Inbox, not spam folder: A simple guide for SMBs (with what you can do today)

TL;DR: 

Email gets delivered when you (1) prove identity (SPF/DKIM), (2) publish a simple DMARC policy, (3) offer one-click Unsubscribe, and (4) keep complaints low (<0.3%). You can turn most of this on yourself; we’ll step in when you need DNS or multi-tool coordination. 

The 3 gatekeepers (in normal words)

• SPF & DKIM is your photo ID. They tell mail providers the message really came from your domain/tools. If they fail, inbox trust drops. 
• DMARC is your seatbelt & instructions. It says “treat my mail as legit only if SPF or DKIM pass and match my From domain.” Start at p=none to observe safely. 
• One-click Unsubscribe is the emergency exit. Gmail/Yahoo expect bulk senders to include special headers so users can unsubscribe without hunting links; honoring requests promptly reduces spam complaints. 
• Keep complaints low. Aim for <0.3% user-reported spam in Google Postmaster Tools. 

What you can do yourself (today)

1. Turn on one-click Unsubscribe in your email platform (Mailchimp, HubSpot, etc.). Look for “List-Unsubscribe” / “RFC 8058” setting. 
2. Connect Google Postmaster Tools to your domain to see spam rate and reputation. (Free.) 
3. Clean your list: remove bounced/old contacts, stop sending to people who never open, and don’t add purchased lists. This is the fastest way to lower complaints. 
4. Publish a safe starter DMARC record (ask your DNS host how to add a TXT record):This observes without blocking mail while you tune alignment. 
5. Check that SPF/DKIM are on for the tools you actually send from (Microsoft 365/Google Workspace and your marketing tool). Most platforms give you the exact DNS TXT/CNAME to add. 

When to call Stamm Tech

• Multiple senders/domains (newsletters, CRM, invoicing, helpdesk) that all need SPF/DKIM/DMARC aligned.
• Bounces or blocks from Gmail/Yahoo tied to missing/failed DMARC/SPF/DKIM or PTR/TLS issues. 
• Moving beyond “p=none.” We’ll analyze reports and safely move to p=quarantine/reject without breaking invoices, HR portals, or scanners. 
• Building the one-click Unsubscribe flow 

Quick checklist (copy/paste)

DIY

•  Turn on one-click Unsubscribe in your platform
•  Enable DKIM and confirm SPF includes your sending service. 
•  Add DMARC starter TXT: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; aspf=s; adkim=s. 

Here is a help article https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126?hl=en

•  Connect Google Postmaster Tools; watch Spam rate (<0.3%). 

Stamm Tech

•  Align “From:” with SPF/DKIM (DMARC alignment) across all tools. 
•  Fix DNS (DKIM keys, SPF flattening, PTR) and TLS misconfigs that kill delivery. 
•  Build a reduction plan if spam rate creeps up (list hygiene, segmentation, cadence). 

FAQs

Do these rules apply if we send only a small monthly newsletter?Strict enforcement targets bulk senders (≈5,000/day), but following the rules improves inboxing for everyone. 

Does one-click Unsubscribe apply to invoices/receipts?Requirement is for promotional/marketing mail; transactional mail is treated differently—still make unsubscribes easy for marketing. 

What spam-rate should we target?Keep Gmail user-reported spam below 0.3%; Postmaster Tools shows it daily. 

What’s “alignment”?Your visible From domain must match (or be in the same org domain as) the domain that passes SPF or DKIM; that’s how DMARC knows it’s really you.