How can link patterns hurt deliverability?

Spam filters analyze link patterns as part of overall message scoring. Certain patterns raise red flags.

Problematic patterns:

Too many links: Emails crammed with dozens of links look like spam or phishing attempts. Keep links purposeful and limited.

Domain inconsistency: If your From address is @yourbrand.com but links go to random-domain.xyz, filters notice the mismatch.

Third-party shorteners: bit.ly, tinyurl, and similar services are heavily abused. Their presence adds suspicion.

Known spam domains: Links to domains on blocklists or with poor reputation hurt your message.

Broken links: Links to nonexistent pages or error pages suggest sloppy or malicious sending.

Excessive redirects: Multiple hops before reaching the destination look like obfuscation.

Link text mismatches: Displaying "Click here for amazon.com" but linking elsewhere is a classic phishing pattern.

Best practices:

Use recognizable domains (yours or well-known brands)

Match link text to actual destinations

Limit the number of distinct links

Use custom tracking domains, not shared ones

Test all links work before sending

Avoid shorteners in email

Your links are like ports of call on your manifest. Suspicious destinations get the whole ship inspected.