Email Deliverability Guide
Email deliverability is the ability to get your emails into recipients' inboxes rather than spam folders or being blocked entirely. This guide explains how to maximize your email deliverability and why using Bouncify helps protect your sender reputation.
Understanding Email Deliverability
Deliverability depends on three key factors:
- Technical setup - Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Sender reputation - How mailbox providers view your sending history
- Content quality - What you send and how recipients engage with it
Poor deliverability means your emails get blocked, filtered to spam, or rejected - wasting your marketing efforts and potentially damaging your brand reputation.
Why List Hygiene Matters
Maintaining a clean email list is essential for deliverability because:
- High bounce rates signal to mailbox providers that you're using outdated or poorly sourced lists
- Spam traps can get your sending domain or IP blacklisted
- Inactive subscribers reduce engagement metrics and harm your sender score
- Risky addresses (role-based, disposable) often lead to spam complaints
Bouncify helps you identify and remove these problematic addresses before they damage your sender reputation.
Best Practices for Email Deliverability
Authentication & Technical Setup
- Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records
- Use a dedicated IP address for high-volume sending
- Maintain consistent sending volume and patterns
- Set up proper bounce handling and feedback loops
List Management
- Remove invalid addresses identified by Bouncify
- Segment your "Catch-all" addresses as higher risk
- Never email addresses marked as "Do Not Mail"
- Implement double opt-in for new subscribers
- Regularly clean your list (at least quarterly)
Engagement Optimization
- Send relevant, personalized content
- Maintain consistent sending schedules
- Re-engage inactive subscribers before removing them
- Make unsubscribing easy and honor requests promptly
- Test your emails before sending campaigns
Warning Signs of Deliverability Issues
- Increasing bounce rates (over 2%)
- Declining open rates
- Rising spam complaints (over 0.1%)
- Sudden drop in click-through rates
- Inconsistent delivery across email providers
If you notice these warning signs, immediately audit your list with Bouncify and remove problematic addresses.
How Bouncify Improves Deliverability
Bouncify helps protect your sender reputation by:
- Preventing bounces - Identifying invalid emails before you send
- Flagging risky addresses - Warning you about addresses that could harm your reputation
- Identifying spam traps - Helping you avoid devastating blacklisting
- Segmenting by quality - Allowing you to send to your most engaged and valid subscribers
By using Bouncify's verification before every campaign, you'll maintain a healthier list and improve your chances of reaching the inbox.
Advanced Deliverability Tips
For High-Volume Senders
- Implement IP warming when using new sending infrastructure
- Consider dedicated IPs for different types of communication
- Use separate sending domains for marketing vs. transactional emails
- Monitor blacklists regularly (MXToolbox, Spamhaus)
- Consider third-party deliverability monitoring tools
For Improving Existing Reputation
- Temporarily reduce sending volume and frequency
- Focus on your most engaged subscribers first
- Re-verify your entire list with Bouncify
- Audit your authentication records for errors
- Consider switching ESPs if issues persist
Common Deliverability Myths
Myth: One-time list cleaning is sufficient Reality: Email addresses decay at 2-3% per month; verification should be ongoing
Myth: Low unsubscribe rates mean your list is healthy Reality: Many subscribers disengage without unsubscribing, becoming "ghost subscribers"
Myth: You can "warm up" a cold list by sending to everyone at once Reality: This often triggers spam filters; gradually increase volume with your most engaged subscribers
Need more help with email deliverability? Contact our support team for personalized assistance.