The Email Deliverability Checklist

Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.) and check your DNS TXT records. You should have exactly one SPF record starting with v=spf1. If you have two, merge them into one. Use MXToolbox.com > SPF Lookup to verify.

If you send via Kit, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, or any other platform, that platform's sending servers must be included in your SPF record. Check your platform's help docs for the exact include: string and add it if it is missing.

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature that proves the email came from you. Go to your email platform's domain authentication settings and follow the DKIM setup steps. It requires adding one or two CNAME or TXT records to your DNS. Verify with MXToolbox > DKIM Lookup using your domain and the selector your platform gives you.

DMARC tells inbox providers what to do when an email fails SPF or DKIM checks. Start with a monitoring-only policy: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]. Add this as a TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com. Verify at MXToolbox > DMARC Lookup.

After 30 days on p=none, check your DMARC reports for any legitimate sending sources you missed. Then upgrade to p=quarantine to start actively filtering spoofed mail. This protects your domain reputation over time.

Sending from a shared platform domain like mailchimpapp.net or mail.kit.com means your reputation is tied to every other user on that domain. Set up a custom sending domain (usually mail.yourdomain.com or send.yourdomain.com) in your platform's domain settings. Most platforms walk you through this in 10 minutes.

Using a no-reply@ address is a deliverability and relationship mistake. Set your reply-to to an address you read. Replies are one of the strongest inbox engagement signals. They tell providers that people want your mail.

Go to postmaster.google.com and add your sending domain. It takes 24 to 48 hours to populate. You want Domain Reputation showing Good or High. Medium means you have work to do. Low or Bad means stop sending to your cold list immediately and work through this checklist first.

Google Postmaster Tools shows your spam rate. Yahoo has a similar tool. Above 0.1% and your deliverability drops. Above 0.3% and providers can block your domain entirely. If you are above 0.1%, identify which segment or campaign type is driving complaints and stop sending that content.

Sudden spikes in send volume are a red flag to inbox providers. If you usually send to 500 people and then blast 20,000 in one go, expect deliverability issues. Increase volume gradually, no more than doubling per week, if you are scaling up after a period of low activity.

New domains have no reputation. Start by sending to your most engaged subscribers only (people who have opened in the last 30 days). Send small batches for the first 4 weeks before scaling to your full list.

Run your sending domain and IP through MXToolbox > Blacklist Check. If you appear on a blacklist, follow that blacklist provider's delisting process. Most have a web form. Fix the underlying cause (usually spam complaints or purchased lists) before requesting delisting.

Sending bulk email from @gmail.com or @hotmail.com violates those providers' terms and destroys deliverability. You must send from your own domain. Set up Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 if you do not have a business email yet.

Double opt-in means new subscribers confirm their email address before they are added to your list. This eliminates typo addresses, bots, and low-intent sign-ups. Turn it on in your email platform's form settings. Yes, you will get fewer subscribers. They will be far better ones.

Hard bounces are addresses that do not exist or have permanently rejected your mail. Continuing to send to them tanks your reputation. Most platforms handle this automatically, but check your bounce report. Filter for hard bounces and confirm they are suppressed.

A soft bounce is a temporary delivery failure (full inbox, server down). After 3 or more soft bounces to the same address, treat it as a hard bounce and suppress it. Check your platform's bounce handling settings to confirm this threshold is set.

Subscribers who have not opened a single email in 90 to 180 days are dragging down your engagement rate. Send them one honest re-engagement email: 'Do you still want to hear from me?' Give them a single clear yes button. Anyone who does not click within 7 days gets suppressed. This is not optional. It is maintenance.

If you have ever bought a list or scraped contacts, do not send to them from the same domain you use for your warm list. The complaint rates will poison your domain reputation. If you must test a cold list, use a separate subdomain and sending IP.

Send a test email to yourself and click the unsubscribe link. Confirm it loads, processes immediately, and shows a confirmation page. A broken unsubscribe flow forces people to mark you as spam instead, which is far more damaging to your reputation.

As of 2024, Google and Yahoo require bulk senders to support one-click unsubscribe. This adds an unsubscribe link directly in the email header visible in Gmail and other clients. Most major platforms enable this automatically. Confirm it is turned on in your platform's sending settings.

Spam traps are addresses that do not belong to real people. Hitting them signals to inbox providers that you have poor list hygiene. Run your list through an email verification service such as ZeroBounce or NeverBounce once a year if you have any older or imported segments. Remove anything flagged as invalid or risky.

Words like FREE, GUARANTEED, WINNER, URGENT, and ACT NOW in capitals are spam filter flags. So are multiple exclamation marks and question marks in a row. Write subject lines as if you were emailing a colleague. Specific, direct, no hype. Run any subject line you are unsure about through Mail-Tester.com before sending.

Emails that are mostly images with very little text are a classic spam signal because spammers use images to hide text from filters. Aim for at least 60% text, 40% images or better. If your email is template-heavy with large header images, add more body copy.

Alt text serves two purposes: accessibility and deliverability. Spam filters that cannot read images look at alt text instead. Add descriptive alt text to every image in your email builder. Blank alt text on every image looks like you are trying to hide something.

Bit.ly, TinyURL, and similar shorteners are associated with spam and phishing because they mask the destination URL. Spam filters flag them. Use full destination URLs or your own branded short domain if you need shorter links.

Click every link in your test send before you send to your list. Broken links and redirects to error pages are deliverability signals and they cost you conversions. A 5-minute link check before every send is non-negotiable.

If subscribers signed up for emails from 'Lilach at LilachBullock.com', do not suddenly send from 'The AI Marketing Newsletter'. Inbox providers and subscribers both flag unexpected sender changes. Keep your From name consistent. If you change it, send a heads-up email first.

Send the final version to a Gmail address you control. Check how it renders, where it lands (Primary, Promotions, or Spam), whether images load, and whether all links work. If it lands in Promotions, it does not necessarily mean deliverability failure, but Spam is a signal to revisit your content and list health before sending.