Running email campaigns in MediaOS but not seeing results? This guide covers common reasons why emails aren’t reaching inboxes and what you can do to improve deliverability across your lists. Email delivery can be complex — but we’ve got you covered with the key tools, checks, and best practices to get things flowing again.
Why Emails Might Not Reach Your Readers #
When it comes to email campaigns, there are a number of technical and content-related reasons why a message might not reach your recipient’s inbox. Even if a campaign was sent successfully in MediaOS, several factors can cause the email to be blocked, filtered, or silently ignored by email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook.
Note: This guide applies specifically to MediaOS email campaigns — not one-on-one emails sent via your Gmail integration.
Let’s walk through the most common causes — and what you can do about them.
Quick Checklist: Most Common Issues #
Before diving into technical tools, run through this quick list of common causes:
- You’re using low-quality lists with outdated or invalid emails.
- Your campaign contained spammy content or promotional offers with no editorial/news value.
- Your DNS records (DKIM, SPF) are not properly configured.
- The recipient’s email provider has blocked or filtered your messages.
- You or your domain may be on a spam or suppression list.
- The reader unsubscribed or marked a previous email as spam.
If any of these apply, check the sections below for deeper guidance and tools.
IMPORTANT: MediaOS has zero control over an Recipient's Email's SPAM control systems.
Checking for Email Blocks #
The first thing to check if someone isn’t receiving your campaign: Are they blocking you?
You can use the Email Blocker Check tool inside MediaOS to see if a user has:
- Manually blocked your domain.
- Previously marked you as spam.
- Been automatically added to a suppression list.
Tip: Navigate to Campaigns > Email Blocker Check inside MediaOS to look up a specific email address and see if it’s blocked. If they were flagged as blocked, this means the recipient blocked the email domain/address at one point in time and we will automatically stop sending to that address to protect your sender reputation. By continuing to send to that email while blocked will eventually get your email domain added to a larger global ban lists.
Configuring Your DNS Records #
Proper DNS records are critical for deliverability. Email providers use these to verify that MediaOS is authorized to send on your behalf.
DKIM Records #
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) verifies that the email was sent by an authorized server and hasn’t been altered.
Tip: If your domain is missing DKIM records, Gmail and others may flag your campaigns as suspicious — or block them entirely.
Learn more: DKIM Setup and Troubleshooting
SPF Records #
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells receiving servers which servers are allowed to send email for your domain.
Learn more: SPF Records Setup
Whitelisting Our IP and Sending Address #
To improve deliverability — especially if you or your recipients manage their own mail servers or spam filters — we recommend whitelisting our IP and sending address:
- From address: no-reply@mediaos.com
- IP address: 168.245.55.238 - This only works if you do not have your own SendGrid account
If you’re using SendGrid (either through MediaOS or your own account), this guide from SendGrid walks through how to allow our IP: SendGrid IP Access Management
Content Quality Matters #
Warning: If you’re sending promotional emails to your full reader list — especially emails without news or editorial value — it can seriously impact your sender reputation.
Why this matters:
- Email providers track engagement and user complaints.
- If too many people delete, ignore, or report your emails, future campaigns are likely to land in spam.
- Some domains (especially Gmail) automatically deprioritize messages that appear overly promotional, especially if sent at scale.
Avoid these patterns:
- Emails that are only trying to sell a product or service.
- Sending to your full audience without segmenting.
- Subject lines with excessive CAPS, emojis, or urgency words like “BUY NOW.”
Tip: Always include useful content — not just ads. Treat every campaign as if it were a newsletter with value to the reader.
Check Subscriber Engagement #
Low engagement = lower inbox placement over time.
To check your list health:
- Look at your open rates and click rates across recent campaigns.
- Consider creating segments of your most active readers and sending only to them.
- Re-engage inactive readers with a dedicated campaign asking if they still want to hear from you.
Tip: High open and click rates tell inbox providers your emails are wanted. That helps all your campaigns do better.
Remember: We Can Send It, But We Can’t Make Them Open It #
MediaOS can generate and send your emails exactly as intended, but we can’t control whether Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo (or a custom domain inbox) chooses to:
- Accept the email.
- Deliver it to the inbox instead of spam.
- Display it properly.
- Allow tracking pixels or links.
Note: Think of this like putting a letter in someone’s mailbox. You can deliver it — but you can’t force them to open it or read it.
Suggested Next Steps #
If you’re still experiencing delivery issues:
- ✅ Use the Email Blocker Check to rule out suppression issues.
- ✅ Double-check your DKIM and SPF records.
- ✅ Whitelist no-reply@mediaos.com and IP 168.245.55.238 on your mail server or spam filter.
- ✅ Avoid sending overtly promotional emails without value-added content.
- ✅ Consider list pruning or segmenting active users.
Related Articles #
- DKIM Records in MediaOS
- SPF Records Explained
- Email Blocker Check Tool
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