Understanding Email: How It Works, Common Problems, and How to Improve It

Welcome to the world of email! Emails are a crucial part of our everyday lives, whether you’re running a business or just staying in touch with friends. But sometimes, email can be a little confusing with terms like SPF, DKIM, or why emails get rejected. Let’s break it all down, step by step, in a simple way that even a 5-year-old could understand!

What Is Email and How Does It Work?

Think of email like sending a letter through the mail, but instead of using paper, you type a message on your computer or phone, and instead of using stamps, the message is sent through the internet. Just like a real letter, your email has a “From” address (your email address) and a “To” address (the recipient’s email address).

Here’s what happens when you hit “Send”:

1. Your Email Server: Your message first goes to your email provider’s server (like a post office for emails).
2. The Internet: The email is then sent across the internet to the recipient’s email server (their post office).
3. Recipient’s Inbox: Finally, the recipient’s email server delivers the message to their inbox, where they can read it.

Pretty simple, right? But sometimes, things go wrong and the email doesn’t make it to the recipient’s inbox.

Why Do Emails Get Rejected or End Up in Spam?

Just like sometimes a letter might not get delivered if the address is wrong or if the mailbox is full, emails can get rejected for several reasons:

1. Spam Filters: Email providers like Gmail or Yahoo use spam filters to check whether an email is safe or not. If your email looks suspicious, it could be sent to the spam folder or rejected entirely.
2. Incorrect Addresses: If the email address you’re sending to doesn’t exist or has a typo, the email will be “bounced back” and you’ll get a notification saying it wasn’t delivered.
3. Server Settings: Sometimes the email server receiving the message might have strict rules or be full, which can cause the email to get rejected.

How Can You Improve Email Deliverability?

Deliverability means making sure your email gets to the right inbox, not the spam folder. Here’s how you can make sure more of your emails get delivered:

1. Avoid Spammy Language: Don’t use words like “FREE,” “Buy Now,” or “Urgent” too often in your subject lines or email content. Spam filters are on the lookout for those words.
2. Make Sure Your Email List is Clean: Only send emails to people who have signed up to receive them. Sending emails to random addresses or old lists could increase the chance of your email being marked as spam.
3. Authenticate Your Email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: These are technical ways to prove that your email is legitimate. Let’s break these down:

What Do SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Mean?

These might sound complicated, but let’s break them down in a simple way:

1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Imagine you have a list of friends that are allowed to send letters on your behalf. SPF is like that list. It tells the recipient’s email server which servers are allowed to send emails from your domain. This helps prevent someone else (like a spammer) from pretending to be you.
2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM is like putting a special stamp on your email that proves it really came from you. It helps ensure that the email hasn’t been tampered with while it was traveling across the internet.
3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): This is like a set of rules that combine SPF and DKIM. It tells the recipient’s server what to do if an email doesn’t pass the SPF or DKIM checks (like send it to spam or reject it). It also provides reports on whether people are pretending to send emails from your domain.

Together, these three systems help improve your email’s credibility and make it less likely to be rejected or marked as spam.

Why Do Emails Sometimes Get Delayed?

Just like how mail can sometimes take longer to arrive due to weather or holidays, emails can get delayed for various reasons:

1. Busy Servers: If the email servers are overloaded, your message might be delayed for a bit until they can process it.
2. Large Attachments: If you’re sending a big file (like a large picture or document), it might take longer to send because it needs to travel through the internet pipes.
3. Network Issues: Sometimes the internet might be slower, just like traffic jams on the road.

Common Email Terms You’ll Encounter

Here are some common terms you might come across and what they mean:

1. IMAP/POP3: These are two ways your email app can get your messages from the server. IMAP is like keeping your mail at the post office and just reading it through a window (it stays on the server), while POP3 is like taking the letter home with you (it downloads the email and removes it from the server).
2. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): This is how your email gets sent from one server to another. It’s the system that makes email delivery possible.
3. Bounce: If your email can’t be delivered, it will “bounce back” and you’ll get a message saying it wasn’t delivered.
4. Whitelist: If you want to make sure emails from someone always land in your inbox, you add them to your whitelist (it’s like saying “this is my friend, always let their emails through”).
5. Blacklist: The opposite of a whitelist. If an email server thinks your emails are spam, you could be added to a blacklist, which means your emails might get blocked or marked as spam.

Troubleshooting Common Email Issues

Here are a few common problems and how you can fix them:

1. I’m Not Receiving Emails:
   • Check your spam or junk folder. Sometimes legitimate emails get marked as spam by mistake.
   • Make sure your inbox isn’t full.
   • Ensure your internet connection is stable.
2. My Emails Are Going to Spam:
   • Avoid using spammy language and excessive punctuation (like “!!!”).
   • Ensure your domain is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
3. I Can’t Send Emails:
   • Check your internet connection.
   • Verify that your email settings (like SMTP and ports) are correct.
   • Make sure you haven’t exceeded your email sending limits.

Conclusion:

Email is a powerful tool that connects people worldwide, but understanding how it works can help you avoid common issues like getting marked as spam or having emails rejected. Remember, terms like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are your friends when it comes to ensuring your emails are safe and trustworthy.

If you have more questions or run into email trouble, we’re always here to help!