You wrote a great email. Maybe it’s an open enrollment reminder for your Medicare clients. Maybe it’s a policy review invite or a quick “happy renewal” note.
You hit send. And it lands in spam.
That’s frustrating. But here’s the good news: email deliverability is not luck. It’s a short list of settings you can fix once and then stop worrying about.
This guide walks you through it, step by step, in plain English.
A Real Question From Our Community
This guide started with a great question in the Agent CRM Facebook group.
An agent was sending a bulk email to a smart list of clients. When he sent himself a test, two things looked wrong:
- The email didn’t come from his normal Gmail address. It came from a long, strange version of it, something like yourname+gmail.com@send.lcmsgsndr.org.
- His email signature was missing.
On top of that, the test email went straight to his spam folder.
He had a smart idea, too. He asks his clients to save his Gmail address in their phone contacts. So he figured, “If my bulk emails come from that address, they shouldn’t go to spam.”
That makes sense. But email doesn’t quite work that way anymore. Let’s look at why, and then fix it.
Why Your Gmail Address Gets Rewritten
Gmail does not let outside email systems send bulk email “as” a @gmail.com address. That’s a security rule. It stops scammers from pretending to be you.
So when you try to send a bulk email from a free Gmail address, your CRM has to swap in a safe sending address so the email can be delivered at all. That’s where the long address comes from.
The fix is not to fight Gmail. The fix is to send from your own business domain, like yourname@youragency.com. When you own the domain, you can prove to Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook that your emails are really from you.
Why Saving Your Email in Their Contacts Isn’t Enough
Having your email address saved in a client’s contacts can help a little. But it does not guarantee your email reaches the inbox.
Today, email providers look at things like:
- Authentication: Can they verify the email really came from you?
- Sender reputation: Has your domain sent good, wanted emails in the past?
- List quality: Are you emailing real people who expect to hear from you?
- Engagement: Do people open, reply, and click? Or do they delete and mark as spam?
Gmail, Yahoo, and Microsoft Outlook all now require people who send bulk email to set up email authentication. They also watch how many people mark your emails as spam. Google asks bulk senders to keep that spam rate under 0.3%, and suggests aiming for under 0.1%. That’s fewer than 1 complaint for every 1,000 emails.
That sounds technical. It’s not as hard as it sounds. Let’s walk through it.
Step 1: Get a Business Email Domain
If you already have a website, like youragency.com, you already own a domain. You’re set for this step.
If you don’t, you can buy one from a domain company like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Squarespace Domains. Pick something simple and easy to spell. Your agency name is usually best.
Pro tip: Many agents use a subdomain just for their marketing email, like mail.youragency.com. This keeps your marketing email reputation separate from your everyday email. If a campaign ever has a rough day, your one-on-one client emails stay safe.
Step 2: Set Up a Dedicated Sending Domain in Agent CRM
Now you’ll connect your domain to Agent CRM.
- Log in to Agent CRM.
- Go to Settings → Email Services → Dedicated Sending Domain.
- Add your domain or subdomain (for example, mail.youragency.com).
- Agent CRM will show you a few DNS records to add.
That’s it for this step. Keep that screen open. You’ll need it for Step 3.
Step 3: Add Your DNS Records (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC)
DNS records are like your domain’s ID card. They tell email providers, “Yes, Agent CRM is allowed to send email for me.”
There are three you’ll hear about:
- SPF lists which services are allowed to send email for your domain.
- DKIM adds a digital signature to every email, so providers know it wasn’t changed along the way.
- DMARC tells providers what to do if an email fails those checks. It ties SPF and DKIM together.
Here’s how to add them:
- Log in to the company where you bought your domain.
- Find the DNS settings (sometimes called “DNS Management” or “Manage DNS”).
- Copy each record from your Agent CRM screen and paste it in. Match the type, name, and value exactly.
- Go back to Agent CRM and click verify.
DNS changes can take a little time to kick in. Sometimes it’s minutes. Sometimes it takes a few hours. If it doesn’t verify right away, give it some time and try again.
About DMARC: If you don’t have a DMARC record yet, a simple starting record is a TXT record named _dmarc with this value: v=DMARC1; p=none;. This turns DMARC on without blocking anything while you get set up. If you’re not sure, our team can help.
Step 4: Set Your From Name and From Email
Once your domain is verified, tell Agent CRM who your emails are from.
When you create a bulk email, look for the From Name and From Email fields.
