How to Troubleshoot Email Deliverability

Email deliverability issues can be a real pain. You’ve crafted the perfect email, designed a stunning template, and segmented your audience with care, yet it lands in the spam folder, unseen and unloved. It’s not just frustrating; it’s a waste of effort, time, and resources. But don’t worry. Understanding why your emails aren’t reaching the inbox is the first step to fixing things.

This article will dive into the core issues that affect email deliverability. It will give you the tools and knowledge to diagnose, troubleshoot, and fix these problems. We’ll look at the technical and strategic steps you can take to make sure your emails land where they’re supposed to—the inbox.

What is Email Deliverability and Why Does it Matter?

Email deliverability is the measure of how well your emails get into your subscribers’ inboxes, not just sent out from your email server. It’s more than just a technical detail. It’s the cornerstone of your email marketing success. Low deliverability can lead to:

• Lost revenue: If your marketing emails don’t make it to the inbox, you can’t sell your products or services.
• Damaged sender reputation: Email providers are always watching how you behave. If you send lots of emails that get marked as spam or just never get read, you’ll soon get a bad reputation.
• Wasted effort: All that time crafting a good email is lost if it never gets to the intended recipient.
• Poor customer experience: Your loyal customers who actually want to receive your emails get a bad experience because they can’t find them.

Think of it this way. You create a letter that has key information. You place the letter in an envelope and then give it to a mail carrier. You assume your letter will arrive at the correct address. Yet what happens if the letter does not reach its final address? Email deliverability is like that. It ensures that your messages reach the right recipient.

Deliverability is not the same as delivery. Delivery means that an email has left your server. Deliverability means that it has been accepted and put into the receiver’s inbox folder, not the spam folder. This is the key difference.

The Core Factors Affecting Email Deliverability

Many elements affect email deliverability. Some of them are in your direct control, while others are outside of your reach. Here’s a detailed look at the main ones:

Sender Reputation

Your sender reputation is like your credit score, but for email. Email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo use it to decide if your messages should reach inboxes or go straight to spam. A good sender reputation means that email providers view you as a good actor. A bad one means you’re more likely to get flagged as a spammer.

Key factors that affect your sender reputation:

• Sending volume: A big jump in how many emails you send can raise red flags, especially if you’re new to email marketing.
• Spam complaints: When people mark your emails as spam, it harms your reputation. It also signals to email providers that your emails are unwanted.
• Engagement metrics: If many subscribers open and interact with your emails, it shows that your emails are valuable to them. Low engagement hurts your sender reputation.
• Bounce rates: High bounce rates (emails that cannot be delivered because the email address is no longer valid, or other issues like a full inbox) can signal to email providers that you’re sending to old lists, which is not a good thing.
• Blacklists: If you’re on a blacklist, it’s a clear sign that you’re seen as a bad email sender. You’ll have a hard time reaching inboxes.

Authentication Protocols

Email authentication is a set of tech standards that help verify your emails’ legitimacy. They show to email providers that you are actually who you say you are.

Key authentication protocols:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This record lists which email servers are allowed to send emails on your domain’s behalf.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): This is a digital signature attached to your email that verifies its origin and shows that it hasn’t been altered.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): This protocol tells email providers how to deal with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks. It also gives reports on these emails, which can help you improve your email system.

Setting up these protocols is key to boosting your deliverability and protecting your domain from spoofing. Spoofing is when someone sends emails that look like they’re coming from you. It’s vital to set up all three protocols and do it right.

Content Quality

The content of your emails matters just as much as your technical setup. Poor content can lead to low engagement, spam complaints, and damaged deliverability.

Key content-related factors:

• Subject lines: A poorly written subject line can lead to spam or get missed in the inbox. Good subject lines use clear and engaging language.
• Email body: Don’t write a huge wall of text. Instead, your emails should be readable, relevant, and valuable to your audience.
• Links: If you use too many links, or link to bad pages, or use link shorteners, email providers could mark you as a spammer.
• Images: Overuse of images, large image files, and missing alt text can harm your deliverability.
• Spam triggers: Certain words can be flagged as spam. So, it is best to avoid such words. Keep your copy clean and engaging.

List Hygiene

An up-to-date, clean email list is very important for good deliverability. Sending emails to old or unengaged addresses leads to higher bounce rates and spam complaints. This can hurt your sender reputation.

