Test Spam

In Acumbamail, you can now run a test against the most popular spam filters to determine deliverability before sending your campaign.

• Introduction
• How do I perform the test?
• What information do I get in the test?
• How can I see my last test performed?
• Pending Status
• Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

Until your email is sent, we cannot know if it will be considered spam, so before sending an email marketing campaign, make sure your emails reach the inbox and not the junk mail folder.

By performing our test, you will be able to obtain information from the most popular spam filters such as Barracuda, DKIM or Spam Assassin.

How do I perform the test?

In the last step of creating your campaign, you can perform the test. Press the "Start test" button in the Spam Test section. A window will open from where you can launch the test.

What information do I get in the test?

Apart from testing on different devices our email, it is also important to perform spam tests to verify the delivery potential of your email.

The test analyzes the content of your email and where it is sent from.

Delivery capacity percentages are graphically represented according to the classification of the filters: B2B and B2C, as well as globally.

The information provided by the different filters will be displayed, this time classified by the type of information obtained: Feedback and Pass/Fail

How can I see my last test performed?

If you performed a test and want to see it again, it's very simple. Just press the "Start test" button again in the Spam Test section of the campaign, where you consulted it, and a window will open from where you can access the test performed.

Pending Status

The Pending status means that you have not yet received a response from the filter. Some filters may take time to respond, so it is preferred to show progress and not make the user wait when the waiting time exceeds a limit. But don't worry, you can access the test after a while and you will see how the results are being completed.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does B2B or B2C mean?

  Spam filters are classified into two categories: B2B and B2C, abbreviations for business models.

  B2B is also known as Business to Business, which translates to "from business to business."
  B2C or Business to Customer, which translates to "from business to customer or consumer."

  Next to the name of each filter, a B2B or B2C label is displayed.



• Why does my email fail on certain spam filters?

  If you send email campaigns, you will generally encounter spam filter problems. On average, between 10 and 20% of your emails will be blocked due to spam filters and overly enthusiastic user settings. The best way to succeed is to understand how filters work and minimize the chance of your email encountering these problems. Spam filters analyze a long list of criteria and assign points based on those criteria.

  This list grows and adapts constantly because spam filters learn every time someone clicks "This is spam" in their email program. Spam filters even sync with each other online to share what they have learned.

  Some tips to prevent your emails from being marked as spam:

  • Don't buy or rent email lists
  • Don't use all caps and use coherent phrases
  • Don't abuse exclamation marks or special characters
  • Avoid using barely visible (or on the contrary, strident) colors in your texts
  • Don't forget to do a spell check
  • Don't fill your email with keywords
  • In proportion, there should be more text than images. Avoid using large images or "flyers" that take up the entire message
  • Keep your mailing list updated and clean
  • Use subscription confirmation emails (double opt-in)
  • Ask your subscribers to add you to their directory
  • Include a clear link to unsubscribe and a physical mailing address
  • Use a sender name that is familiar
  • Keep your emails short and cordial
  • Avoid common spam topics
  • Be careful with links to third parties
  • Include a link to your website's privacy policy if you have one
  • Test your emails before sending them

• Why are the results of my spam test scarce or poor in content?

  The companies that create and maintain these filters do not provide more information on how they work, to prevent spam senders from bypassing them. Some, like SpamAssassin, share information about the spam score but many others, however, only return a pass/fail.

  Example of SpamAssassin score:

  

  The process is very simple, each attribute of the email is checked and it is scored. All the scores are added up and this will determine whether it passes the test or not. A score above 5 will indicate that it will be treated as spam.

  Example of Barracuda score:

  

  The Barracuda spam filter is one of the most well-known and effective in B2B email communication. There is also an important blocklist managed by the network, known as the Barracuda Reputation Blocklist (BRBL). Like other email spam filters, Barracuda has a method for giving messages a score that rates their likelihood of being spam. It will check blocklists and scan for viruses before examining smaller spam signals.

• Why does my email pass the test but arrive as spam?

  Deliverability is a complex aspect in which several factors are involved:

  1. Email server reputation.
  A sender's reputation is made up of a combination of IP Address + Domain + sender's email address, so it is important to maintain consistency.

  2. Local configuration settings
  Email recipients may have their own configuration and local settings regarding spam. Our test is based on a default configuration.

  3. Blocked senders and address book
  Some email clients use different levels of spam blocking depending on whether the sender is in the address book or not.

  4. Email content and subject lines
  Spam filters look for words in the subject line and in the body of the email that may seem like spam. Most work with a point system.

  5. Quality of the mailing list
  If you have several subscribers on your mailing list who no longer have valid email addresses, you run the risk of being blocked.

  6. Sending server configuration
  If you have your own domain, we recommend configuring DKIM/SPF to increase your opening rate.

  Other reasons why they may end up as spam:

  • Your recipients marked your emails as spam.
  • You are not following HTML best practices.
  • Your subject lines are misleading or contain spam triggers.
  • You do not have permission from your recipients.
  • Your content triggers spam filters.
  • An unsubscribe link is not included.
  • Your "from" information is incorrect or misleading.