Imagine creating the perfect email, hitting send, and then… silence. It’s like planning a party, but your invites end up in everyone’s junk drawer. Frustrating, right?
Email deliverability might not sound like the most exciting topic. But don’t worry, we’ve cracked the code.
We’ve seen firsthand how small tweaks—like cleaning up your email list or fine-tuning your content—can skyrocket your deliverability. So, we thought, why not write a guide with proven email deliverability tips to take all your emails where they belong: your audience’s inbox?
Let’s get right into it.
How to Increase Your Email Deliverability?
Email deliverability refers to your campaign’s ability to land in a subscriber’s inbox. To improve your email deliverability, you need more than just good intentions—you need a plan.
Here are some email deliverability best practices to help you avoid the spam folder and hit the inbox every time.
Use a Verified Domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Authenticating your domain is like getting a verified badge—it proves you’re the real deal.
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup ensure your emails are not marked as suspicious. Plus, it builds trust between your domain and mailbox providers, improving your deliverability rates.
⚠️Gmail, Yahoo, and many other providers mandatorily require you to set up DKIM, DMARC, and SPF authentication for email delivery, since Feb 1, 2024.
Here’s why to set them up and how each improves the sender reputation and boosts your deliverability:
SPF
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) tells recipient servers which mail servers are authorized to send emails on your behalf. When recipient servers see an SPF match, your emails are less likely to end up flagged as spam.
Think of it as a whitelist for your domain. It prevents spoofing attempts that can lead to poor sender reputation.
Here are some best practices to set up SPF on your domain:
- Publish SPF records in your DNS settings;
- Ensure all your email-sending servers are included in your records.
DKIM
Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) adds a unique signature to your email headers, confirming the message hasn’t been tampered with during transit.
DKIM tells providers that your emails are secure and authentic, improving your chances of getting into an inbox.
Here are some tips to set up DKIM records:
- Use cryptographic keys to sign and validate your emails;
- Publish public keys in your domain’s DNS records.
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is the ultimate shield for your domain.
It ensures your SPF and DKIM align with the “From” address and lets you decide how unauthenticated emails are handled.
Here’s what you need to do to comply:
- Publish a DMARC policy in your DNS settings to handle unauthenticated emails;
- Align your domain authentication with SPF and DKIM.
When you set up your DMARC records correctly, you stay safe from unauthenticated access to your email servers. Plus, you get reports to monitor and address spoofing attempts regularly.
If you’re new to this, these articles might become helpful:
Clean Your Email List Regularly
Let’s admit something — subscribers change! They lose interest, find new hobbies, or abandon their old emails.
Sending emails to such recipients can reduce engagement rates and increase your bounce rates — red flags for email service providers to tank your deliverability rates.
It’s a good practice to maintain email list hygiene:
- Identify inactive subscribers and remove the ones who don’t re-engage;
- Use double opt-in to keep just interested users in your list;
- Regularly monitor and remove hard bounces and invalid email addresses.
Steps to clean your email list:
- Remove invalid email addresses. Use email verification tools to filter out typos and fake addresses;
- Segment inactive subscribers. Send targeted campaigns to win them back before removing them;
- Implement a sunset policy. Set up a policy to remove inactive users after a number of attempts for re-engagement or a specific period.
Optimize Email Content to Avoid Spammy Language
Deliverability improves when your emails are professionally written. Avoid exaggerated claims or formatting tricks that may raise red flags for spam filters.
Spam filters are like gatekeepers, scanning your emails for any hint of suspicious behavior or gimmicks. Overly promotional words, excessive punctuation, or bold claims can land your email in the spam folder.
Tips to avoid spam triggers:
- Steer clear of spam trigger words. Words like ‘100% FREE’ or ‘FREE OFFER!” scream unsolicited marketing;
- Mind your formatting. Skip excessive punctuation or all caps (e.g., “CLICK HERE NOW!!!”);
- Focus on professionalism. Write clear, concise, valuable content that prioritizes your reader’s needs;
- Test before sending. Use a successful email marketing program to test your email for spam triggers before hitting send.
Avoid Spammy Keywords within the Subject Line
Your subject line is the first impression of your email—but it’s also the first thing spam filters scan.
Overload your subject lines with spammy keywords, and you risk triggering spam filters. If you want to improve sender reputation and build trust with your audience, write clearly, and focus on value.
Best practices for writing subject lines:
- Keep it conversational. Write like you’re speaking to a friend, not a customer (e.g., ‘Special surprise for your weekend’);
- Avoid urgency overload. Skip overusing phrases like ‘Act now!’ or ‘1 hour offer only!’ that scream pushiness;
- Balance intrigue with honesty. Create curiosity without misleading the reader. e.g., use ‘Last chance to buy on sale price’, rather than ‘Last chance to buy your favorites’;
- Stay relevant and specific. Use subject lines that match the email’s actual content;
- Test and refine: A/B test subject lines to see what resonates without raising spam triggers.
Always Personalize Your Emails
Email personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have in 2025. It’s quintessential for stronger email engagement.