Key list hygiene practices:

• Double opt-in: Asking people to verify their email addresses before adding them to your list means you’re only sending to people who want to be there.
• Regular list cleaning: Remove bounced emails, unsubscribed addresses, and users who have not engaged with your emails.
• Segmentation: Segment your list so you can send targeted and relevant content to each group. This boosts engagement and lowers spam reports.
• Avoid buying lists: Never buy email lists, as it leads to high bounce rates, low engagement, and often results in your messages going to spam.

Infrastructure and Technical Setup

The technical aspects of your email setup play a big role in how well your emails get delivered. This includes your email service provider (ESP) and how you handle your email infrastructure.

Key infrastructure elements:

• Email service provider (ESP): Choosing a good ESP with a solid reputation is vital. A good ESP will offer authentication setup, deliverability monitoring, and tools to handle bounces and spam complaints.
• Dedicated IP address: If you send lots of emails, consider using a dedicated IP address. This gives you better control over your sender reputation. It’s better than sharing an IP with other users of an ESP, where your emails can be affected by their sending practices.
• Feedback loops: Setting up feedback loops with email providers lets you receive notifications about spam complaints, which allows you to quickly remove such users from your lists.
• Email volume and frequency: Plan your sending schedule carefully. Sending too many emails, too often, can make people unsubscribe or report you as a spammer.

Recipient Behavior

How your subscribers interact with your emails matters a lot. Good engagement is a sign that your emails are welcomed and relevant. Inactivity means you’re not adding value.

Key recipient behavior metrics:

• Open rates: The percentage of subscribers who open your emails is a sign of how engaging your content is.
• Click-through rates: The number of subscribers who click on links inside your emails is another sign of engagement.
• Spam complaints: When people mark your emails as spam, it is a bad sign.
• Unsubscribe rates: Unsubscribe rates show how many people are opting out of your list, which can be a sign of unwanted emails.
• Inactive users: Users who are not engaging with your emails can drag your metrics down, so you must clean your lists of them.

Diagnosing Email Deliverability Problems

Okay, you know what can cause deliverability issues, but how do you figure out what’s hurting your emails? Here are a few ways to diagnose the problem.

Monitoring Key Metrics

The first step to finding out deliverability problems is to monitor some key metrics. Your ESP dashboard is the best place to start with.

Metrics to watch closely:

• Delivery rates: The amount of emails that your ESP has accepted for delivery.
• Open rates: The number of users opening your emails. A low open rate may mean that your subject lines are not working, or you have deliverability problems.
• Click-through rates: The number of subscribers who clicked on links inside your emails. A low click-through rate may mean your content is not engaging enough, or your calls to action are not effective.
• Bounce rates: A high bounce rate, usually over 5%, is a sign of bad email list quality and may mean that your sending behavior is seen as bad.
• Spam complaint rates: Always keep this rate low, ideally under 0.1%, as higher rates hurt your sender reputation.
• Unsubscribe rates: A high unsubscribe rate can suggest that your content is not relevant or that your emails are too frequent.
• Engagement over time: Spot trends in your engagement metrics. If they’re dropping over time, this may mean a deliverability issue.

Pay attention to these numbers and look for any sudden changes. This may suggest a specific action is needed. If your deliverability is trending downward over time, that’s a sign you have ongoing problems.

Using Deliverability Tools

Several tools can give you extra insights into your deliverability. These tools can test your emails before sending, monitor your domain’s reputation, and give detailed reports about any issues.

Some tools to consider:

• Mail-tester: This tool will give you a detailed report on your email. It includes things like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, spam score, and content analysis.
• GlockApps: This tool checks your email deliverability through many email providers. It gives info on how your emails are seen by different email providers, and helps you find the best way to reach all the major inboxes.
• SendForensics: SendForensics checks your sender reputation across many blacklists and gives you insights into how you’re doing. It can also give you recommendations on fixing problems.
• Return Path: Return Path is another good option that does a variety of services to help with deliverability and email certification programs.

Use these tools on a regular basis to find and fix any potential deliverability issues. Run tests before sending out important email campaigns, especially when you have a large audience. This will help you prevent big problems and ensure your messages get to the right place.

