Email Issues

Delivery Problems

Emails going to spam

Things to consider:

1. Email authentication (this is 80% of spam issues)

   No SPF, DKIM, or DMARC? You’re done. Stop everything else and fix this first. If you don’t know what these are, ask your IT team or check with support.

2. Sudden volume change (common issue) or new domain?

   If you usually email 20 people a day and suddenly blast 500, you’re flagged. Build up slowly over 2-3 weeks. Also, if you’re sending 200 invites from a domain registered last week? Spam folder.

3. Who you’re sending from

   Send from a real person’s email. Their actual name, their actual email. Skip the noreply@ addresses.

4. Engagement history

   Are people opening and responding to your emails? Low engagement tells spam filters nobody wants your messages. For VIP events, send to your most engaged contacts first to build positive signals.

5. Email content basics

   Keep at least 60% text to 40% images. Include your physical address. Add an unsubscribe link for lists over 100 people.

   Avoid copying directly from Word (hidden formatting triggers filters). Skip artificial urgency phrases like ‘final reminder’ or ‘limited seats.’ Keep formatting simple - fancy fonts and heavily designed signatures can backfire.

6. Testing before sending

   Run your email through mail-tester.com. Score below 8/10? Fix the issues before sending. For critical events, send a test to yourself and 2-3 colleagues using different email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo).

7. Sending patterns

   For high-stakes invites (LP meetings, executive dinners), send in small batches of 20-30 with breaks in between. Personal mentions of past events or mutual connections dramatically improve delivery.

Having persistent delivery issues? Contact support.

All emails failing

Missing custom field

If merging a custom field in a campaign, all guests must have data present. If recently added custom field data, refresh browser tab to catch latest changes.

Authentication required

Your connected email account needs re-authentication. Team Settings » Linked Services » re-authenticate Google/Microsoft account.

Delivery to specific domains failing

Corporate firewall blocking

Common with banks and government. Don’t use a SendGrid sending account.

Email doesn’t exist

Check for typos.

Mailbox full

Nothing you can do. Try alternate contact method or have someone internally forward.

Email sending limits hit

Send from a different email account (limits are usually per email address).

Connected accounts

• Gmail: 2,000/day
• Outlook: 1,000-2,000/day (varies by license)
• Limits include all emails sent (not just in Gatsby)

SendGrid

• No daily limit (within reason)
• Requires DNS configuration

Email sending workarounds

When all else fails:

• Create shareable Public Link and distribute manually
• Send from personal email as backup
• Use BCC for small groups (under 50)
• Use other communication channels (Slack, What’s App) to share RSVP links

Email Configuration

Can I send from someone else's email?

Yes, if connected. Check for the “Send Emails” permission under Team Settings » Linked Services. Or, enable and create a SendGrid sending account configured for your domain.

External Collaborators cannot send from other email addresses.

Custom domain setup

SendGrid allows @yourcompany.com sending. Custom domain (events.yourcompany.com) requires paid add-on. Both require DNS setup. Contact us for more info.

Authentication required notice

Your connected email account needs re-authentication. Team Settings » Linked Services » re-authenticate Google/Microsoft account.

Can't add SendGrid account

For SendGrid, you need DNS records added to your domain and Gatsby needs to verify them before it can be enabled.

Contact Gatsby support for the specific records you need, have IT add them, and then notify Gatsby support team.

Email address you’re adding must end in a matching @yourcompany.com domain that was verified by Gatsby.

Attachment problems

File size limits

• 24MB total per email
• Individual files under 10MB recommended

Tracking & Management

Can I undo sending an email?

No

Once sent, it’s sent. No recall function. If sent in error, follow up immediately with correction.

Prevention tips

• Always send the email to yourself first as a guest on the guest list
• Double-check recipient selection
• Review subject line for typos

Can I see who opened my emails?

Enable tracking pixel: Team Settings » Know when users open your invites. Will shows “Opened” status in campaign reports when images are loaded from an email.

Reality check:

Email clients block tracking pixels. Real open rates are higher than reported. Click data is more reliable.

International email delivery considerations

Different countries, different rules

Some international domains have stricter filtering and requirments.

Time zone considerations

Schedule sends for recipient time zones when possible. Morning sends typically perform better than late night.