is configured properly and if your email has a high likelihood of reaching the inbox, you can use Palisade’s free Email Deliverability Score tool. This tool audits your DNS configuration and provides suggestions for improvement.
DKIM records add a digital signature to your emails that proves they are authentic when they get to the recipient server. It's like the signature on the back of your credit card.
Each third-party service you are using with your domain typically needs its own DKIM key and record.
Here’s an example of an DKIM record:
v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEAgAS4QZzH+/iM5ilpxexFK7uVnX5OasDMW61p7IvUjM+488QnpLqDTlsvGdJtG/oHgwRpXcNSxKKhtX3R4zg0MoSdLJYTEMiirr8UdeuGng/ZKM2XtLa+qGve6kp3H5NBx2uYHVj+E0WANeRT3bK5sMVRTYSAywN/m9ugX5T5PkbvJ2HRTmrX00ov4/VoVFSbfHZzaA/FDX/hyFnWEiOb1JihArP2+cMs+CYgIi7u8t+p0FqR/37kuEh5PLxOct/fnhqjn35XPn8C1s2fAC5J2WZjmmC5QM2qYV90isu03jeCI7Vap9ocKj5P+qJAlooYNujICd84ZmcHeA2UJqj22QIDAQAB
Protects your domain from people who try to send fake emails (phishing, spam) on your behalf.
The DMARC policy is central to your email deliverability and security. It tells the recipient servers what to do if the emails they receive from you are not authenticated properly in your SPF or DKIM (often referred to as alignment).
Here’s an example of a DMARC record:
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@palisade.email; ruf=mailto:dmarc@palisade.email; fo=1;
Recently Google and Yahoo have started enforcing DMARC policies for all email senders.
BIMI is the new hot kid on the block. It was just adopted by Google, Apple, Yahoo, and most major ESPs (looking at you Outlook) this past May 2023.
It is now required to verify your identity via email, display your logo in the inbox, and get a verified checkmark in the inbox. You can see it being slowly rolled out by major companies like LinkedIn and Google:
Here’s an example of a DMARC record:
v=BIMI1;l=https://images.palisade.email/brand/bimi-logo.svg;a=https://images.palisade.emai/brand/certificate.pem
Monitoring your sender reputation is a significant component of ensuring your email deliverability remains high. Your sender reputation is much like a person's reputation. It takes time to build and is easy to damage.
Unfortunately, there is no "one tool to rule them all" for monitoring. However, there are tools available that can provide some insight into the status of your deliverability.
One of the best tools out there, even if it only monitors your reputation from Google's perspective, is Google Postmasters.
It allows you to get key data points on your sender reputation from three key angles:
Email deliverability is not set and forget, it’s a constant piece of work but oh so worth it.
Many companies spend a significant amount of time A/B testing their funnels and producing content. However, they often overlook the crucial step of ensuring their emails reach their customers' inboxes. If your users aren't seeing your content, what's the point of investing so much in creating it?
We understand, it's not easy. List management best practices are always changing. Content engagement follows the latest trends and designs. DNS compliance is constantly evolving. Reputation Monitoring is sensitive.
After reading this article, we hope that you've gained a better understanding of the basics of email deliverability (and the difference between your emails being delivered), and that you will place more importance on it.
February 3, 2025
Tasks in Missive: Your Inbox is Now Your Command Center
Our inbox is where work happens. It's where decisions get made. Where commitments are born. And let's be honest - it's what most of us use as a to do list.
Our inbox is where work happens. It's where decisions get made. Where commitments are born. And let's be honest - it's what most of us use as a to do list.
We've spent 10 years at Missive transforming email from a lonely slog into a team sport. But after hundreds of conversations with customers, we realized something obvious:
Instead of fighting how people naturally work, why not make their inbox exceptional at what they're already using it for?
Let's be real - we know the whole "inbox zero" thing is a myth, and that treating your inbox as a pure to-do list has its problems. But here's the thing: people are going to use their inbox to track work, whether we like it or not. So instead of preaching about the "right way" to work, we decided to give you tools that improve the way you already work.
