---
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title: Branding and Messaging
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locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/mktg/264-0-0/mktg_apps_email_best_practices_msg_quality.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_apps_email_best_practices_msg_quality.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
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content_type: documentation
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description: High-quality emails can bypass spam filters and capture recipient attention. The quality of your messaging is based on system filters and user preferences. Content that passes a spam filter isn't always engaging to users, and vice versa.
products:
  - Marketing
release: "264"
---
# Branding and Messaging

High-quality emails can bypass spam filters and capture recipient attention. The quality of your messaging is based on system filters and user preferences. Content that passes a spam filter isn't always engaging to users, and vice versa.

## Engage Recipients

To engage recipients, maintain data hygiene and use recipient data to personalize content. Review metrics to identify what works best for your audience.

- Segment your data to build highly specific audiences for your messages.
- To focus on what’s most relevant to each customer, personalize subject lines and email body content with names, purchase history, or other available details.
- Consider dynamic content and other advanced personalization tools to deliver the most relevant content to each recipient.

## Use Spam Filters

Spam filters don't publicize their scanning criteria, so monitor your metrics to identify your best-performing content. Use these tips to keep messages out of the spam folder.

- Legal requirements: Always include business identification and an unsubscribe method.
- Spammy language: Spam filters often flag messages that include too many exclamation marks or overuse words like "free," "limited time," and "act now."
- Too many images: Filters scan for an image-to-text ratio, and can flag messages that contain mostly or only images.
- Unclear links: Avoid URL shorteners in email messages, because it's a common tool for bad actors. (They obscure full URLs behind a benign click-through link, which sends recipients to phishy, spammy web pages.) Instead, safely gather click data with branded tracking domains that present your trusted brand.
- Non-HTML code: Although there are some legitimate uses for adding scripts or embedded content to emails, it’s often a flag for filters. Before you include JavaScript, RSS, or forms in a message, test the message with a small audience first.

Create a balanced message by combining relevant text, a few images, and informational links. Balance promotional language with valuable content.