Nowadays, generic emails get lost in crowded inboxes, or worse, get trapped in ‘promotions’ or spam folders. So, send personalized emails that make your readers feel like you’re speaking directly to them.
Use simple ideas like addressing them by name or adding content based on their behavior. This will help you drive better open rates, click-throughs, and loyalty. Plus, your email deliverability will improve, too.
Quick tips for using personalization in emails:
- Use merge tags to greet recipients by name;
- Reference past purchases or interactions to add relevance;
- Send custom recommendations based on browsing history or preferences.
Segment Your Audience for Targeted Campaigns
If personalization is the engine, segmentation is the fuel. Email segmentation helps you deliver content that hits home by ensuring the right content reaches the right people.
Ways to segment your list:
- By purchase behavior: First-time buyers vs. loyal customers;
- Based on engagement: Active subscribers vs. those who need re-engagement;
- By geography: Send location-specific offers or updates.
When you segment the list, you’ve got an option to target subscribers with highly contextual email campaigns based on interests, behaviors, or demographics.
And it’s no secret that segmentation and personalization go hand-in-hand to deliver targeted campaigns that inboxes reward with high deliverability rates.
Maintain a Consistent Sending Schedule
Timing matters as much as content for successful email marketing campaigns.
If your subscribers know when to expect your emails, they’re more likely to open them. Plus, consistent frequency reduces the chances of triggering inbox providers to flag you as a suspicious sender.
A consistent schedule ties your efforts together — keeps your brand top of mind, shows you value readers, and makes you look credible in the eyes of inbox providers, too.
Use a Reliable Email Service Provider (ESP)
Your choice of email service provider (ESP) can make or break your email deliverability initiatives. In fact, a good ESP can increase deliverability by 10%.
Using a trusted ESP is like having an experienced postmaster — someone who’s an expert at all the technicalities and ensures emails don’t just leave your outbox but land in your inbox.
How ESP improves deliverability?
- Promises strong domain reputation: Reliable ESPs handle authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, preventing emails from being flagged as suspicious;
- Monitors blacklists. They actively track blacklisting issues, ensuring your domain or IP doesn’t get blocked by email providers;
- Manages email volume. ESPs help regulate the number of emails sent, preventing sudden spikes that might alert spam filters;
- Provides dedicated IP. Dedicated IP ensures you’ve got complete control over your domain reputation.
Sender handles everything — email authentication, blacklist monitoring, and feedback loop integrations, ensuring your emails make it to the recipient’s inbox, every time.
Make it Easy to Unsubscribe
Here’s a counterintuitive truth — making it easier to leave keeps your audience closer. A clear unsubscribe option doesn’t just show respect—it builds trust with both your readers and email providers.
Here’s why this makes sense:
- Clear unsubscribe links signal transparency and integrity, improving your domain’s credibility;
- Email providers see your honesty as a sign you’re not spamming people against their will;
- Readers are less likely to report your email as spam when they can easily opt out.
Giving subscribers a straightforward exit shows that you value them — whether they stay or leave. And the bonus? Email providers trust brands that follow the rules, which means better deliverability for your next campaign.
Best practices for adding unsubscribe links:
- Show it clearly. Add an easy-to-find unsubscribe link in your footer. Hidden links frustrate users and can lead to complaints;
- Keep it simple. Avoid hoops like multiple clicks or logging in to unsubscribe. A single click should do the job;
- Offer options. Let subscribers opt out of specific types of emails instead of all communications. For example, they might prefer to stop newsletters but still receive account updates.
Monitor Performance Metrics Regularly and Fix Issues
Your email campaigns are only successful because of the data you gather and the actions you take. Monitoring performance metrics like email bounce rate, email open rates, and click-through rates isn’t just a task—it’s how you keep your email strategy sharp and effective.
Why focus on email analytics and tracking?
- Identify and fix issues. Spotting high bounce rates or low open rates early helps you address technical and content problems before they hurt your deliverability;
- Optimize campaigns. Analyzing what works and what doesn’t helps you fine-tune your content, timing, and audience targeting.
Monitoring and fixing issues ensure a smooth experience for your subscribers. Plus, it can lead to higher engagement.
Here’s what you should do:
- Use email analytics and tracking tools to gain insights into audience behavior;
- Pay attention to bounce codes—they reveal whether issues are temporary (soft bounces) or permanent (hard bounces);
- Regularly check your sender reputation and make adjustments as needed;
- Compare open rates and click-through rates across different campaigns to identify trends;
- Address unsubscribes, complaints, and inactive users to keep your list healthy.
Advanced Tips to Increase Email Deliverability
If you want to master email deliverability, you must go beyond the basics. Here are some advanced tips and email marketing best practices to avoid spam folders.
Warm Up Your IP Address
Sending campaigns from a new IP address without a proper warm-up is like shouting into a crowded room—nobody listens. If you’re just starting from a new IP address, warm it up for high email deliverability.
IP warming is the process of slowly starting to send emails from a fresh dedicated IP address and gradually increasing its volume.
