Brevo Deliverability: How to Keep Your Emails Out of Spam in 2026

You hit send on your email campaign. Everything looks good. But then… nothing. Open rates tank. Clicks barely register. And when you check with a subscriber, they tell you your email landed in spam. Or worse, they never saw it at all. It’s frustrating. You spent hours writing that email, and Gmail just tossed it in the junk folder like it was garbage.

Brevo deliverability refers to how successfully your emails reach subscribers’ inboxes instead of spam folders, and with proper setup, Brevo achieves inbox placement rates between 89% and 99%. That’s solid performance. But here’s the thing — that range depends entirely on what you do. Skip the authentication steps or ignore list hygiene, and you’ll sit at the low end. Follow best practices, and you’ll hit the high end consistently.

The numbers from 2025 testing show Brevo users averaging 25.85% open rates and 1.27% click-through rates. Unsubscribe rates stay low at just 0.05%. These stats tell us something important: when emails actually reach inboxes, people engage with them. The problem isn’t your content. It’s whether your emails arrive in the first place.

In this guide, we’re going to fix that problem.

You’ll learn exactly how spam filters decide where your emails land. We’ll walk through domain authentication step by step — SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup inside Brevo. You’ll understand the difference between shared and dedicated IPs. And we’ll cover the content and list hygiene practices that keep your sender reputation clean.

By the end, you’ll know how to keep your Brevo emails out of spam folders in 2026. Let’s get into it.

What Is Email Deliverability and Why Does It Matter in Brevo?

Email deliverability is the percentage of your emails that actually land in subscribers’ inboxes instead of spam folders, promotions tabs, or getting blocked entirely. It’s different from delivery rate, which just measures whether the email was accepted by the receiving server. An email can be “delivered” and still end up in spam. That’s not a win.

Think of it this way. Delivery rate asks: “Did the email reach the mailbox provider?” Deliverability asks: “Did the email reach the person?” The second question matters way more for your business.

With Brevo, inbox placement rates range from 89% to 99% depending on your setup. Independent tests in 2025 showed Brevo hitting around 89.1% on baseline tests. But users who properly authenticate their domains and maintain clean lists consistently reach 99% inbox placement. The gap between those numbers is massive. It’s the difference between 890 people seeing your email versus 990 out of every 1,000 sent.

Why should small businesses care about this?

Because deliverability directly affects revenue. Research shows that dropping your complaint rate by just 1% can increase email revenue by 10%. Every email that lands in spam is a missed sale, a missed connection, a wasted opportunity. You’re paying for an email platform. You’re spending time writing campaigns. If those emails don’t reach inboxes, you’re burning money.

Let’s compare Brevo to other email platforms:

Brevo trails slightly on raw numbers. But here’s context: Brevo excels at transactional email delivery, hitting 99.98% inbox placement in under 20 seconds. For order confirmations, password resets, and shipping notifications, that speed matters.

The point is simple. Deliverability isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the foundation of email marketing. Without it, nothing else works.

How Spam Filters Decide Where Your Brevo Emails Land

Spam filters from Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail analyze your sender reputation, email content, and subscriber engagement to decide whether your emails reach the inbox or get flagged as spam. Understanding this process helps you avoid the traps.

Mailbox providers don’t manually review your emails. They use algorithms that evaluate dozens of signals in milliseconds. And those algorithms get smarter every year.

Sender reputation sits at the core of filtering decisions. Your reputation has two parts: IP reputation and domain reputation. IP reputation tracks the sending behavior of the server your emails come from. Domain reputation tracks the history of emails sent from your specific domain. Both matter. If either one looks suspicious, filters get triggered.

Here’s what mailbox providers actually track:

• Open rates — Are people opening your emails?
• Click-through rates — Are people engaging with your content?
• Reply rates — Are people responding to you?
• Deletion without reading — Are people trashing your emails immediately?
• Spam complaints — Are people hitting the “report spam” button?
• Unsubscribe rates — Are people opting out frequently?

These engagement signals tell Gmail and Outlook whether subscribers actually want your emails. High opens and clicks signal value. Immediate deletions and spam reports signal annoyance.

What triggers spam placement specifically?

Missing authentication tops the list. Emails without SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records look suspicious. Mailbox providers can’t verify you are who you claim to be. That’s a red flag.

Poor list quality hurts too. Sending to old, invalid, or purchased email addresses creates bounces. High bounce rates damage your sender reputation fast.

Spammy content still matters. Excessive exclamation marks, all-caps subject lines, and known spam trigger words can push you toward the junk folder.

