# How Do I Stop Gmail from Sending Emails to Spam Automatically? (A Complete Guide) To stop Gmail from sending emails to spam, mark them as “Not Spam” and call 1-888-481-0582 for assistance. There’s nothing more frustrating than missing an important email—only to find it buried in the Spam folder in Gmail. Whether it’s job offers, client communications, event confirmations, or even emails from your own domains, Gmail’s spam filters can sometimes be overly aggressive. While Gmail is remarkably effective at catching junk and phishing messages, it occasionally misfires, redirecting legitimate emails into spam without your approval. So, how do you stop Gmail from automatically marking emails as spam? That’s what this guide is here to answer—in full detail. **Why Does Gmail Mark Legitimate Emails as Spam?** Before we fix the issue, it’s important to understand why it happens. Gmail uses intelligent filtering systems that evaluate emails based on: Sender reputation Email content Attachments or links Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) Volume and frequency of sending User feedback (if other recipients mark it as spam) Even if an email looks fine to you, Gmail might find a pattern or piece of data it considers risky. In many cases, Gmail’s filters err on the side of caution, which can result in false positives. Common Scenarios Where Gmail Marks Emails as Spam Emails from newsletter services or marketing tools New domains or email addresses with no sender reputation Messages from people in your contact list Internal emails from your own company domain Auto-generated system alerts or confirmation messages Emails with attachments, shortened links, or HTML formatting Now that you know the problem, let’s dive into solutions. How to Stop Gmail from Sending Emails to Spam Automatically 1. Mark the Email as “Not Spam” Let’s start with the simplest and most immediate fix. How to do it: Open your Gmail account. Go to the Spam folder in the left-hand sidebar. Find the email you don’t want to be marked as spam. Open the email and click the “Not spam” button at the top. Doing this tells Gmail that you trust the sender. It trains the system to not flag similar messages in the future. 2. Create a Filter to Always Allow Specific Emails If you frequently receive emails from a specific address or domain that Gmail keeps pushing to spam, create a custom filter. Steps to create a Gmail filter: Click the gear icon and select “See all settings.” Navigate to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Click “Create a new filter.” In the “From” field, enter the email address or domain (e.g., @yourdomain.com). Click “Create filter.” Check the box: “Never send it to Spam.” (Optional) Also check: “Always mark it as important” or “Categorize as Primary.” Click “Create filter.” This rule overrides Gmail’s automatic spam detection for that specific sender or domain. 3. Add Trusted Senders to Your Contacts Adding a sender to your Google Contacts list significantly reduces the likelihood of their emails being marked as spam. Steps: Open the email. Hover over the sender’s name. Click “Add to Contacts” in the popup card. This also ensures better deliverability for future messages from that contact. 4. Disable or Review Existing Filters Sometimes, your own filters may be auto-archiving or labeling emails in a way that makes them hard to find—or even sends them to spam. Steps: Go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses. Review each filter line-by-line. Delete or modify any filters that might accidentally mark emails as spam, delete them, or skip the inbox. 5. Check and Whitelist Your Domain (for Senders) If your emails are going to your recipients’ spam folders, and you’re using your own domain (e.g., name@yourcompany.com), the issue could be on your end. Ensure your domain is properly authenticated with: SPF (Sender Policy Framework) DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication) These records should be added to your domain’s DNS settings. Once configured, Gmail will treat your emails as more trustworthy. 6. Avoid Spam Triggers in Email Content Even if the email is legitimate, certain language or formatting can make it look suspicious to spam filters. Red flags that Gmail might associate with spam: ALL CAPS SUBJECT LINES Too many exclamation points!!! Overuse of bold, colors, or fonts Shortened URLs (like bit.ly, tinyurl) Words like “Free,” “Buy now,” “Limited time offer,” or “Act now” Too many links or large attachments Poor grammar or spelling Fix: Write professional, clean emails with clear formatting and relevant content. 7. Unblock Senders (If Blocked) If you’ve blocked a sender, Gmail won’t let their emails through at all—even to spam. Steps to check blocked addresses: Go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses. Scroll to the bottom to see blocked addresses. Click Unblock next to any legitimate email address. 8. Turn Off Email Forwarding Rules That Skip Inbox If you’ve set up Gmail to forward to another email account, you may have inadvertently set rules that delete or archive the original email before you see it. Steps: Go to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Check if emails are being forwarded. Make sure the option “Keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox” is selected. 9. Use Gmail on Desktop for Full Control Some email behaviors are easier to see and fix on a desktop browser. If you mostly use the mobile app, you may not see the full picture. Use Gmail via https://mail.google.com in Chrome or another browser to: Access all folders including Spam and Trash View full headers of suspicious emails Create or edit filters View blocked senders list 10. Regularly Check the Spam Folder If Gmail has gotten into the habit of putting certain emails into spam, it won’t stop unless you actively mark them as not spam. Steps: Click on the Spam folder. Check for false positives. Click “Not Spam” on any that are valid. Eventually, Gmail learns from your habits. 11. Ask the Sender to Re-send the Email If you suspect an email was blocked or not delivered at all, ask the sender to resend it. They should also: Avoid spammy subject lines Use reputable sending domains Avoid attachments unless necessary 12. Check Gmail’s Trash Folder Sometimes legitimate emails get deleted automatically due to filters or bulk actions. Open Trash. Search for the email using keywords or addresses. Restore it to your inbox. Advanced Strategies for Persistent Spam Issues If the usual fixes don’t work, here are some advanced strategies. Use Gmail Search Operators to Find Hidden Emails Use these search commands: in:anywhere email@domain.com — finds email no matter where it’s filed is:spam — quickly see current spam messages label:unread — view unread messages that may have been mislabeled Use Gmail’s Message Headers to Analyze Email Issues Click the three dots on an email → Show original to inspect email headers. You can see if the message passed SPF/DKIM/DMARC, which affects whether Gmail sees it as safe. If a message fails authentication, it’s more likely to go to spam—even if it’s legit. Use Gmail’s Postmaster Tools (For Domain Owners) If you’re sending emails to Gmail users and they report going to spam, use Gmail’s Postmaster Tools: Monitor spam rate Monitor domain reputation Analyze delivery errors Set it up with your domain’s DNS and Google account. Switch Email Delivery to a Professional ESP (For Bulk Senders) If you’re sending to a mailing list or customer base, consider using an Email Service Provider (ESP) like: Mailchimp SendGrid Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) MailerLite These services maintain good reputations with email providers and handle technical setup (SPF, DKIM) automatically. Final Checklist – How to Keep Gmail from Sending Emails to Spam Action Purpose Mark as “Not spam” Trains Gmail’s filters Create filters Forces Gmail to allow specific senders Add to Contacts Builds trust with Gmail Fix formatting Avoids spam triggers Review filters Avoids auto-archiving Check SPF/DKIM/DMARC Strengthens sender credibility Remove forwarding/deleting rules Keeps email in inbox Unblock legitimate senders Allows delivery Use Gmail on desktop More visibility and control Final Thoughts: Take Back Control of Your Inbox Gmail is a powerful and intelligent platform, but even the smartest algorithms make mistakes. If you’ve been frustrated by missing emails or wrongly flagged spam messages, you’re not alone. The key is to be proactive: Train Gmail by marking messages as not spam Whitelist and filter trusted contacts and domains Communicate with senders to improve their delivery practices Use Gmail settings and tools to take full control Once you understand how Gmail’s filtering works—and how to correct it—you’ll enjoy a cleaner, more accurate inbox experience.