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Understanding email delivery and placement

When you send an email through Pixieset, the recipient’s mailbox provider (such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo) decides where it appears. An email can be delivered successfully but still land somewhere other than the main inbox.

Understanding the difference between delivery and inbox placement can help explain why an email may be difficult to find and what you can do to help.

On this page:

Delivery vs inbox placement

Email delivery and inbox placement are related, but they do not mean the same thing when it comes to your clients receiving your emails.

  • Delivery means the recipient's mailbox provider accepted the email.
  • Inbox placement is where that provider chose to put it after accepting it.

Depending on the provider and the recipient's settings, a delivered email may appear in:

  • Inbox
  • Promotions
  • Updates
  • Spam or junk
  • Another filtered folder

Note: Gmail's Promotions tab is different from the spam folder. Promotions is an inbox category for marketing-style emails, while spam is reserved for messages Gmail believes may be unwanted or unsafe.

Why email content can affect placement

Mailbox providers consider many signals when deciding where to place an email, including sender reputation, recipient engagement, sending patterns, and the content of the message.

While many of these factors are outside your control, the content of your email is one you can influence directly. Messages are more likely to look promotional, unexpected, or risky when they include:

  • Sales-focused language, such as "limited time," "exclusive offer," or "final chance"
  • Too many calls to action
  • Multiple unrelated links
  • Link shorteners or external links that aren't needed for the message
  • Excessive punctuation, emojis, or attention-grabbing subject lines
  • A mix of service information and promotional content in the same email

For example, a gallery delivery email that also includes a print sale, a booking promotion, and several extra links may look more like a marketing email than a service notification.

Keep transactional emails focused on the action your client expects to take. If you want to send promotional content, use email campaigns instead.

What clients can do if they cannot find an email

If your client cannot find an email, ask them to check other folders or tabs first, including Spam, Junk, Promotions, Updates, or any custom filtered folders.

Your client can also:

  • Search their email account for your business name, Pixieset, or the email subject line
  • Mark the email as “not spam” if it landed in spam or junk
  • Move the email to their main inbox, if their email provider supports it
  • Add the sender to their contacts or safe sender list
  • Try an alternate email address if the email bounced, failed, or still cannot be found

These actions can help the client’s mailbox provider recognize future Pixieset emails as expected.

What to do if an email bounced or was rejected

If an email bounced or was rejected, the recipient's mailbox provider did not accept it. Before resending, confirm the recipient's email address is correct. Typos, inactive mailboxes, full inboxes, or provider blocks can all prevent delivery.

Important: Avoid repeatedly resending to an address that continues to bounce. If the address is correct but the email still cannot be delivered, try an alternate email address while troubleshooting.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Why did my email go to spam?

Spam placement is determined by the recipient's mailbox provider. Many factors can influence this, including sender reputation, recipient engagement, email content, sending patterns, and the recipient's own mailbox settings.

Can Pixieset move an email to my client's inbox?

No. Pixieset can send the email, but the recipient's mailbox provider decides where it is placed. If an email lands outside the inbox, your client can move it, mark it as "not spam," or add the sender to their contacts or safe sender list.

Does delivered mean the email reached the inbox?

Not always. Delivered means the recipient's mailbox provider accepted the email. The provider still decides where to place it, such as the inbox, Promotions, Updates, spam, junk, or another filtered folder.

Why did my email go to Gmail Promotions?

Gmail may place an email in the Promotions tab when it appears promotional in nature. Offers, discounts, sale announcements, and marketing-style language can all increase the likelihood of an email being categorized as Promotions instead of Primary.

This is not the same as being marked as spam, but clients may still miss messages that don't arrive in their main inbox.

How can I reduce the chance that transactional emails are missed?

Keep transactional emails focused on the action your client expects to take. Use a clear subject line, include one main call to action, and avoid adding promotional content or unrelated links.

For more guidance, see Best practices for sending transactional emails in Pixieset.

Should I resend an email that bounced or was rejected?

Before resending, confirm the email address is correct. If the address appears valid but the email continues to bounce, try an alternate email address while troubleshooting rather than repeatedly resending to the same address.