You've written the email. You've proofread it twice. You've hit send.

But what if it never actually arrived?

This is one of the most frustrating (and surprisingly common) problems with email marketing, and the worst part is that most business owners have no idea it's happening.

Your subscribers don't know either.

Your email just quietly disappears into the ether ...

Here's what's usually behind it, and what you can do about it.

Why emails end up in spam

Email providers like Gmail and Outlook are constantly working to protect their users from spam and phishing. To decide whether an incoming email is legitimate, they check a few things behind the scenes, including whether the sender is who they say they are.

That's where SPF, DKIM and DMARC come in.

These are three DNS records that live in your website hosting platform (not inside MailerLite) and they tell email providers: yes, this sender is authorised to send emails on behalf of this domain.

Without them, there's nothing to vouch for you. Your email arrives with no credentials, and the receiving server has to make a judgment call. A lot of the time, that call doesn't go in your favour.

What each one does

Think of your email like a party you're hosting.

SPF

Confirms which email servers are allowed to send on behalf of your domain.

Think of it as the guest list: only the people you've approved are allowed through the door.

DKIM

Adds a hidden digital signature to every email you send, so the receiving server can verify it genuinely came from you and hasn't been tampered with.

Think of it as the wristband: proof that they were officially invited and they're the real deal.

DMARC

Is the policy that tells receiving servers what to do if an email fails the SPF or DKIM checks.

Think of it as the instructions you leave with the door staff: "If someone doesn't have a wristband and they're not on the guest list, turn them away."

All three work together.

• SPF checks where the email came from

• DKIM checks that it hasn't been tampered with

• DMARC decides what happens if either of those checks fails

Having all three is what gives your emails the best chance of landing where they should.

How to check if yours are set up properly in MailerLite

Inside MailerLite, head to Account Settings > Domains > Sending Domains. If your domain shows as "Authenticated," you're in good shape. If it doesn't, or if you've never checked, it's worth sorting out sooner rather than later.

Not sure where to start? The free Empress MailerLite Audit covers this as one of its 20 checkpoints. You can run through it and get your results instantly.