Identifying Technical Issues

Technical issues can be hard to find, but they are an important part of solving deliverability issues. Here are some common ones to look out for:

• Authentication issues: Incorrect SPF, DKIM, or DMARC settings are common issues. If they’re not configured correctly, it will be easy for email providers to view you as a spammer. Verify these settings to make sure they are correct and up to date.
• Blacklisting: If you find yourself on a blacklist, you need to act quickly. Most blacklists offer ways to request removal, but you’ll need to fix the issue that got you listed in the first place.
• Incorrect IP reputation: Check the reputation of your sending IP address. If it is low, this will lead to email deliverability issues. A low IP reputation can be because of other users on a shared IP.
• Domain reputation issues: Your domain’s reputation can also be hurt if you send spam. Use a tool like SendForensics to check your domain’s reputation.
• DNS issues: DNS (Domain Name System) issues can interfere with email delivery. Make sure your DNS records are accurate. You should check with your DNS provider to be sure that all the settings are correct.

If you’re unsure of where to start, consult with your IT team or seek expert help from your ESP provider. Technical issues can be complex. So, make sure you’ve done all the homework and solved all the issues.

Analyzing Content Issues

Sometimes, the issue isn’t technical, it’s in your email’s content. Review your emails and look for possible problems that can cause low deliverability.

Content issues to check for:

• Spam words: Certain words can cause spam filters, so you should avoid using them. You can find online lists of common spam trigger words, but be aware that they can change and vary between email providers.
• High image-to-text ratio: Using more images than text can make email providers think your email is not legitimate. Make sure to have a good balance of image and text.
• Broken or suspicious links: If your emails have broken links, this may be a red flag for spam filters. If you use shorteners, it can make your links look suspicious.
• Missing alt text for images: Always include alt text for your images. If you do not, this will not only hurt the experience of users with screen readers, but it also may cause your emails to be flagged as spam.
• Poor formatting: Emails that are not properly formatted are often seen as spam. Your emails must be readable and designed well.

Run tests of your content through an email testing tool to get tips on how to improve it. Remember, the main goal is to write quality content that people find valuable.

Reviewing Your Sending Practices

Your sending practices are a big factor when it comes to your deliverability. Here are the main practices you need to review:

• Sending frequency: Sending too many emails can cause subscribers to unsubscribe or mark you as spam. You need to find a balance that meets the needs of your audience, while also not being too much.
• Segmented vs. bulk sending: Sending the same email to everyone can lead to low engagement. It is always better to send to specific segments of your list because they will find that email more relevant.
• List sources: If your lists come from bad sources, this will cause more hard bounces and spam complaints.
• Opt-in methods: If people are not required to opt-in through a double opt-in process, it could mean your list is full of bad and uninterested users. It is always better to have a double opt-in approach.
• User interaction: How users interact with your emails affects deliverability. Low engagement means the users don’t find your emails valuable, which can lead to spam reports and hurt your sending reputation.

Review your sending methods and make sure they are in line with best practices.

Steps to Troubleshoot Email Deliverability Issues

Once you have found and diagnosed your deliverability problems, you need to act quickly to fix the issues. Here are the main steps you need to take:

Fixing Authentication Issues

As mentioned earlier, authentication is key to proving your email is legitimate. If you find issues, take the time to address these right away.

Steps to fix authentication:

1. Check your SPF record: Make sure it includes all the email servers you use to send emails. It should include your ESP and any other third-party services.
2. Set up DKIM records: Set up DKIM signing on all your emails. This will add a digital signature to each email you send. This helps to prove they came from you and were not changed in transit.
3. Implement DMARC policy: DMARC is what tells email providers how to handle emails that don’t pass SPF or DKIM tests. Start with a “none” policy to watch your email stream. If you have done things right, you can change to “quarantine” or “reject.”
4. Use a DMARC analyzer tool: A DMARC analyzer can provide useful insights into your email flow. This allows you to track issues and get the info you need to change your email deliverability settings.
5. Verify settings regularly: Your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings need to be checked regularly. Email providers often change settings. Make sure yours are always up to date.

Setting up email authentication can be technical. So, it may be best to consult with your IT team or your ESP provider for assistance.

Addressing Blacklisting

Being on a blacklist is a severe issue that must be fixed right away. This can severely limit your ability to reach your audience’s inbox.

