Poor Email Delivery

Poor Email Delivery

Our company used Zoho about 2 years ago and always had trouble understanding why a great deal of our emails from Zoho CRM and Zoho Marketing Automation ended up in the recipient's spam folder regardless of the email content and despite having our domain set up correctly in Zoho.

For the last 12 months, we have been using MailerLite as our email marketing which has a much higher delivery rate. At the time we migrated to MailerLite we also instantly saw a much higher open rate by roughly 15%. That's a huge jump!

Keep in mind, that when a recipient's email server indicates the email has been delivered, it does not mean the email was delivered directly to the inbox. Instead, it could have very well been delivered to the recipient's spam or promotions folder. So the open rate was a huge indicator that there was an issue within Zoho.

Unfortunately due to other issues with MailerLite, we decided to give Zoho another try recently.

After doing a bit more testing we have found that even though Zoho CRM and Zoho Marketing Automation claim your domain is verified, it still does not have the proper SPF alignment included in each email's header. Only Zoho Mail will have the proper DKIM and SPF signatures. Essentially what happens in each of Zoho's other apps is that your email claims it is being sent from one domain but the SPF record is signed by another. 

This misalignment causes your emails to have a lower security scoring and results in a higher likelihood of the emails being routed to the recipient's spam folder or potentially even being rejected completely.

In email marketing, this is a huge problem. Keep in mind that recipients won't go searching through their spam just to see if you happen to send them an email that day. Even worse if you've built Zoho Campaigns or Zoho Marketing Journeys that utilize email open conditions your journey efforts will be completely lost from the start.

I contacted support and was essentially told not to worry about it because when an email is sent from Zoho Transmail servers for any Zoho app other than Zoho Mail, only the DKIM signature matters. This is a completely false statement as mail services treat each incoming email the same. Trust me there's no mail server out there saying "Hey let's make an exception for Zoho." Quite the opposite as we have also discovered that Zoho is on at least one delivery blacklist. 

From the developer's aspect, I understand why Zoho has chosen to design their system this way. It's the easy way of development. But I also know that they need to be a bit more upfront about the issue rather than simply implying that the domain is highly deliverable and the SPF records don't matter.

For us, the only solution to fix Zoho's design shortcomings is to either purchase a dedicated IP from Zoho or find a new provider with a better design. 

If you're scratching your head about why your open rate is lower than you expect even when you keep your contact list clean and maintained, you can thank Zoho's design. 

 

      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          • Sticky Posts

          • How to Add Users to your Organization in ZohoMail?

            A better clarity so you can create other users to start using Zoho Mail. You can directly Add Users from the Control Panel to your Organization. You can invite users with the existing email address. If the person (user) already uses ZohoCRM, then you can import users from Zoho CRM. You can also import them using a .csv file. (if you are planning to add them in Bulk)  In this topic, We will be discussing on how to Add and Invite users only.  The Import options are self explanatory. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ




                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • I am not able to check in and checkout in zoho people even location access allowed

                                    This issue i am facing in mackbook air m1, I allowed location in chrome browser and i also tried in safari but getting similar issue. Please have a look ASAP.
                                  • Preview future shift rotation in Shift Schedule

                                    Hi, What if, instead of the current behavior, the Shift Rotation feature in Zoho People allowed users to preview future shift schedules before the scheduler execution? Currently, when a shift rotation is configured (for example, monthly rotation), the
                                  • Automatically Update Ticket Status in Zoho Desk Based on Actions in Zoho Projects

                                    Hi Zoho Desk Team, Hope you’re doing well. We’re using the Zoho Desk–Zoho Projects integration to manage tasks related to customer tickets, and it works well for linking and tracking progress. However, there are a few important automation capabilities
                                  • Sign Out

                                    Hello, I have a doubt with Permalink. I have a view created with critera to show only the records belonging to the user who has sign in. The problem is that the different users use the same computer and some times the user login keep signed, and when I send the permalink (by email) of the view, the users enter with other login signed. Moreover the permalink view doesn�t allow to do a log out. May I add something in the permalink to request always sign in? Sorry for my English. Many thanks! Regards
                                  • Announcing new features in Trident for Windows (v.1.39.4.0)

                                    Hello Community! Trident for Windows just received a major update, with a range of capabilities that focuses on strengthening communication and simplifying workflows. Let’s dive into what’s new! Upload email attachments to WorkDrive. Until now, you could
                                  • Introducing Automatic Field Addition (Text Tags) in Zoho Sign