But here’s the good news: authenticated emails from senders with clean reputations get preferential treatment. Gmail and Outlook want to deliver legitimate email. Help them trust you, and they’ll reward you with inbox placement.

How to Authenticate Your Domain in Brevo

Domain authentication verifies that emails sent from Brevo actually come from you, and proper setup fixes approximately 80% of spam folder issues. This is the single most important step for Brevo deliverability.

When you authenticate your domain, you’re telling Gmail, Outlook, and other mailbox providers: “Yes, I authorized Brevo to send emails on my behalf.” Without this verification, your emails look suspicious. Filters can’t confirm you’re legitimate. So they play it safe and send you to spam.

Three authentication protocols work together: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) lists which servers are allowed to send email for your domain. When an email arrives, the receiving server checks your SPF record to verify the sending server is approved.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to your emails. This signature proves the email wasn’t altered in transit and confirms it came from an authorized source.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) tells mailbox providers what to do when SPF or DKIM checks fail. It also sends you reports about authentication results.

Setting these up in Brevo is straightforward. Go to your Brevo dashboard, find the Senders section, and select domain verification. Brevo walks you through each step and tells you exactly what records to add to your DNS settings.

The platform auto-generates the values you need. You copy them into your domain registrar’s DNS settings. Then Brevo verifies everything is working.

Let’s break down each protocol setup.

Setting Up SPF Record for Brevo Emails

An SPF record tells receiving email servers that Brevo is authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. Without it, your emails may fail authentication checks and land in spam.

SPF works like a guest list at a club. Your domain is the club. The SPF record is the list of approved senders. When Brevo sends an email for you, the receiving server checks the list. If Brevo isn’t on it, the email gets rejected or flagged.

Here’s how to set up SPF for Brevo:

Step 1: Log into your domain registrar. This might be GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, or whoever manages your domain’s DNS settings.

Step 2: Find your DNS records section. Look for TXT records specifically.

Step 3: Add a new TXT record with this value:

textv=spf1 include:spf.brevo.com mx ~all

If you already have an SPF record for another service, don’t create a second one. Instead, add Brevo’s include statement to your existing record. Multiple SPF records cause failures.

Step 4: Save the record and wait for DNS propagation. This usually takes 15 minutes to 24 hours.

Step 5: Go back to Brevo’s sender verification page and click verify. Brevo checks your DNS and confirms the SPF record is correct.

Common SPF mistakes to avoid:

• Creating multiple SPF records instead of combining them
• Forgetting the ~all or -all at the end
• Typos in the include statement
• Not waiting for DNS propagation before testing

Once SPF is active, receiving servers can confirm Brevo is an approved sender for your domain. That’s one authentication box checked.

Setting Up DKIM Authentication in Brevo

DKIM authentication adds a digital signature to every email you send through Brevo, proving the message is legitimate and hasn’t been tampered with during delivery. This builds trust with mailbox providers.

Think of DKIM like a wax seal on a letter. It proves the letter came from you and nobody opened it along the way. Email servers check this signature before deciding where to place your message.

The good news? Brevo auto-generates your DKIM keys. You don’t need to create them yourself.

Here’s the setup process:

Step 1: In your Brevo dashboard, go to Senders and then Domains. Select the domain you want to authenticate.

Step 2: Brevo displays the DKIM record you need to add. It looks something like this:

textType: TXT
Host: brevo._domainkey
Value: k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBA... (long string)

Step 3: Copy this information into your domain registrar’s DNS settings. Create a new TXT record with the exact host and value Brevo provides.

Step 4: Save the record and wait for DNS propagation.

Step 5: Return to Brevo and verify the setup. The platform checks your DNS and confirms the DKIM record exists and matches.

Once verified, every email Brevo sends for you includes a cryptographic signature. Receiving servers decrypt this signature using your public key (stored in DNS). If it matches, the email passes DKIM authentication.

Why does DKIM matter so much?

Mailbox providers see DKIM-signed emails as more trustworthy. You’ve proven your identity. You’ve shown the email wasn’t modified by hackers. This trust translates directly into better inbox placement.

Without DKIM, you’re asking Gmail to trust you on faith alone. That’s a hard sell in 2026.

DMARC Policy Setup for Brevo

DMARC tells mailbox providers how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, and it gives you reports on authentication results. It’s the final layer of email authentication.

SPF and DKIM verify your emails are legitimate. DMARC decides what happens when verification fails. Should the email be delivered anyway? Quarantined? Rejected completely? You set the rules.

