Nothing is more frustrating than crafting the perfect email only to have it land in spam. Email deliverability - the ability to reach your recipients' inboxes - depends on many factors. Here are 10 proven tips to maximize your chances of inbox placement.
Set Up Proper Email Authentication
Implement all three authentication protocols: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These prove to receiving servers that your emails are legitimate and haven't been spoofed.
- SPF: Lists servers allowed to send for your domain
- DKIM: Digitally signs your emails
- DMARC: Tells servers what to do with failing emails
Warm Up New Domains and IPs
Don't blast thousands of emails from a new domain. Start small and gradually increase volume over 2-4 weeks. This builds your sender reputation.
- Week 1: 50-100 emails/day
- Week 2: 200-500 emails/day
- Week 3: 500-1000 emails/day
- Week 4+: Gradually reach full volume
Maintain a Clean Email List
Regularly remove invalid addresses, bounces, and unengaged subscribers. High bounce rates and spam complaints destroy your reputation.
- Remove hard bounces immediately
- Remove soft bounces after 3 attempts
- Prune inactive subscribers quarterly
- Never buy email lists
Use Double Opt-In
Require subscribers to confirm their email address before adding them to your list. This ensures valid addresses and engaged recipients.
Make Unsubscribing Easy
Include a clear, one-click unsubscribe link in every email. Hidden or complicated unsubscribe processes lead to spam complaints.
Avoid Spam Trigger Words
Certain words and phrases trigger spam filters. Avoid or minimize:
- "FREE!!!" or excessive capitalization
- "Act now" or "Limited time"
- "Guaranteed" or "No risk"
- Multiple exclamation marks!!!
- "Click here" as link text
Balance Your Text-to-Image Ratio
Emails that are mostly images with little text look suspicious. Aim for a 60/40 or 70/30 text-to-image ratio. Always include alt text for images.
Send Consistently
Erratic sending patterns look suspicious. Whether it's daily, weekly, or monthly, maintain a consistent schedule. Sudden spikes in volume can trigger spam filters.
Monitor Your Sender Reputation
Use tools to track your domain and IP reputation:
- Google Postmaster Tools: For Gmail delivery insights
- Microsoft SNDS: For Outlook.com reputation
- MXToolbox: For blacklist monitoring
Personalize Your Emails
Generic, mass emails perform poorly. Personalization signals legitimate communication:
- Use the recipient's name
- Segment your lists by interest
- Reference past interactions
- Send relevant content
PPMail Deliverability Features
PPMail automatically configures SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for your domains. Our IP addresses have excellent reputation, and we provide deliverability monitoring in your dashboard.
Bonus: Test Before You Send
Before sending to your full list, test your emails:
- Send test emails to major providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo)
- Check if they land in inbox or spam
- Use mail testing tools to analyze your headers
- Verify all links work correctly
What to Do If You're Landing in Spam
If your emails are going to spam:
- Check your authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Verify you're not on any blacklists
- Review your content for spam triggers
- Check your sender reputation
- Reduce sending volume temporarily
- Contact the receiving provider if the problem persists