Recently, a user in an online CRM community shared a concern about a batch email they sent to 24 recipients through their CRM. The email included a Google Drive link (since attachments aren’t supported in batch emails), and shortly after sending it, most of the emails were flagged as spam. On top of that, they were locked out of Gmail with a "daily sending limit reached" error - even though they had only sent 24 emails.
Here’s how I responded:
I explained that Google Drive links included in emails sent from a CRM can sometimes trigger spam filters - especially when those emails are routed through an SMTP server.
However, in this case, they mentioned sending the message as a Batch Email. Some CRMs route batch emails through third-party sending infrastructure like SendGrid rather than SMTP, which can reduce this type of issue — but only if domain authentication is properly configured.
Given the outcome, it’s likely that their email server wasn’t properly configured with CRM’s infrastructure. When domain authentication isn’t completed correctly, the system may default to using an SMTP server as a fallback. That fallback routing can increase the chances of spam filtering and potentially trigger sending limit errors.
My recommendation was to complete domain authentication in your CRM's admin settings — the exact steps vary by platform, but the process involves adding DNS records (SPF, DKIM) to verify your sending domain.
I also added that, as a best practice, it’s still wise to avoid Google Drive links in 1:1 emails sent from a CRM whenever possible, since they can increase the risk of spam filtering depending on the recipient’s email security settings.
Why Gmail stops sending after just a few emails
A user recently asked why their Gmail account suddenly stopped sending emails while using CRM batch emails. They had sent fewer than five emails manually, yet Gmail reported they had reached their daily sending limit.
Gmail has strict daily sending limits. For Google Workspace (business) accounts, the limit is 2,000 emails per 24-hour period. For free Gmail accounts, it’s 500 emails per day.
Routing batch or automation emails through Gmail’s SMTP is not a reliable or safe approach for email delivery. This is why accounts that rely on SMTP routing for bulk or automated sending are much more likely to be rate-limited or even suspended.
If you want reliable email delivery, the correct approach is to:
- Use Gmail strictly for business correspondence
- Send bulk or automated emails through a properly configured email-sending infrastructure
- Authenticate the domain, configure the server correctly, and warm it up gradually over the first one to two months