We're putting tasks where they belong - right inside your inbox. But we're doing it thoughtfully.
Now you can prioritize what matters, collaborate effectively, and keep your team in sync - all without leaving your inbox. No more scattered tools. No more lost context. No more wondering who's working on what.
Your inbox is finally becoming what it should have been all along: A clear, organized command center where email and tasks blend seamlessly, exactly where you already are.
This isn't about building another "everything app" or asking you to change how you work. It's about making your inbox better at what you're already using it for. We know that might sound contradictory, adding features while claiming simplicity, but we've been ruthless about only adding what matters.
Everything else? We left it out.
The goal isn't to make your inbox do everything. The goal is to make it do the things you're already using it for, exceptionally well.
Now, let's walk through what's changing and how it makes your work life smoother.
We've completely re-imagined how tasks work in Missive.
You'll now find dedicated views that brings together all your tasks in one place, everything's organized in a single view. And the best part? Tasks now come with assignment, rich-text descriptions, and due dates that automatically sync to your calendar.
To keep everyone aligned, we've introduced a new 'In progress' intermediate status; watch your work progress naturally from "To do" to "In progress" to "Closed" — giving your whole team clear visibility into what's moving forward.
The "Assigned to me" and "Assigned to others" mailboxes have morphed into the Task views. The new Tasks view shows everything assigned to you across all your teams and organizations, while Team Tasks gives you a focused view of what's happening in specific teams.
Want to customize your view? Use filters to zero in on exactly what you need - like seeing only tasks for specific team members or projects. You can even pin your favorite filtered views to your sidebar for quick access. And when you need to check the conversation that sparked a task, just click the conversation pill to jump right to it.
We are also introducing teams spaces, a new way to organize your teams. Every team has now a dedicated space in the sidebar, and every member will see the right elements depending on their role in the team.
In each team space, you will find the team inbox, the team chat and the newly introduced team tasks view. You can always disable the team chat or the team inbox for a specific team in the team settings.
The team inbox, under the team space, can still be expanded to reveal the Closed, Sent and All mailboxes.
When working from a team inbox, as soon as you click reply, the conversation will be turned into an 'In progress' task, assigned to you. And when you're done with the draft, you can just hit 'Send & Close' and the task will be automatically closed.
Some companies will use these team spaces as traditional teams (support, design, etc), and others will use it as dedicated client spaces — with one team space per client. How you decide to use it is entirely up to your business.
If you have a checklist that your team goes through all the time, you can automate the whole thing with the new Create Task rule action. No more manual task creation.
Here's what I mean: Let's say every new client needs five things done — review their needs, check what you have in stock, work up pricing, draft a proposal, and get the thumbs up from your manager.
Instead of creating these tasks by hand every single time, just set up a rule.
Now when an email comes in with "New Client" in the subject (or when someone drops a #newclient tag in the conversation), boom - all five tasks get created automatically, assigned to the right people, with the right due dates. Simple, automatic, and nothing gets missed.
This is just the beginning. We're committed to making Missive the best place for teams to work together, and we have more exciting updates planned.
Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping these improvements, and we can't wait to hear what you think about the new tasks experience.
The best part? All these new features are available in every Missive plan. No upgrades needed.
Want to learn more about tasks in Missive? Check out our help guide for detailed information on how to make the most of these new features.
If you feel uncertain about the new tasks experience, and have any questions, we're here to help. We have 4 webinars scheduled in the next 2 weeks, and we'll be covering everything you need to know about tasks in Missive. Book a seat now using this link and we'll see you there!
Oh, one more thing, we gave Missive a fresh coat of paint too! We hope you like it.✨
November 28, 2024
The 9 Best Email Client Apps for Gmail for Every Use Case
The best email clients for individuals and teams by use case. Including benefits, features, and pricing.
1.8 billion users.
121 billion emails — per day.
