Inbox Placement

What is Inbox Placement?

Inbox placement refers to the specific folder where your email lands once it’s delivered: the Primary inbox, the Promotions tab, or the dreaded Spam folder. Even if your email isn’t blocked, poor placement means fewer people will see it.

Why it matters

Placement determines visibility. For example, Gmail users may rarely check their Promotions tab, and very few people ever open their Spam folder. If your campaign ends up there, your message is essentially invisible. Good inbox placement ensures your emails are not just delivered but actually read.

How it works

Mailbox providers use algorithms to decide placement based on:

• Sender reputation.

• Content signals (e.g., promotional keywords, excessive images).

• Engagement history (do recipients open, reply, click, or delete?).

• Authentication records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Placement isn't fixed—one user may see your email in Primary, while another sees it in Promotions, depending on how they interact with you.

Examples

• A transactional email landing in Primary because it’s functional and expected.

• A flash-sale campaign pushed into Promotions.

• Poorly authenticated campaigns ending up in Spam.

Best practices

• Maintain a strong sender reputation with consistent volume and engagement.

• Limit overly promotional language in subject lines.

• Encourage recipients to mark your emails as “important” or move them to the inbox.

• Keep your Bounce Rate and complaints low.

Related terms

Email Deliverability, Open Rate

FAQs

Can I force my emails into the Primary inbox?
No. Placement decisions are made by mailbox providers. However, you can improve your odds by keeping content relevant, reducing promotional triggers, and maintaining strong engagement.

Why does placement vary between users?
Placement is personalized. If one user frequently opens and clicks your emails, they may see them in Primary. Another user who ignores your campaigns may see them in Promotions or Spam.

Does Gmail’s Promotions tab hurt performance?
Not necessarily. Many users check Promotions when they’re in shopping mode. However, it does reduce open rates compared to Primary. The key is to focus on engagement, not just placement.