Mailchimp emails usually go to spam because your domain isn't authenticated in Mailchimp, so Gmail and Yahoo see an email signed by Mailchimp instead of by your business. Sending from a free address such as @gmail.com makes it worse, because Mailchimp has to rewrite your From address to one of its own domains.
The fix is the same for almost everyone: send from an address at your own domain, authenticate that domain in Mailchimp, and publish a DMARC record. Here's why each one matters and how to do it.
Cause 1: you send from a free email address
If your Mailchimp From address is something like yourbusiness@gmail.com, the email is sent by Mailchimp's servers, not Gmail's, so it can't pass DMARC for gmail.com. Some free providers go further: Yahoo's DMARC policy tells other mailboxes to reject email that uses a Yahoo address but wasn't sent by Yahoo.
To get around this, Mailchimp rewrites the address. Its own example turns a Yahoo address into something like name.yahoo.com@send.mailchimpapp.com. The email gets delivered, but subscribers see an odd sender, recognize you less, and are more likely to report it as spam.
Fix: use an address at your own domain, such as hello@yourbusiness.com. Mailchimp itself recommends switching to a private domain.
Cause 2: your domain isn't authenticated
When you haven't authenticated your domain, Mailchimp still sends your campaigns, but the DKIM signature belongs to Mailchimp's domain, not yours. DKIM is a digital signature that proves an email came from a domain and wasn't changed on the way.
The signature passes, but it doesn't match the domain in your From address. That mismatch is called failed alignment, and it is what Gmail and Yahoo look at for DMARC. You may also notice "via mcsv.net" or "on behalf of mailchimpapp.net" next to your name in some inboxes.
Gmail requires bulk senders (5,000 or more messages a day to Gmail accounts) to pass DMARC with an aligned domain, and Yahoo has the same rule for its bulk senders. Mailchimp says Gmail and Yahoo require custom authentication. Even below that volume, unaligned mail is treated with more suspicion.
Fix: authenticate your domain in Mailchimp (steps below).
Cause 3: no DMARC record
DMARC is a DNS record that tells receivers what to do with email that fails SPF and DKIM, and sends you reports about who is sending as you. Gmail and Yahoo require one for bulk senders. Mailchimp now asks for a DMARC record as part of domain authentication.
Fix: add this TXT record at _dmarc.yourbusiness.com. It starts in monitoring mode (p=none), so nothing changes for your email yet. Change the rua address to a mailbox you read; once reports show all your genuine email passing, move to p=quarantine.
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourbusiness.comIf you already have a DMARC record, keep it. You should only ever have one.
Cause 4: your list and complaints
Authentication gets you past the technical checks. After that, Gmail and Yahoo watch how subscribers react. Google asks senders to keep spam complaints below 0.1% and never reach 0.3%.
Complaints rise when people don't remember signing up. Old lists, bought lists and contacts added without permission all push complaints up. Send only to people who opted in, and keep the unsubscribe link easy to find.
How to authenticate your domain in Mailchimp
- Click your profile icon and choose Account & billing, then open Domains.
- If yourbusiness.com isn't listed, click Add & Verify Domain, enter an address at that domain, and click the link or enter the code Mailchimp emails you.
- Next to yourbusiness.com, start authentication. Mailchimp's help calls the button Start authentication.
- Choose your DNS provider. Mailchimp can add the records for you automatically if it supports your provider, or you can choose to authenticate manually.
- If you go manual, add the two CNAME records and the one DMARC TXT record Mailchimp shows.
- Go back to Mailchimp and let it check the records. Mailchimp says most records update within a few minutes, but it can take up to 48 hours.
The two CNAME records usually look like this:
| Type | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| CNAME | k2._domainkey.yourbusiness.com | dkim2.mcsv.net |
| CNAME | k3._domainkey.yourbusiness.com | dkim3.mcsv.net |
Use the exact values Mailchimp shows if they differ. Some DNS providers add your domain to the name automatically, so you may only need to enter k2._domainkey and k3._domainkey.
Check that it worked
Once Mailchimp shows the domain as authenticated, send a test campaign to your private test address. In the report, look for three things:
- DKIM passes and the email is signed by yourbusiness.com, not by a Mailchimp domain.
- DMARC passes, with alignment through DKIM.
- Gmail, Google Workspace and Yahoo all show a pass.
If DKIM is still signed by Mailchimp's domain, the CNAME records haven't been picked up yet, or the name was entered twice (k2._domainkey.yourbusiness.com.yourbusiness.com). The report shows exactly what it found, and the record to fix.
Checked against: Mailchimp, Set up email domain authentication · Mailchimp, About email domain authentication · Mailchimp, Limitations of free email addresses · Mailchimp, Verify an email domain · Mailchimp, My email From name shows "mailchimpapp.net" or "mcsv.net" · Google Workspace Admin Help, Email sender guidelines.