Fix your hotel website emails that are ending up in spam folders

Check and optimize the sending configuration

Key points • Verify the DNS records essential for deliverability • Check the sending address used by your forms • Test domain reputation and technical settings • Implement best practices to avoid spam filters

When emails generated by your hotel website end up in spam folders, your teams risk missing out on key requests: leads, bookings, contact forms, or confirmation messages. Resolving this requires a thorough analysis of your authentication and sending configuration.

Here is a clear guide to quickly identify and correct the source of the problem.

Check DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

Deliverability relies primarily on three essential protections.

SPF: Verify that your domain correctly authorizes the platform sending your emails. An incomplete or duplicate SPF record often results in your emails being marked as spam.

DKIM: Ensure that cryptographic signing is enabled and validated. A missing DKIM key reduces the trust of the recipient servers.

DMARC is recommended for controlling and monitoring sending traffic using your domain. Start with a permissive (none) policy before strengthening it.

💡 Tip: If you use multiple marketing tools or PMS to send emails, group legitimate sending sources into a single, clean SPF record.

Check the website's shipping address

Your form must send emails from an address belonging to your hotel domain, for example: contact@your-hotel.com. Avoid generic addresses like Gmail or Outlook, which are often blocked or degraded by servers.

Testing your domain's reputation

Some blacklists can negatively impact deliverability. Use a reputation checker and verify: • Potential blacklists • Domain score • Irregular sending volume • Presence of SMTP errors

If your domain is listed, submit a removal request and then gradually improve your sending quality.

Control the structure of your emails

Emails sent from your site should not contain: • Shortened links • Large attachments • Excessive formatting • Broken or automatically generated HTML code. These elements greatly increase the risk of filtering.

Check your email's internal rules

In some cases, emails are treated as spam solely by your own internal system or company server. Two helpful actions: • Add the sender's address to your "safe list" • Check your automatic rules or internal filters • Ensure your inbox isn't full

Perform a complete sending test

Perform a test using an external address (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo). Observe: • The authentication path • The display of DKIM and SPF • The spam score. A simple technical overview quickly reveals what is missing or blocking.

Gradually improve your reputation

After adjusting the settings, wait a few days for the results to stabilize. Continue sending consistent emails at a controlled volume, and ensure that all your hotel's systems use the same authentication standards.

Conclusion

Emails ending up in spam folders most often stem from incomplete DNS configuration, an incorrectly chosen sender address, or inconsistencies in message structure. By verifying SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and adopting best practices, you can sustainably improve server trust and ensure effective communication for your hotel.