How to Fix Gmail Spam Issues After Moving Domains to Google Workspace
You migrated to GWS. Before the migration, deliverability was fine. Now everything goes to spam. Here's why — and what to do.
You migrated your email from another provider to Google Workspace. Before the migration, deliverability was fine. After moving to Google Workspace, your emails are going to spam. Nothing about your email content changed. Only the sending infrastructure changed.
Why This Happens
When you move to Google Workspace, your MX records change, your sending IP changes, and your DNS records need to be reconfigured for the new infrastructure. If any part of this migration is incomplete, your authentication breaks.
Common causes after a migration:
- SPF records still reference your old email provider's servers but don't include Google Workspace's servers. This means emails sent from Google Workspace fail SPF checks.
- DKIM was configured for your old provider but was never set up in Google Workspace. You need to generate new DKIM keys in the Google Admin console and add them to your DNS.
- DMARC was relying on SPF alignment with your old provider. After migration, if alignment is not correct, DMARC can fail.
- Your domain had reputation signals tied to your old IP addresses. Those signals don't transfer to Google Workspace's IP pool — you're essentially starting fresh from a reputation perspective.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis
Verify your SPF record includes Google Workspace. Your SPF record should contain include:_spf.google.com. Check that your old provider's include statements have been removed or are still valid if you still send from them. Use the SPF checker.
Generate and publish DKIM keys in Google Workspace Admin: Apps → Gmail → Authenticate email. Generate the key for your domain and add the TXT record to your DNS. Google recommends 2048-bit keys. Verify with the DKIM checker.
Confirm your DMARC record is valid and check alignment. Send a test email and look at the original headers — DMARC requires alignment between the From domain and either the SPF domain or the DKIM domain. Check with the DMARC lookup.
Allow 48–72 hours for DNS propagation after making changes. Test deliverability after propagation is complete, not during it. Then run a placement test to confirm end-to-end.
The Fix Path
Update all DNS records to reference Google Workspace infrastructure. Remove references to your old provider unless you still actively send from them. Ensure only one SPF record exists.
Set up DKIM in Google Workspace and publish the key. This is the most commonly missed step in migrations.
Monitor Postmaster Tools after migration. Your domain reputation may start as unknown on Google's infrastructure even if it was established before. Treat the first 2–4 weeks after migration like a warmup period, sending at lower volume and prioritizing engaged recipients.
When to Replace Instead of Repair
Migration-related spam issues are almost always repairable. Once SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly set up for Google Workspace, deliverability should recover within a few days to a week.
If your domain had reputation problems before the migration, the move to Google Workspace will not fix those — you need to address the underlying reputation issues separately. Run the burn score calculator to assess where you stand.
Mistakes That Make This Worse
- Leaving old SPF includes in place alongside Google's include, which can push you over the 10 DNS lookup limit
- Forgetting to generate new DKIM keys for Google Workspace
- Sending at full volume immediately after migration before DNS has propagated
- Not checking DMARC alignment after changing sending infrastructure
Run the checks first
Before replacing anything, run a free inbox placement test. You might find the issue is DNS, not the domain — and save yourself a week of unnecessary work.