Email deliverability is the foundation of successful cold email campaigns. If your emails don't reach the inbox, nothing else matters. Here's a comprehensive checklist to ensure maximum deliverability.
Technical Setup Checks
Before sending any emails, verify these technical requirements:
1. SPF Record Configuration
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records tell email servers which IPs are authorized to send emails from your domain. Missing or incorrect SPF records can cause immediate delivery failures.
2. DKIM Authentication
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to your emails, proving they came from your domain. This is crucial for building sender reputation.
3. DMARC Policy
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication) tells receiving servers what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks. Start with a "none" policy and gradually move to "quarantine" or "reject".
4. Domain Reputation
Check your domain's reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools or Microsoft SNDS. A poor reputation will hurt deliverability across all emails.
Content Quality Checks
Your email content directly affects deliverability:
5. Subject Line Quality
Avoid spam trigger words, excessive capitalization, and misleading claims. Keep subject lines clear, relevant, and professional.
6. Text-to-Image Ratio
Emails with too many images and little text are flagged as spam. Maintain a good balance of text and images.
7. Link Quality
Use reputable domains for links. Avoid URL shorteners and suspicious domains. Too many links can also trigger spam filters.
8. HTML Code Quality
Clean, well-formed HTML is essential. Broken tags, inline styles, and messy code can hurt deliverability.
List Quality Checks
Your email list quality directly impacts deliverability:
9. Email List Hygiene
Remove invalid, bounced, and unengaged email addresses regularly. A high bounce rate damages your sender reputation.
10. Double Opt-In
While not always possible for cold emails, double opt-in lists have much better deliverability. Consider it for warm leads.
11. Unsubscribe Compliance
Always include a clear, easy-to-use unsubscribe link. CAN-SPAM and GDPR compliance is mandatory and affects deliverability.
Sending Practices
How you send emails matters:
12. Sending Volume
Start with low volumes and gradually increase. Sudden spikes in sending volume can trigger spam filters.
13. Sending Frequency
Maintain consistent sending patterns. Irregular sending can hurt your reputation with email providers.
14. Engagement Monitoring
Monitor open rates, click rates, and reply rates. Low engagement signals to providers that your emails aren't wanted.
Testing Your Setup
Before sending to your full list, test everything:
Use Email Testing Tools
Tools like Mail Tester, GlockApps, or Litmus can help you identify deliverability issues before sending.
Send Test Emails
Send test emails to Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and other major providers to ensure they reach the inbox.
Monitor Bounce Rates
Keep bounce rates below 2%. Higher rates indicate list quality issues or technical problems.
Ongoing Maintenance
Deliverability isn't a one-time setup. It requires ongoing attention:
- Regularly check your domain and IP reputation
- Monitor bounce and complaint rates
- Keep your email list clean
- Update authentication records as needed
- Stay compliant with email regulations
Conclusion
Email deliverability is complex, but following this checklist will significantly improve your chances of reaching the inbox. Focus on technical setup, content quality, and sending practices. Regular monitoring and maintenance ensure long-term deliverability success.