# Inbox vs spam tests

Embed unique signals in every send and probe Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo to see whether mail is hitting the inbox or the spam folder.

5 min read. HTML: https://sendwithflare.com/help/inbox-placement/

Delivered is not the same as inbox. Receiving servers accept a message, then file it in the inbox, Promotions, or spam. FlareMail tests **every send**: it embeds unique signals, copies the message to your seed inboxes, and shows a health badge on that Sent-folder copy.

## Signals in mail you send

Each send gets a unique token in an `X-Flare-Signal` header, a hidden 1×1 pixel hosted on the FlareMail Worker, and a `flare-place:` marker in the body. When Gmail’s image proxy fetches that pixel, FlareMail records a Gmail inbox-correlated open. Outlook and Yahoo proxies are counted the same way.

- **Gmail / Outlook / Yahoo pixel** — strong inbox signal. Those apps usually do not fetch images from spam.
- **Apple Mail Privacy Protection** — ignored. Apple prefetches images even from junk, so it cannot prove inbox.
- **Spam complaint (ARF)** — the recipient or provider marked the message as spam after delivery.
- **No signal** — unread, images blocked, or no seeds configured. Add a seed inbox so every send is tested against Gmail/Outlook spam.

> **NOTE:** These pixels are on mail *you* send, so you can measure your own deliverability. Settings → Privacy still blocks tracking pixels in mail you *receive*.

## Seed inboxes (the reliable spam test)

Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo do not auto-forward mail that landed in spam. So if a test message you send to a Gmail seed is forwarded into FlareMail, it hit the inbox — not junk. Promotions and Updates still count as inbox.

1. **Create a seed address** — Use a Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo account you control. Don’t use a real customer’s mailbox.
2. **Forward it to FlareMail** — In Gmail: Settings → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Forward to one of your FlareMail addresses. Confirm the verification message in FlareMail.
3. **Add the seed in FlareMail** — Open **Settings → Inbox placement**, paste the Gmail/Outlook/Yahoo address, and save. After that, every send is copied to the seed (hidden Bcc) and tested automatically.
4. **Optional dedicated probe** — Click **Test** to send a standalone probe from your domain. Setup Doctor shows Inbox, Waiting, or Missing / spam. You do not need this for ordinary mail — Sent already shows health per message.

> **WARNING:** A missing probe after ~45 minutes usually means the seed provider filed it as spam (or dropped it). Open the seed inbox, check Spam/Junk, and mark it as not spam so future tests can land.

## Reading the results

- **Inbox** — the forwarded seed copy arrived, the recipient confirmed the link, or Gmail/Outlook/Yahoo fetched the pixel.
- **Checking** — this send was copied to your seeds; forwarding can take a few minutes (up to ~45).
- **Spam likely** — no seed forward or inbox pixel before the timeout, or a spam complaint.
- **Sent-folder badge** — every Sent row and the message preview show that copy’s health. Recipients never see the seed Bcc.