Here’s a basic DMARC record structure:

textType: TXT
Host: _dmarc
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Let’s break down the parts:

• v=DMARC1 — Identifies this as a DMARC record
• p=none — Policy setting (none, quarantine, or reject)
• rua=mailto: — Email address where you receive reports

For beginners, start with p=none. This monitors authentication without blocking any emails. You get reports showing how many emails pass or fail. Once you’re confident everything is configured correctly, move to p=quarantine or p=reject for stronger protection.

Recommended progression:

1. p=none — Monitor for 2-4 weeks
2. p=quarantine — Suspicious emails go to spam
3. p=reject — Failed emails get blocked completely

To add your DMARC record:

Step 1: Go to your domain registrar’s DNS settings.

Step 2: Create a new TXT record with host _dmarc and your chosen DMARC value.

Step 3: Save and wait for propagation.

Step 4: Monitor the reports sent to your designated email address.

DMARC reports show you exactly what’s happening with your email authentication. You’ll see which messages pass, which fail, and why. This data helps you catch problems before they tank your deliverability.

One optional upgrade: BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). Once DMARC is enforced, you can add BIMI to display your logo next to emails in supported inboxes. It’s not required, but it boosts brand visibility and trust.

How to Improve Your Brevo Sending Reputation

Your sending reputation depends on the IP address and domain you use, and Brevo offers both shared IPs (included free) and dedicated IPs ($50-200/month) depending on your sending volume and needs. Understanding the difference helps you make the right choice.

Let’s start with shared IPs. On Brevo’s Free and Starter plans, your emails go out from IP addresses shared with other Brevo users. This works fine for most small businesses. Brevo monitors these shared IPs carefully and maintains strong reputations. For low-volume senders, shared IPs actually deliver around 99% inbox placement.

But there’s a catch. If another user on your shared IP sends spammy content, it can affect your deliverability too. You’re sharing reputation with strangers.

Dedicated IPs solve this problem. For $50-200 per month on Business plans and above, you get an IP address that’s yours alone. Your reputation depends entirely on your own sending behavior. Nobody else can drag you down.

When does a dedicated IP make sense?

• You send more than 100,000 emails per month
• You need complete control over your sender reputation
• You’re in an industry with strict deliverability requirements

Here’s the thing about dedicated IPs though: they require warming.

IP warming means gradually increasing your sending volume over several weeks. A brand-new IP has no reputation — good or bad. Mailbox providers don’t know whether to trust it. If you blast 50,000 emails on day one, filters assume you’re a spammer.

Brevo recommends starting with around 50 emails per day. Then double your volume every few days. The platform includes a warm-up simulator to help you plan this ramp-up correctly.

Consistency matters too. Sending 10,000 emails one day and zero the next looks suspicious. Mailbox providers prefer steady, predictable patterns. Try to maintain regular sending schedules rather than sporadic bursts.

For monitoring, connect Brevo with Google Postmaster Tools. This free tool shows exactly how Gmail views your domain and IP reputation. You’ll see spam rates, authentication results, and delivery errors. Catching problems early prevents major deliverability crashes.

Email Content and List Hygiene Best Practices

Clean email content and a healthy subscriber list are just as important as technical authentication — spam filters analyze both your message and your audience’s engagement to determine inbox placement. Get these wrong, and authentication alone won’t save you.

Let’s talk content first.

Spam filters scan your emails for red flags. They look at structure, wording, and formatting. Here’s what works:

Text-to-image ratio: Aim for 60% text and 40% images. Emails that are mostly images with little text look like spam. Filters can’t read images, so they get suspicious.

Avoid spam trigger words: Phrases like “FREE!!!”, “Act now!”, “Limited time offer!!!”, and “You’ve been selected” raise flags. You can use promotional language, just don’t overdo it with excessive punctuation or all caps.

Single CTA per email: Multiple calls-to-action confuse readers and look spammy. Pick one thing you want subscribers to do. Make it clear.

Personalization tokens: Use merge tags like {{FIRSTNAME}} to personalize subject lines and content. Personalized emails perform better and look more legitimate than generic blasts.

Limit links: Keep links under 3 per email when possible. Too many links trigger spam filters. And make sure those links point to reputable domains. Broken links or suspicious URLs hurt you.

Now let’s talk list hygiene.

Your subscriber list needs regular cleaning. Dead email addresses, inactive subscribers, and unengaged contacts damage your sender reputation over time.