Steps to get off a blacklist:

1. Identify the blacklist: Use a tool to find out which blacklists you’re on.
2. Fix the root cause: You need to fix the issues that caused you to be blacklisted in the first place. This might include fixing your email list, making changes to your content, or improving your sender practices.
3. Request removal: Once you’ve fixed the issue, go to the blacklist’s website and request to be removed. You may have to fill out a form or go through a certain process.
4. Monitor the situation: Monitor the blacklists where you were listed on to make sure you don’t end up on there again. Be proactive and act quickly if you find yourself on a list once more.

Be aware that being removed from a blacklist may take some time. It is very important to stick to good email practices in order to prevent the issues from happening again.

Improving Content Quality

Improving the quality of your content is key to stopping your emails from being marked as spam. It can help your audience engage with you and make them look forward to receiving your emails.

Steps to improve content:

1. Avoid spam trigger words: Check your content for common spam trigger words. Keep your copy clean, engaging, and useful.
2. Use a good balance of text and images: Overuse of images can cause spam flags. You need to balance out text and images in your emails. Make sure the content is readable on all devices.
3. Check your links: Always double check your links. Broken or suspicious links can flag your email as spam. Make sure your links are working.
4. Add alt text to images: If you have alt text on your images, this helps screen readers and search engines understand the content. Make sure to have useful, descriptive alt text.
5. Format for readability: Make sure your emails are formatted so they are easy to read on all devices. This means using clear fonts, proper spacing, and a logical layout.

By improving your email content, you can improve how well your emails are delivered and how well your audience interacts with your content.

Cleaning Your Email List

List hygiene is key for email deliverability. Clean up your lists to get rid of bad addresses.

Steps to clean your email list:

1. Use double opt-in: Make new users confirm their email addresses. This helps to make sure you are only sending to users who want to receive your emails.
2. Remove hard bounces: Hard bounces are email addresses that are no longer valid. It’s important to remove these from your list to avoid future delivery issues.
3. Unsubscribe users: Make sure your users are able to unsubscribe easily. Do not force users to receive your emails. This also makes sure your sending reputation is in good standing.
4. Clean up inactive users: Users who haven’t interacted with your emails in a long time may no longer be interested. Clean them from your list.
5. Avoid buying lists: Never buy an email list. It’s better to grow your list organically with interested people who actually want to hear from you.

Cleaning up your list on a regular basis improves your sender reputation. It makes sure your emails are being sent to engaged subscribers.

Adjusting Your Sending Practices

Your sending habits play a big part in your deliverability. Change your habits to align with best practices.

Steps to adjust your sending practices:

1. Adjust frequency: If you’re sending emails too often, you may get more unsubscribes or spam complaints. Sending less may be better. Test and adjust to see what works best for your list.
2. Segment your list: Don’t send the same email to everyone. Create segments to make sure your content is more relevant.
3. Use permission-based lists: Only send emails to users who have given you permission to do so. This can help ensure your emails get to inboxes.
4. Warm up your IP address: If you’re using a new IP, you need to “warm it up.” This means you start by sending smaller numbers of emails and slowly increase over time to build up your reputation.
5. Check your sending time: Timing can affect how your emails are seen by your recipients. Test sending your emails at different times to see what gets the best engagement.

Adjusting your sending practices can drastically improve deliverability and engagement.

Implementing Feedback Loops

Setting up feedback loops with email providers is very useful. It lets you see when your emails are being marked as spam. So, you can take action right away.

Steps to implement feedback loops:

1. Contact ESP: Check your ESP to see if they offer feedback loops.
2. Sign up for feedback loops: You can often sign up for feedback loops with providers like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo. This will allow you to receive spam notifications right from the source.
3. Take action: When you get spam reports, remove those users from your list immediately. This makes sure you do not send to users who are not interested in your emails.
4. Monitor spam complaints: Monitor spam complaint rates over time. This allows you to spot issues with deliverability and fix them as needed.
5. Verify you’re doing right: Set up feedback loops for all the email providers you target. This way, you’re more aware of issues so you can address them right away.

Feedback loops allow you to be proactive with spam complaints. It will also protect your sender reputation.

Maintaining Good Email Deliverability Long Term

Email deliverability isn’t a one-time fix. You need to keep up with the things you’ve fixed and make sure things are still in good standing.

Regular Monitoring and Adjustments

Monitoring is a key part of maintaining good email deliverability. You need to make changes as needed to adapt to new situations.

