email-deliverability

plugin: instantly updated: 2026-01-20 # Email Deliverability ## Deliverability Fundamentals ### Key Metrics | Metric | Healthy | Warning | Critical | |--------|---------|---------|----------| | Bounce Rate | <2% | 2-5% | >5% | | Spam Complaint Rate | <0.1% | 0.1-0.5% | >0.5% | | Inbox Placement | >95% | 80-95% | <80% | | Sender Score | >80 | 60-80 | <60 | ### Deliverability Components ``` DELIVERABILITY = Sender Reputation (40%) + Content Quality (30%) + Technical Setup (20%) + List Quality (10%) ``` ## Sender Reputation ### Warm-Up Schedule | Day | Emails/Day | Total Sent | |-----|------------|------------| | 1-7 | 10-20 | 70-140 | | 8-14 | 30-50 | 280-490 | | 15-21 | 75-100 | 805-1190 | | 22-28 | 150-200 | 1855-2590 | | 29+ | Scale gradually | - | ### Reputation Signals | Positive Signals | Negative Signals | |------------------|------------------| | Opens | Spam complaints | | Replies | Hard bounces | | Clicks | Low engagement | | Forwards | Unsubscribes | | Non-spam marking | Spam trap hits | ## Content Quality ### Spam Filter Triggers **High-Risk Words:** ``` FREE, GUARANTEE, WINNER, CASH, PRIZE URGENT, ACT NOW, LIMITED TIME Click here, Click below, Don't miss Make money, Extra income, Work from home ``` **Formatting Red Flags:** - ALL CAPS in subject or body - Multiple exclamation marks!!! - Colored fonts - Excessive links (>1) - Images (especially in cold email) - Attachments ### Safe Practices | Do | Don't | |----|-------| | Plain text emails | HTML-heavy templates | | Single link (if any) | Multiple CTAs | | Conversational tone | Salesy language | | Short sentences | Long paragraphs | | Proper grammar | Typos and errors | ## Technical Setup ### Required DNS Records | Record | Purpose | Status Check | |--------|---------|--------------| | SPF | Authorize sending servers | `nslookup -type=TXT domain` | | DKIM | Email signature verification | Check in email headers | | DMARC | Policy for failed checks | `nslookup -type=TXT _dmarc.domain` | ### Recommended Settings ``` SPF: v=spf1 include:_spf.instantly.ai ~all DKIM: Configure via Instantly dashboard DMARC: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com ``` ## List Quality ### Email Verification | Verification Level | Description | Bounce Rate | |--------------------|-------------|-------------| | Syntax check | Valid format | Reduces 5-10% | | Domain check | Valid domain | Reduces 10-20% | | Mailbox check | Exists | Reduces 20-40% | | Engagement check | Active | Reduces 5-15% | ### List Hygiene | Practice | Frequency | Impact | |----------|-----------|--------| | Remove hard bounces | Immediately | Critical | | Remove soft bounces | After 3 attempts | High | | Remove unsubscribes | Immediately | Critical | | Re-verify list | Every 3 months | Medium | ## Troubleshooting ### High Bounce Rate (>5%) **Diagnosis Steps:** 1. Check bounce types (hard vs soft) 2. Identify source (specific list segment?) 3. Verify emails before adding to campaign **Remediation:** 1. Pause campaign immediately 2. Remove all hard bounces 3. Re-verify remaining list 4. Resume with verified emails only ### Low Open Rate (<15%) **Possible Causes:** 1. Poor sender reputation 2. Landing in spam/promotions 3. Bad subject lines 4. Wrong send time **Diagnosis:** 1. Check sender score 2. Send test emails to Gmail/Outlook 3. Review recent changes to sending ### Spam Complaints (>0.1%) **Immediate Actions:** 1. Pause campaign 2. Review targeting (wrong ICP?) 3. Check email frequency 4. Review unsubscribe visibility **Long-term:** 1. Improve list sourcing 2. Better qualification 3. Add clear opt-out ## Recovery Playbook ### Reputation Recovery | Day | Action | Expected Outcome | |-----|--------|------------------| | 1-3 | Pause all sending | Stop damage | | 4-7 | Remove problem addresses | Clean list | | 8-14 | Warm up from scratch | Rebuild slowly | | 15-21 | Monitor metrics closely | Catch issues early | | 22+ | Gradually scale | Sustainable growth | ### Blacklist Removal 1. Identify which blacklists (MXToolbox) 2. Fix underlying issue first 3. Request removal from each list 4. Wait 24-72 hours 5. Re-check and repeat if needed