How can I test whether my email is going to spam?
Send a normal message to a personal Gmail or Outlook address you control and see which folder it lands in. Open it and read the full header: it shows whether SPF, DKIM and DMARC passed. A fail on any of them is the first thing to fix.
Last read from the sources at the foot of this page.
What does the test tell a business?
Where the message lands tells you what one provider thinks of it. The header tells you why. Gmail shows the full header from a menu next to Reply.
Next to Reply, click More Show original.
How do you run the test?
- Send an ordinary message from your business address to a Gmail address and an Outlook.com address you own.
- Check the inbox, the spam folder and any other tab.
- In Gmail, open the message, choose More next to Reply, then Show original.Read the SPF, DKIM and DMARC lines.
- Repeat from each service that sends for you, such as invoicing or newsletters.
- Fix any service that shows fail, then test again.
Where is the change made?
Your DNS settings, for a failing SPF, DKIM or DMARC result. The sending service's own settings show the records it needs.
What else do people ask about this?
Is one test message enough?
It shows the current state for one provider. Test Gmail and Outlook.com. Test each sending service too. Repeat after any change to your records.
What if every check passes and it still goes to spam?
Then look at the content and the sender's history: links, attachments, wording and how often recipients mark your mail as spam.
Where does this come from?
- Google, Gmail Help: Trace an email with its full headersupport.google.comRead 16 October 2026
See what is open before anyone else does.
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