Key maintenance tasks:

• Keep track of your metrics: Keep a close watch on metrics like delivery rates, open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and spam complaint rates. Make changes right away if you see trends that are not going well.
• Use deliverability tools: Deliverability tools will give you insights into your sender reputation. It also tells you about any content issues. Check these regularly for ongoing issues.
• Regularly check authentication: Check your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings. If your settings are wrong, your emails may not reach the inbox.
• Clean your list often: Keep cleaning up your list on a regular basis. This will get rid of old and uninterested users.
• Check your content: Always double check your email content. Make sure it is in line with best practices.
• Review your sending practices: Review how often you send, how you segment your lists, and other factors. Always adjust as needed to improve deliverability.

By setting up a system to monitor and make changes, you can keep your deliverability high. This means your emails will keep reaching your audience’s inboxes.

Staying Up-to-Date with Industry Best Practices

The world of email deliverability is always changing. So, it is very important to stay up to date with best practices.

Key practices to stay updated:

• Read industry blogs: Read email marketing and deliverability blogs. This will give you tips and info on best practices.
• Follow industry experts: Follow the leaders in email marketing and deliverability. It’ll give you valuable advice and insights.
• Go to conferences: Go to email marketing conferences or webinars. You’ll learn new trends, strategies, and tools.
• Engage with online forums: Online forums will allow you to discuss questions with other experts in the field. You’ll also find many helpful tips.
• Test new methods: New methods and technologies come up all the time. It’s always a good idea to test and see how new strategies might improve your email deliverability.

By staying up to date, you can make sure your email practices are always relevant and effective. This means you can keep your deliverability high.

Creating a Culture of Deliverability Within Your Team

Email deliverability is not just a technical issue. It’s a team effort. Everyone must work together to maintain best practices and ensure your emails are always seen as relevant by users.

Steps to create a culture of deliverability:

• Teach team members: Educate all team members involved in the email process. This means teaching them about best practices.
• Set clear guidelines: Put clear guidelines and procedures for email campaigns. Make sure all team members are doing things the right way.
• Provide regular training: Provide regular training and updates. This will allow your team to be up to date on the latest best practices and tools.
• Communicate often: Open lines of communication are key. Make sure all team members are aware of deliverability problems and able to contribute to solutions.
• Track and measure team progress: By tracking team progress, you can spot areas that need more attention or that are going well. This lets you adjust your process to achieve even greater results.

Creating a culture of email deliverability involves making sure the team is able to learn, grow, and collaborate. The team must be able to see email deliverability as a top priority, not just an afterthought.

When to Seek Expert Help

While many deliverability issues can be fixed by following the steps above, some situations call for expert help. If you’re facing severe or long-term problems, it’s best to consult with an email deliverability expert.

Situations when expert help is needed:

• Persistent deliverability issues: If you’ve followed the steps mentioned here and still have issues, it’s time to seek outside help.
• Severe blacklisting: Being on many blacklists at once can require a great deal of expertise to fix the underlying problems.
• Complex technical setup: If your email system is very complex, it’s best to consult with a deliverability expert who will have the technical skills to assist you.
• Lack of resources or time: If you lack the resources or time to address deliverability issues on your own, it’s better to consult an expert who can address the issues for you.
• Compliance concerns: Email laws vary by region. If you’re having trouble making sure you are in line with all the regulations, you may need to seek help.

If you find yourself in any of these situations, consult with a deliverability expert who is experienced in these types of issues. This can save you time and resources and help you get back on the path to success.

The Path to Consistent Email Inbox Placement

Troubleshooting email deliverability is not a one-time fix, but a continuous process of learning, adapting, and making changes. By understanding the key factors that affect deliverability, diagnosing the issues, and acting quickly to make needed changes, you can increase the chances your emails will get to the intended inbox.

Email marketing is key to a successful marketing strategy. So, focusing on good deliverability ensures your messages are being read by your audience. This allows you to build strong relationships and achieve your business goals. By focusing on list quality, content, and tech configuration, you can create a good feedback loop, get valuable insights, and keep adjusting for optimal inbox placement.

This is not an easy process, and things are always changing. So, if you’re doing your homework, you can be sure your emails are reaching the right users. This will make your email marketing efforts successful and keep your brand growing.