                                    Hello, Today we are excited to announce the general availability of automatic field addition (text tags) feature in Zoho Sign. Now, you can now add text tags in the content of your documents and Zoho Sign will automatically add the corresponding fields when they are uploaded for the signing process. For example: when you add text tags to your sales orders, new employee contracts, and NDAs, Zoho Sign will add the corresponding fields when these documents are uploaded for the signing process. If you
                                  • Introducing Built-in Telephony in Zoho Recruit

                                    We’re excited to introduce Built-in Telephony in Zoho Recruit, designed to make recruiter–candidate communication faster, simpler, and fully traceable. These capabilities help you reduce app switching, handle inbound calls efficiently, and keep every
                                  • Write-Off multiple invoices and tax calculation

                                    Good evening, I have many invoices which are long overdue and I do not expect them to be paid. I believe I should write them off. I did some tests and I have some questions:  - I cannot find a way to write off several invoices together. How can I do that,
                                  • Splitting Transactions in Zoho Books

                                    I have read in past forum posts that the ability to split bank transactions would likely be implemented - it's definitely a typical accounting program feature.  I'm new to Zoho and thought I'd found nirvana until I realized this feature doesn't seem to
                                  • Statement Aging On Cutomer Statement

                                    Hello, Is it possible to put aging on customer statements? Current 1-30days 31-60days 61-90days 91-120days Over 120 days. See attached image from another accounting package. Many customers pay off a statement and clear older invoices.
                                  • Unveiling the next iteration of Ask Zia in Zoho CRM: An all-new chat interface, conversation history, actions, and much more

                                    Your CRM assistant just leveled up. Zoho CRM's Ask Zia functionality now offers a more conversational and context-aware experience to help you not just understand your data, but act on it—all from one chat window. With its redesigned interface and expanded
                                  • Response rate and time on social media

                                    Hello, I just want to know if it's possible to manage the response rate and response time from my social media on zoho social ? I don't see any statistical reports on the online scoreboard ? Thank you in advance for your response and sorry if the question has already been posted
                                  • Whatsapp BOT with CRM

                                    Hello, how do you use Whatsapp integrations in zoho CRM?
                                  • Ability to translate Zoho CRM Kiosks

                                    Hi team, Is support for translating kiosk text and screen names in the Zoho CRM translation tool planned on the roadmap? Thanks,
                                  • Create Receipt of a Donation (not a sale)

                                    We are a non-profit organization that receives general donations. How do I create a receipt of payment for the donor and categorize the payment as a Gift? I tried the method of creating an invoice; however that automatically created a "Sales" transaction
                                  • Whatsapp Limitation Questions

                                    Good day, I would like to find out about the functionality or possibility of all the below points within the Zoho/WhatsApp integration. Will WhatsApp buttons ever be possible in the future? Will WhatsApp Re-directs to different users be possible based
                                  • Editing the list of Categories in the Categorize Manually section of Banking in Zoho Books

                                    Hi, I need to create two new Categories called Withdrawals and Deposits to categorize payments in a bank account. How do I edit the Categories list?
                                  • Can I write a check in Zoho Books with no associated bill?

                                    This currently does not seem possible, and I have a client that desperately needs this function if I am able to convert them with Quickbooks. Thank you in advance for your reply. 
                                  • Internal Fillable Contract with Zoho Writer (Before Sending to Client)

                                    Hi everyone, I’m trying to automate the following process in Zoho CRM and would appreciate some guidance. Process: When a Deal moves to a specific stage, CRM triggers an automation. CRM sends a contract template to an internal team member so they can
                                  • [Free Webinar] Intelligent document processing with Zoho RPA

                                    Hello everyone! Greetings from the Zoho RPA team! We're excited to invite you to our upcoming webinar on intelligent document processing with Zoho RPA, where we'll introduce powerful new capabilities designed to make your automation journey smarter, faster,
                                  • Enhancements for Currencies in Zoho CRM: Automatic exchange rate updates, options to update record exchange rates, and more

                                    The multi-currency feature helps you track currencies region-wise. This can apply to Sales, CTC, or any other currency-related data. You can record amounts in a customer’s local currency, while the CRM automatically converts them to your home currency
                                  • Project Management Bulletin: March, 2026

                                    We are passionate about equipping our users with efficient solutions that help them run their businesses successfully. Our collective efforts over the past 2 years have culminated in the launch of Sprints 3.0— built with reliable features, impactful integrations,
                                  • Send emails directly via Cases module

                                    Greetings all, The ability to send emails from the Cases module, which users have been eagerly anticipating, is now available, just like in the other modules. In Zoho CRM, Cases is a module specifically designed for managing support tickets. If your organization
                                  • Webinar Alert: Supercharge landing pages with data insights | Zoho LandingPage

                                    Every visitor to your landing page leaves behind valuable data, but are you leveraging it to improve conversions? Join our expert-led Landing Page Analytics webinar to learn how to track, analyze, and optimize landing page performance with Zoho LandingPage’s
                                  • Bulk Deletion of Zoho Projects Using Node.js and Zoho Projects API

                                    Zoho Projects currently does not provide a built-in option to delete multiple projects in bulk from the UI. When working with testing environments or large numbers of temporary projects, deleting them one by one becomes time-consuming. To address this,
                                  • Show unsubscribed contacts ?

