When you spend time designing a great email campaign, the last thing you want is for it to land in the spam folder. Email deliverability is all about making sure your emails actually reach your subscriber’s inbox. Below is a simple, practical checklist you can use to fix deliverability issues and keep your campaigns healthy.

1. Authenticate Your Domain

Set up the big three: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

• SPF tells email providers that your emails are sent from an approved server.

• DKIM adds a digital signature to prove your message wasn’t changed.

• DMARC gives instructions on what to do if authentication fails.

Without these, your emails may be treated as suspicious.

2. Clean Your Email List Regularly

Remove invalid, fake, or inactive emails. A high bounce rate signals to Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook that you’re not maintaining your list.

• Use list cleaning tools or segment out unengaged contacts.

• Target active subscribers with personalized content.

3. Warm Up Your Sending Domain

If you recently started with a new domain or email tool, don’t blast thousands of emails on day one. Start small and gradually increase your sending volume so email providers learn to trust you.

4. Watch Your Content and Design

• Avoid spammy words like “FREE!!!” or “Act Now!!!” in subject lines.

• Keep a good text-to-image ratio. Emails with only images often trigger spam filters.

• Make sure your design is mobile-friendly since most users open on phones.

5. Monitor Engagement

Email providers watch how people interact with your emails. High open rates, clicks, and replies = inbox placement. Low engagement = spam.

• Send targeted campaigns instead of blasting everyone.

• Re-engage inactive subscribers with a win-back series.

6. Use a Reputable Sending Platform

Tools like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and Active Campaign have built-in deliverability support. Avoid sending from free Gmail/Yahoo addresses—always use your own business domain.

7. Track and Test

• Check your deliverability reports inside your ESP.

• Use tools like Mail-Tester or Glock Apps to see if your emails hit inbox or spam.

• Keep improving based on results.

Final Thoughts

Fixing deliverability is not a one-time job—it’s an ongoing process. By following this checklist, you’ll build trust with inbox providers, improve open rates, and make sure your hard work doesn’t end up in spam.