Fix library / gmail-promotions-tab
Why your cold email lands in Gmail Promotions (not spam, but bad)
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING
Your cold emails technically reach the inbox but land in the Promotions tab. Open rates are <5%.
WHY IT'S HAPPENING
Gmail's ML classifier tags messages as Promotions based on patterns: heavy HTML, images, calendar links, links to commerce pages, marketing language, sender reputation, and recipient engagement history.
How to fix it
- 1
Send plain text only. Strip all HTML for cold outreach.
- 2
Remove unsubscribe links from first-touch cold emails (they signal "bulk").
- 3
Remove calendar booking links from cold emails (signals automation).
- 4
Avoid words like "free", "limited time", "guarantee", "discount".
- 5
Keep links to a minimum (zero if possible in the first touch).
- 6
No images, no logos, no fancy signatures.
- 7
Write like a human to a human. Short. Specific. Personal.
Where do I add these records? (by DNS host)
Records go in the DNS panel of whoever hosts your domain, not inside Gmail or Outlook. Find your host below.
Cloudflare
- 1.Log in and pick your domain.
- 2.Open the DNS tab, then Records.
- 3.Click Add record, choose the type (TXT/CNAME), paste the Name and Value, Save.
- 4.Tip: Conductor can apply Cloudflare records for you. Connect a token on your domain page instead of doing this by hand.
GoDaddy
- 1.Go to My Products, find your domain, click DNS.
- 2.Under Records, click Add.
- 3.Pick the type, enter the Name (Host) and Value, Save. Use "@" for the root domain.
Crazy Domains
- 1.Log in, go to My Account, then Manage next to your domain.
- 2.Open DNS / Manage DNS.
- 3.Add a record, choose the type, enter the Hostname and Value, Save.
VentraIP
- 1.Log in to VIPControl, open Domain Names, click your domain.
- 2.Choose Manage DNS / DNS Zone.
- 3.Add a record with the type, name and content shown above, Save.
Squarespace / Google Domains
- 1.Open Settings, then Domains, and pick your domain.
- 2.Choose DNS Settings, scroll to Custom Records.
- 3.Add the record type, host and data, Save.
Namecheap
- 1.Go to Domain List, click Manage next to your domain.
- 2.Open the Advanced DNS tab.
- 3.Click Add New Record, set the type, host and value, and save with the green tick.
Not listed? The steps are the same everywhere: find DNS or Manage DNS, add a record, pick the type, paste the name and value shown above.
Not sure if this is your problem?