                                    Hello, I would like to display the unsubscribed contacts. Unfortunately, I do not have this subscription type as described in the documentation (https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/marketing-automation-2-0/user-guide/contacts/contact-management/articles/subscription-type-24-1-2024#Subscription_Type_field.)
                                  • Track Marketing Automation Campaigns in Zoho CRM

                                    Hello, I've been searching but haven't found the exact answer to this question. I am looking to track Marketing Automation email campaigns and activities inside of Zoho CRM. Use Case: Action: Prospect Submits A Lead Form Outcomes: Prospect created in
                                  • Validation rule for Date field

                                    The condition settings for a Date field are are absolutlly usless. Conditions can only be set for a specific date, which is logically ineffective in most cases. When setting a condition for a Date field, users usually need to compare the value relative
                                  • Easily map shift data fields during user imports

                                    Greetings all, You can now include all your shift-related data for your users without any hassle during user imports. With this enhancement, the Map Import Fields to Zoho CRM option includes all shift-related fields: Current Shift, Next Shift, and Shift
                                  • Adding new data to the sheet with most recent data being added to top row.

                                    I am using a form that I built from within sheets.  When the form is submitted, is it possible to have the data entered in (for example) row 2 (since row 1 is the heading) instead of being added into the next available row which should be hundreds of
                                  • How do you arrange order in which the speakers are listed in a session once they have been selected?

                                    Probably another simple thing I've missed but I can't find how to arrange the order in which the speakers are listed in a session once they have been selected. We usually want the speakers listed alphabetically by last name, but sometimes not. Once the
                                  • Product Updates in Zoho Workplace applications | February 2026

                                    Hello Workplace Community, Let’s take a look at the new features and enhancements that went live across all Workplace applications for the month of February. Zoho Mail Organize Personal Notes with Collections You can now create collections under My Personal
                                  • Introducing note actions and dynamic visibility in Kiosk Studio

                                    Hello all, We are introducing enhancements to Kiosk Studio that will improve the product scope and meet your custom needs more precisely. What's new? Add notes as Actions: You can add notes to CRM records as kiosk Actions, as well as insert merge fields
                                  • Regarding the Recipient Email change

                                    I was not being able to change the Recipient email. Kindly resolve the problem
                                  • Request to Customize Module Bar Placement in New Zoho CRM UI

                                    Hello Support and Zoho Community, I've been exploring the new UI of Zoho CRM "For Everyone" and have noticed a potential concern for my users. We are accustomed to having the module names displayed across the top, which made navigation more intuitive
                                  • kanban view for client portal

                                    Are kanban views an option for client portals? Access to Kanban views in the client portals would solve some mobile-compliant issues I have with the UI. Kanban functions very nicely on mobile and would be a super asset for my clients and vendors as they
                                  • 【Zoho CRM】サンドボックスのアップデート:メール送信トレイ機能の追加

                                    ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。コミュニティチームの藤澤です。 CRMのサンドボックス(テスト環境)にメールの送信トレイ機能が追加されました。 本番環境でメール配信の前に、サンドボックスで送信される全てのメールを確認・検証できます。ワークフロー、承認プロセス、一括送信など、あらゆる送信パターンに対応しています。 「メールの送信トレイ」機能を使うと、顧客へ送信する前にメールの内容を事前確認できます。項目の欠落や書式の乱れなど、あらゆる問題をサンドボックス内でチェックできるため、本番環境でのトラブルを未然に防ぐことに役立ちます。
                                  • Force mandatory entry on one of two fields on Contacts

                                    We are finding our users aren't always entering a phone number or email address of a contact. We would like to make these fields mandatory but realize they won't always have both pieces of information, but should at least have one. Is there a way to make
                                  • How can I prevent having recepients from being added as contacts in Zoho Desk?

                                    How can I prevent having recepients from being automatically added as contacts in Zoho Desk? There's no option to disable this.
                                  • Agent Concern

                                    would like to ask the difference between an agent and a light agent. can a light agent close a ticket. thank you.
                                  • Next Page