Gmail dwarfs most popular email clients.
Still, reading emails in a browser tab feels… clunky?
Don’t get me wrong: I’ve been a Gmail user for years and I love it.
But I’ve found dedicated desktop email apps offer far more email productivity & customization.
Despite its dominance, Google hasn’t released an official desktop version of its email service. So users like you and I keep asking:
What are the best email apps for Gmail?
When I wrote the first version of this article, years ago, my mission was simple:
👉 Find the best email client to supercharge my personal productivity and facilitate team collaboration.
I needed something to simplify my email workflows AND give my team better tools — for clear communication and project management.The search led me to try dozens of apps, judging them on criteria like ease of use, customizability, collaboration, and productivity.
I've kept that original mission in mind while thoroughly re-evaluating and testing the latest offerings.This updated comparison includes a wide range of email clients. Some excel at personal email triage, others at conversational experience. Many boast team collaboration features.Let’s dig in and find your optimal email client for Gmail.
My evaluation focused on key criteria that savvy users care about, based on personal usage and discussions in online communities like Reddit.
These factors included:
I prioritized email apps with clear signs of ongoing development. All the Gmail email clients on the list support OAuth, as it’s the recommended way to connect your Gmail account to an email client according to Google. It will be the only supported way starting in Fall 2024.
For macOS, the top contenders are Apple's stock Mail app and the Gmail optimizer, Mimestream.
I know, most of you are probably screaming at your screen that Apple Mail made the cut, but hear me out — it has an incredible number of useful features for Gmail users.
Apple Mail offers robust custom filters, smart mailbox views, and notification control. It also provides AI-powered search assist, automated unsubscribe detection, send later scheduling, and built-in privacy tools. The user-friendly interface, system-level integration, and regular updates keep it feeling fresh. Best of all, it comes pre-installed with all Mac, so no need to download or update new software.
Free.
Mail lacks true integration with the Gmail platform. Mimestream shines as a purpose-built native app using the official Gmail API under the hood. This direct API connection allows Mimestream to mirror Gmail's interfaces, features, and real label structures in a way Apple's IMAP implementation can't.
Mimestream optimizes viewing and triaging the Gmail inbox with features like nested labels, calendar invites, and support for Gmail's latest search functionality and more. Mimestream provides an optimized experience that makes viewing and triaging your Gmail inbox faster and more efficient — with the added benefits of a native macOS app, not a browser window. The only core Gmail functionality it lacks is scheduled email sending.
$4.99 per user per month.
For Windows, Microsoft Outlook has long been the standard for email due to its ease of use, powerful search capabilities, and tight Office integration. And it’s still on top for the same reasons (especially with a Microsoft 365 account). There's also a full-fledged integrated calendar, eliminating the need to switch between windows to manage your day.
And if you're not an Apple user, Outlook is probably one of the best Android email clients out there.
Unfortunately, the latest Outlook release has been controversial. Microsoft has removed functionality like import/export tools and system tray access that power users loved in previous versions by shifting to essentially becoming a desktop clone of the web app. Shared mailbox management and capabilities like viewing favorite folders have also suffered. Some Reddit users find the web version performs better, but the general consensus is that the new desktop Outlook feels like a downgrade.
Free with ads, or starting at $1.99 per month for the ad-free version.
Email clients designed with teams and productivity in mind offer major advantages over individual email management tools — especially for businesses.
Based on my latest research, core business needs around email are:
No other email client meets those needs better than Missive.
Missive has been a game-changer for my team's productivity and communication. It’s a unified inbox that combines all our accounts into one app, while also offering shared inboxes — the multiplayer mode for email. The collaboration features like shared draft editing with @mentions, internal chat, and one-click assignments.
Shared labels, advanced rules, mobile apps, calendar sync, and a growing library of integrations make Missive a powerful software to consume your business’ Gmail accounts. Management tools like email templates, send later scheduling, snoozing, and follow-up reminders help each of us personally optimize our individual email processes. Missive also excels at email delegation with team members or virtual assistants.