- From Name: Use a name your clients know. Your own name works great, like “Maria Lopez” or “Maria at Lopez Insurance.” Keep it consistent with your Business Profile.
- From Email: Use an address on your verified domain, like maria@mail.lopezinsurance.com.
Here’s a nice bonus. Once you’re sending from your own domain, you can ask clients to save that address in their contacts. Your old habit still works, it just works better now.
Step 5: Add Your Email Signature
Your signature builds trust. It tells clients who you are and how to reach you. It also helps meet email rules.
- Go to Settings → My Profile.
- Set up your email signature.
- Open your bulk email and check whether your signature shows up.
Here’s the catch. Personal signatures don’t always show up on their own in bulk emails. If yours is missing, add it right into your email template. You can type it at the bottom of the email, or use the signature merge field if your template supports it. Building templates in Email AI makes this quick, and you can even import your existing email templates.
A good insurance agent signature includes:
- Your full name
- Your agency name
- Your phone number
- Your license number, if your state or carrier requires it
- Your business mailing address
Don’t skip the address. The U.S. CAN-SPAM Act requires marketing emails to include a valid physical mailing address and a clear way to unsubscribe.
Step 6: Send a Test Email and Check Everything
Before you send to your whole list, send a test to yourself. Try a Gmail address and an Outlook or Yahoo address if you have them.
Check these three things:
- Sender: Does it show your name and your business email?
- Signature: Is your full signature at the bottom?
- Inbox: Did it land in the inbox, not spam or promotions?
Want to go one step further? In Gmail, open the test email, click the three dots, and choose Show original. You’ll see SPF, DKIM, and DMARC listed. You want all three to say PASS.
Step 7: Keep Your List Clean and Your Emails Wanted
Setup gets you in the door. Good habits keep you there.
- Email people who know you. Clients, leads who asked for info, and referrals. Don’t email purchased lists.
- Use smart lists. Send Medicare emails to Medicare clients. Send life insurance emails to life insurance leads. Relevant emails get opened.
- Remove bounces. If an address bounces, take it off your list.
- Make it easy to unsubscribe. It feels backward, but an easy unsubscribe means fewer spam complaints.
- Start small with a new domain. Send to your most engaged clients first. Then grow your sends over a couple of weeks.
- Write like a person. Short subject lines. A friendly hello. Skip ALL CAPS and too many exclamation points.
- Ask for replies. A simple question like “Want me to review your coverage before December?” gets people writing back. Replies are one of the best signals you can send.
Quick Troubleshooting Guide
My email still shows a strange sending address.
Your dedicated sending domain may not be verified yet. Recheck your DNS records in Step 3 and click verify again.
My signature is missing.
Add it right into your email template, as shown in Step 5.
My emails land in the Promotions tab.
That’s normal for marketing emails, and it’s not spam. Fewer images, fewer links, and a more personal tone can help.
My emails still go to spam after setup.
Look at your list. Old, cold contacts often cause trouble. Send to your most engaged clients first and build up from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send bulk emails that come straight from my @gmail.com address?
Not reliably. Gmail doesn’t allow outside systems to send bulk email as a Gmail address. Using your own business domain is the safer, more professional choice.
Do I need a website to have a business domain?
No. You can buy a domain just for email. But if you already have an agency website, you can use that domain.
What’s the difference between SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?
SPF says who can send for you. DKIM proves the email wasn’t changed. DMARC ties them together and tells providers what to do if something fails.
How long does setup take?
Most agents can finish the steps in under an hour. DNS records can take a few hours to fully verify.
Is this legal or compliance advice?
No. This guide shares general best practices. Rules can vary by state, carrier, and product line, so check with your compliance contact if you’re unsure.
Your Next Step
Email is still one of the best ways to stay in touch with your clients. It’s how you remind them about renewals, open enrollment, and policy reviews. It’s how you ask for referrals. And when your emails reach the inbox, your clients actually see how much you care.
You don’t need to be a tech expert to get there. You just need the right setup and the right team in your corner.
Texting your clients too? Read A2P Police Are Cracking Down and Increase Your Contact Rate for New Leads.
Not using Agent CRM yet? Start your 14-day free trial of Agent CRM. You’ll get pre-built email campaigns for every major insurance line, smart lists to send the right message to the right client, and a support team that will help you set up your sending domain.
Already an Agent CRM user? Book a Quick Fix call with our team at support.agent-crm.com. We’ll walk through your sending domain, bulk email settings, and signature with you.
Here’s to more emails in the inbox and more conversations with your clients.
Alex