Remove 90-day inactive contacts: If someone hasn’t opened or clicked anything in 90 days, they’re probably not interested. Run a re-engagement campaign first. Send a “We miss you” email with a clear reason to stay subscribed. If they still don’t engage, remove them.

Use double opt-in: When someone subscribes, send a confirmation email requiring them to click a link. This ensures the email address is valid and the person actually wants your content. Double opt-in lists have dramatically lower bounce and complaint rates.

Never use purchased email lists: This rule is non-negotiable. Purchased lists contain outdated addresses, spam traps, and people who never asked to hear from you. Your complaint rate will spike. Your reputation will tank. It’s not worth it.

Manage suppression lists: Brevo automatically suppresses bounced addresses and unsubscribers. Don’t try to re-add these contacts. Let the suppression list do its job.

Quarterly list audits keep everything fresh. Check for patterns: which segments engage most? Which ones ignore you? Focus your energy on people who actually want to hear from you.

Brevo Deliverability Tools and Reports

Brevo includes built-in deliverability tools that help you monitor sender reputation, track bounces, and fix problems before they hurt your inbox placement. You don’t need third-party software for most of this. It’s right in your dashboard.

The deliverability checklist is your starting point. Brevo walks you through every step: domain authentication, sender verification, list quality checks. Green checkmarks show what’s done. Red flags show what needs attention. Complete the checklist before sending your first campaign.

Real-time bounce reports show exactly which emails failed and why. You’ll see hard bounces (invalid addresses) separated from soft bounces (temporary issues like full inboxes). Brevo automatically suppresses hard bounces so you don’t keep hitting dead addresses.

The blacklist monitoring feature watches for problems with your sending domain or IP. If you end up on a major blacklist like Spamhaus, Brevo alerts you. Catching this early prevents major deliverability crashes.

For dedicated IP users, the warm-up simulator helps you plan your volume ramp-up. It calculates how many emails to send each day based on your target volume. Follow the schedule, and you build reputation safely.

Business plan subscribers get AI send-time optimization. Brevo analyzes when each subscriber typically opens emails. Then it delivers your campaign at the optimal moment for each person. This boosts open rates, which improves your sender reputation over time.

Email logs give you troubleshooting data for individual messages. You can search by recipient, date, or status. See exactly when an email was sent, whether it bounced, and what error codes appeared. This detail helps when subscribers say they didn’t receive something.

Reputation alerts notify you when metrics slip. If your bounce rate spikes or complaints increase, Brevo lets you know.

For deeper Gmail insights, connect Google Postmaster Tools. This free service shows how Gmail specifically views your domain. You’ll see spam rates, IP reputation scores, and authentication results directly from Google’s perspective.

Reading these metrics takes practice. Focus on bounce rates under 2% and complaint rates under 0.1%. Those are your targets.

Common Brevo Deliverability Issues and How to Fix Them

Most Brevo deliverability problems come from missing authentication, poor list quality, or content that triggers spam filters — and each issue has a straightforward fix. Let’s troubleshoot the common ones.

Emails going to spam: Authentication fixes this about 80% of the time. Check your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records first. Go to Brevo’s sender verification page and confirm everything shows green. If authentication looks good, check your content for spam trigger words and excessive images.

High bounce rates: Brevo auto-suppresses hard bounces, but you need to clean your list proactively. Remove contacts who haven’t engaged in 90 days. Run your list through an email validation tool before importing. Aim for bounce rates under 2%.

Blacklist issues: Check your domain and IP against major blacklists using MX Toolbox or Spamhaus lookup tools. If you’re listed, each blacklist has a removal request process. Fix the underlying problem first — usually high complaints or spam trap hits — then request delisting.

Low open rates: Predictive send-time AI helps here if you’re on Business plans. The feature delivers emails when each subscriber is most likely to check their inbox. Also check that your emails render properly on mobile. Over 60% of opens happen on phones.

Gmail promotions tab placement: This isn’t technically spam, but it feels like it. Reduce the number of links and images. Make your email look more personal and less like a marketing blast. Adding the subscriber’s name and writing conversationally helps.

Complaint rate too high: Every spam complaint hurts your reputation. Brevo suppresses complainers automatically, but prevention matters more. Make sure your unsubscribe link is visible. Only email people who actually signed up. Send content that matches what subscribers expected.

When to contact Brevo support: If you’ve checked authentication, cleaned your list, and fixed content issues but still see problems, reach out. Brevo’s support team can investigate IP reputation issues and provide specific guidance for your account.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brevo Deliverability