Spam Emails

Why emails sometimes end up in spam - and how Firefish helps prevent it.

Contents

• Overview
• What are spam emails?
• Why are my emails listed as spam?
• What Firefish does to prevent this!
• How can I help stop being blacklisted?

Overview

While Firefish can’t directly control how email providers classify your messages, we work hard to reduce the risk of your emails landing in spam.
This guide explains why emails can be flagged, what Firefish does to help, and what you can do to protect your sender reputation.

Firefish generates and sends emails through your email server. If your server is blacklisted, it’s your domain that’s affected — not the Firefish system.

What are spam emails?

Spam emails are unwanted or unsolicited messages, often sent in bulk.
In recruitment, this might mean mass marketing emails to candidates or contacts who haven’t shown recent interest — a behaviour that damages your sender reputation.

Why are my emails listed as spam?

Flagged as spam

Emails are often marked as spam when recipients report them.
If several users flag messages from your domain, email providers may block your server altogether.

Domain reputation

Your domain’s reputation reflects how email providers view your sending behaviour.
Low engagement, frequent bounces, or emailing inactive addresses can all hurt your score.
Consistent opens, replies, and clicks improve it.

Authentication

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) use authentication protocols — DKIM, SPF, and DMARC — to verify that senders are legitimate.
If your domain isn’t authenticated, your emails are far more likely to be filtered as spam.

Content

Your content matters just as much as your setup.
Emails that aren’t personalised, rely too heavily on images, or use “spammy” language (e.g. free, great offer, no fees) can trigger spam filters.

What Firefish does to prevent this!

Email throttling

To protect your domain, Firefish sends emails gradually rather than in large batches.
We send 60 emails every 2 minutes (around 1,800 per hour) — the rate recommended by ISPs.
This helps maintain trust with email providers and prevents blacklisting.
If you’d like to adjust your system’s sending rate, contact our Support Team.

Customising content

Firefish templates automatically use merge fields (like CandidateFirstName) to personalise your messages.

Sending times

We schedule bulk sends, such as job alerts, for quieter periods (usually around 2am).
That means your emails are delivered efficiently and avoid daytime congestion.

How can I help stop being blacklisted?

Authenticate your email server

Add or update your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records via your domain registrar (e.g. GoDaddy, 123 Reg).

Utilise good data

Clean, accurate data is key.
Regularly remove inactive contacts or old records (e.g. over 2 years without activity) and keep your database up to date to reduce bounce rates.

Sending to the right recipients

Segment your database to ensure messages go to relevant contacts.
Use Saved Searches and Talent Pools to target based on role, location, or interest — preventing irrelevant emails that lead to spam reports.

Update your content

High-quality, professional email content protects your reputation.
Follow these tips:

• Use merge fields for personalisation.
• Avoid clickbait or spammy phrases (limited time only, earn money fast).
• Keep punctuation natural — no ALL CAPS or “!!!”.
• Balance text and images (about 60% text / 40% images).
• Include a physical business address in your email signature.