Deliverability
Get messages to the inbox: authentication, list quality, volume, content and reputation, in the order to fix them.
What you will be able to do
- Authenticate your sending domain
- Keep bounces and complaints low
- Diagnose a delivery problem in a fixed order
Authenticate
Publish SPF, sign with DKIM and set a DMARC policy so providers can tell your mail is really yours. Check each record with a lookup tool after changes.
List quality
Verify before large sends, remove hard bounces after the first failure and suppress complaints. A rising bounce rate is the earliest warning.
Volume and pace
New domains and sudden jumps in volume look like abuse. Increase gradually and keep a steady rhythm.
Content
Plain, honest subjects, a visible unsubscribe link, working links and a text part alongside the HTML. Run drafts through a content checker for common problems.
Troubleshooting order
Confirm the symptom (rejected, spam or ignored), check authentication, check the list, check content, then volume and reputation, and finally read the provider’s own guidance.
Your output: checklist
- ☐ Check SPF, DKIM and DMARC records
- ☐ Verify the list before the next big send
- ☐ Measure hard bounce rate per send
- ☐ Add a text part to HTML emails
- ☐ Ramp volume gradually on new domains
- ☐ Keep a troubleshooting log