Deliverability best practices
Deliverability is your emails' ability to reach the inbox rather than the spam folder. It rests on three pillars: domain authentication, sender reputation, and the quality of your sends.
1. Authenticate your domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
These three DNS records prove to mailbox providers that your emails are legitimate.
- SPF: authorizes the servers allowed to send emails for your domain. Add a TXT record listing your sending services.
- DKIM: cryptographically signs your emails to guarantee they have not been altered. Enable signing with your provider and publish the public key in DNS.
- DMARC: tells providers what to do if SPF or DKIM fail, and sends you reports. Start with a
p=nonepolicy to observe, then tighten it.
Verify your setup with a header-testing tool, or by sending yourself an email and inspecting the headers.
2. Warm up the address (warmup)
- A brand-new address has no reputation: do not use it for bulk sends right away.
- Over two to four weeks, increase volume little by little and favor exchanges that generate replies.
- Positive interactions (opens, replies, rescues from spam) gradually build your reputation.
3. Ramp up volume gradually
- Start with a few dozen emails per day per address, then increase in steps as long as the metrics stay healthy.
- Spread sends across the day rather than in a single block.
- Watch your bounce rate and complaint rate: at the slightest spike, slow down.
4. Take care of content and lists
- Clean your lists: remove invalid addresses to limit bounces.
- Personalize your messages and avoid spam trigger words and too many links.
- Always offer a simple way to stop being contacted and honor unsubscribe requests.
- Use an address dedicated to outreach so you do not expose your primary domain.
Once these basics are in place, connect your mailbox with the Connect Gmail guide and launch your first campaign.