Slowly increasing your email volume builds credibility with email providers and helps avoid getting flagged as spam.
Here’s what you should do:
- Focus on highly engaged recipients first for bulk email sending;
- Use consistent sending patterns to build trust;
- Monitor bounce rates using email deliverability tools and adjust pace if required.
Implement BIMI
Imagine recipients scrolling through their inbox and spotting your logo—it’s instant credibility.
Adding a logo to your emails using Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) boosts credibility.
BIMI setup requires you to trademark your logo, following up other authentication policies like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, mentioned above.
Steps to get started with BIMI:
- Authenticate your domain for DMARC compliance;
- Design a professional SVG logo for consistency;
- Publish a BIMI record in your DNS to activate it.
Send Emails Based on Recipient Behavior
Generic campaigns are outdated. Instead, use behavioral targeting to plan emails based on subscribers’ online activity, like browsing a product or abandoning a cart.
Think about this: A recipient checks out a pair of shoes but doesn’t complete the purchase. A timely email saying, ‘Those shoes are waiting for you!’ can turn that interest into a sale.
Here are some behavioral automation ideas:
- Trigger follow-ups for abandoned carts or wishlists;
- Send emails on purchase anniversaries or subscription renewal reminders;
- Personalize messages with dynamic recommendations like ‘We picked these for you!’.
Utilize Subdomain Sending
Subdomain sending protects your main domain’s reputation, like having a safety net, in case things go haywire.
For example, run marketing campaigns from subdomains like, marketing.yourdomain.com, and keep the main domain strictly for transactional emails. This saves your domain from suspicious activities and spam-related problems.
Best practices for subdomain sending:
- Authenticate subdomains with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC;
- Assign different subdomains for marketing and transactional emails;
- Monitor subdomain performance separately for better insights.
Analyze Bounce Codes
Every bounce tells a story. Email deliverability testing involves understanding why emails fail to deliver because of bounce codes.
Soft bounces might indicate temporary problems, while hard bounces signal invalid addresses.
How to deal with bounce codes:
- Use deliverability tools to decode and address issues;
- Investigate recurring soft bounces for patterns;
- Remove hard-bounced addresses immediately.
Monitor Blacklist Status Regularly
Imagine seeing your open rates dropping suddenly. Sounds like a nightmare, right?
Landing on a blacklist is every marketer’s nightmare. Email blacklists or DNS blacklists (DNSBL) are present on domain level, email IP level, or an internet service provider (ISP) level, and protect users from spam emails.
You must regularly check your domain and IP for blacklist status using online tools like ZeroBounce, DNSChecker, etc.
Also, here are some tips to avoid blacklists:
- Maintain a clean and engaged email list;
- Resolve spam complaints promptly with improved content;
- Never send unsolicited emails to users who never signed up.
Test Emails for Spam Triggers
Spam filters are picky—one wrong word can doom your email. Testing your campaigns ensures they pass through filters and reach inboxes.
Let’s say your testing reveals that a subject line with “FREE!” repeatedly lands in spam. Swapping it with “Limited-time gift” will help you avoid the spam trigger without reducing the appeal.
Tips to avoid spam triggers:
- Avoid overused phrases like ‘Act now!’;
- Keep a balance between promotional and value-driven language;
- Create a contextual subject line that hints at what is inside the email.
Implement Custom Engagement Scoring
Shouldn’t a subscriber who clicks on every newsletter deserves more attention than one who opens sometimes?
Customer engagement scoring helps you identify and prioritize such subscribers. It usually works by assigning points for opens, clicks, and interactions.
Tips to set up engagement scoring:
- Assign scores for specific actions like opens and clicks;
- Use the scores to create targeted email segments;
- Regularly update scoring rules based on engagement trends.
Engagement scores help you understand your audience better, improve your content strategy, and boost your email’s relevance. All of these will improve your sender reputation and, thus, email deliverability rates.
Rotate IP Addresses (with Caution)
Imagine running multiple high-volume campaigns. Instead of overwhelming one IP, distributing the load across multiple addresses ensures consistency without raising red flags.
Rotating IPs involves switching between different IP addresses using automated systems to reduce email load.
Generally, this is an advanced tactic and should be used with caution to avoid ‘suspicious behavior’ filters.
Here’s what you must do along with rotating IPs:
- IP warmup by gradually increasing email volume;
- Consistent monitoring of performance of each IP and taking steps to avoid blacklists;
- Balancing load distribution to avoid overwhelming IPs.
You must consult an expert if you want to test or experiment with IP rotation as errors might lead to serious problems.
Audit Your DNS Records
Your DNS records are the backbone of email authentication. Everything from SPF, DKIM, etc. depends on your DNS records.
Outdated DNS records can result in failed authentication, sending your emails straight to spam. So, regularly audit your records to ensure everything is aligned and secure.
How to audit DNS records:
- Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for accuracy;
- Remove outdated or conflicting entries;
- Send test email campaigns to ensure records are functioning correctly.
Learning about email marketing doesn’t have to end here! Keep moving forward with this great article: Defining Your Target Audience: Showcasing with Examples
