A comprehensive, practical template to help improve and maintain inbox placement for marketing, sales, and transactional emails.
Email sending reputation is a score that mailbox providers (like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) assign to your IP address and domain based on how recipients interact with your emails. A strong reputation increases your chances of landing in the inbox; a poor one can send your emails straight to spam…or block them entirely.
| