Poor email sending practices detrimental to deliverability include using purchased or scraped lists (leading to list bombing), neglecting list hygiene (sending to unengaged users, old addresses, and spam traps), employing misleading subject lines, and failing to provide value to subscribers. Technical aspects such as improper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), lack of a dedicated or properly warmed-up IP address, and non-compliance with SMTP standards contribute to deliverability issues. Furthermore, ignoring mobile optimization, accessibility, rendering problems, and slow loading times negatively impact user experience and engagement, harming deliverability. Regularly cleaning lists, segmenting audiences, using double opt-in, testing emails, monitoring sender reputation, adhering to platform-specific guidelines (e.g., Outlook.com), and avoiding spam trigger words are essential for maintaining a healthy sender reputation and avoiding spam filters.
10 marketer opinions
Poor email sending practices can significantly harm deliverability. These include using purchased lists, neglecting list hygiene (sending to unengaged users and spam traps), employing misleading subject lines, and failing to provide value to subscribers. Technical aspects like improper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), lack of a dedicated IP address, or not warming up an IP address also contribute to deliverability issues. Ignoring mobile optimization, accessibility, and email rendering across different clients negatively impacts user experience and engagement, further affecting deliverability. Regularly cleaning email lists, segmenting audiences, using double opt-in, testing emails, and monitoring sender reputation are essential for avoiding spam filters and maintaining a healthy sender reputation.
Marketer view
Email marketer from a WebmasterWorld forum post shared that a very common problem is using an un-warmed IP and emailing too many people at once and that is very often the root cause of new setup email deliverability problems. Starting with small volumes and building the amount you send up slowly will lead to greater success.
28 Feb 2025 - WebmasterWorld
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailToolTester writes how not testing emails before you send them can be a huge problem. Emails can look radically different in different email clients and need to be tested properly.
20 Aug 2023 - EmailToolTester
2 expert opinions
Maintaining good email deliverability requires avoiding practices that damage your sender reputation and ensures the ethical handling of email lists. Specifically, avoid 'list bombing' - a tactic of signing up email addresses to numerous services to flood inboxes, which is prevalent in poorly acquired or scraped lists. Crucially, safeguard your IP and domain reputation by preventing practices that lead to spam traps and unengaged users on your email lists.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that Maintaining a good IP and domain reputation is important for deliverability. Practices that harm your reputation, such as sending to unengaged users or spam traps, should be avoided.
15 Mar 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource explains that List bombing is when spammers sign up email addresses for many different services in order to flood the inbox of the victim. Avoiding this tactic on an acquired or scraped list is crucial for maintaining deliverability.
9 Dec 2022 - Spamresource
5 technical articles
Email deliverability hinges on adherence to established standards, robust authentication methods, and proactive reputation management. Email senders should authenticate emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, maintain low spam complaint rates (below 0.1% as suggested by Google), and avoid sending unsolicited emails. Adhering to SMTP standards detailed by the RFC-Editor, including proper email formatting, is also critical. Providing easy unsubscribe options, monitoring sender reputation, and sending relevant content are equally important for maintaining good deliverability. Compliance with specific platform requirements, such as those outlined by Microsoft for Outlook.com, including setting up reverse DNS records and monitoring complaint rates, can further minimize deliverability issues.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailjet explains that avoiding spam trigger words, providing a clear unsubscribe link, and monitoring your sender reputation are vital for maintaining good deliverability. Sending relevant content to engaged subscribers is also key.
20 Sep 2022 - Mailjet
Technical article
Documentation from RFC-Editor details SMTP standards, including proper formatting of email headers and message bodies. Non-compliance with these standards can lead to deliverability issues.
19 Aug 2024 - RFC-Editor
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