However, according to some Reddit users — Missive is not perfect.
People have shared a learning curve, lack some granular customization, no email tracking, and advanced collaboration features locked behind paid tiers. But in my experience, no other client matches Missive's intuitive yet powerful blend of personal email management and team communication.
Missive’s pricing is competitive compared to other Gmail email clients—especially for small businesses that want to collaborate around emails.
Free plan available and starting at $18 per month per user for advanced features.
For those seeking a free, open-source, and community-driven email client, Thunderbird has made a name for itself. This cross-platform app has evolved a lot over the years with great features like tabbed email viewing, robust custom search tools, and built-in phishing/spam filtering.
Starting is easy with simplified account setup wizards and friendly reminders. Then, customization begins with custom themes, smart foldering, advanced filtering, and extending functionality through add-ons.
Thunderbird's uniqueness lies in its built-in privacy tools like remote image blocking and organization of emails into dedicated "Message Archive" locations outside your inbox. No complex rules needed. The tabbed interface with quick filters also makes email triage fast compared to a standard chronological view.
An open-sourced, Outlook alternative, for those looking for an Android email app.
Free.
If customization is your #1 priority in an email client, eM Client should be at the top of your list to test. This app takes a unique approach by bundling standard email/calendar/tasks management with note-taking.
eM Client lets you tweak things like instantaneous translation of messages, watchlist notifications for contact interactions, advanced attachment search filters, and a library of templates/text snippets.
You can also customize the toolbar layout. For enterprise users, eM Client includes admin deployment tools and integrations.
The flexibility can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, as eM Client can feel overwhelming with so much to configure, especially if you’re coming from a simpler app.
But if you love customizing apps, eM Client is worth considering.
Free for non-commercial use and starting at $59.95 for commercial use.
While the other clients on the list all use the traditional inbox management concepts to varying degrees, Spike goes a step further by completely reinventing email for individual productivity and team collaboration.
While not for everyone, it’s taking its inspiration from chat apps and social media to transform email into an infinitely scrolling feed of conversational "channels". These are organized around contacts and teams instead of the typical chrono-threaded approach.
This different experience lets you chat and share assets like notes, documents, and voice clips in your inbox. It includes features like automating message tone, video calls, and AI prioritization based on relationship context instead of subject lines and sender aliases.
Spike maintains core functions like account unification and calendar support. But its conversation-centric design can be hard to get used to.
Free plan available, starting at $5 per month per user for advanced features.
In the personal productivity front, Superhuman takes a traditional approach with an email interface optimized for speed and efficiency. It adds depth through an AI engine that powers automated split inboxes for VIPs and service emails, intelligent follow-up reminders, social insights about contacts, and error correction.
Superhuman isn't cheap at $30/month, but the premium delivers an unmatched experience that feels like a personal productivity force multiplier.
Starting at $30 per month.
For those who live on their mobile devices and want an extra AI-powered assist for email management on mobile devices. It automatically prioritizes messages, provides AI-written summaries, and generates email drafts based on voice prompts or sentiment reactions.
These AI integrations improve mobile email management, bridging the context and functionality gap compared to desktop experiences.
Its freemium model with premium tiers offers a compelling way to enhance mobile email through intelligent optimization and AI assistance.
Free plan available, starting at $49 per year for advanced features.
Desktop simplicity, intelligent mobile assistance, effective team communication, smart spam filtering, hyper-customized productivity…Whatever your use case, there’s a third-party Gmail client for you.
The key is finding the right fit based on your priorities.
For me, Missive's collaboration-focused experience has been a game-changer for team communication without compromising individual productivity.
But what about you? Maybe you'll prefer Thunderbird's community-driven open-source approach. Or the AI-enhanced efficiency of Superhuman for power users!
No matter the app, upgrading from Gmail's web interface can optimize email and get you closer to inbox zero.
It’s time to take control of your inbox.
