Email Deliverability Checker
Use this interactive checklist to audit your email deliverability setup. Check off each item as you verify and fix your configuration.
We don't store your domain. This is an educational checklist tool - check off items as you verify them.
Email Deliverability Best Practices for Cold Email
Email deliverability is the foundation of successful cold email campaigns. Without proper setup, your carefully crafted emails will land in spam folders or never reach recipients at all. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about maximizing your email deliverability.
Understanding Email Authentication
Email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) work together to verify that emails actually come from your domain and haven't been tampered with. Think of them as your email's ID card, signature, and security policy.
SPF
Lists authorized sending servers in your DNS. Receiving servers check if the sending IP is on your approved list.
DKIM
Adds a cryptographic signature to each email, proving the message hasn't been modified since leaving your server.
DMARC
Tells receiving servers what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, and sends you failure reports.
The Critical Importance of Email Warmup
New email accounts and domains have no sending reputation. Email providers are suspicious of accounts that suddenly start sending hundreds of emails. The warmup process gradually builds your sender reputation by:
- Starting slow: Begin with 5-10 emails per day and increase gradually over 2-4 weeks.
- Generating positive signals: Warmup tools send emails to a network that opens, clicks, and replies to your messages.
- Maintaining engagement: Continue warmup even after you start cold outreach to maintain high engagement rates.
Sender Reputation Metrics to Monitor
Your sender reputation is like a credit score for email. Here are the key metrics that determine your deliverability:
- Bounce Rate: Keep under 2%. Verify email addresses before sending.
- Spam Complaint Rate: Keep under 0.1%. One complaint per 1,000 emails can damage your reputation.
- Open Rate: Higher is better. Low open rates signal low engagement to email providers.
- Reply Rate: Replies are strong positive signals that improve your reputation.
Common Deliverability Mistakes
- Sending too many emails too fast from a new account
- Not verifying email lists before sending
- Using spammy words in subject lines (FREE, ACT NOW, etc.)
- Including too many links or images in cold emails
- Not including an unsubscribe option
- Sending from a free email provider (Gmail, Yahoo) for business purposes
- Having mismatched "From" name and email address
Tools for Monitoring Deliverability
Several tools can help you monitor and improve your email deliverability:
- Google Postmaster Tools: Free tool from Google showing your domain's reputation with Gmail.
- MXToolbox: Check SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and blacklist status.
- Sender Score: Check your IP reputation score (0-100).
- Mail-Tester: Send a test email and get a deliverability score with specific issues.
Want Experts to Handle Your Cold Email Deliverability?
We set up and manage email infrastructure that lands in inboxes, not spam. Our team handles warmup, authentication, and ongoing deliverability monitoring.
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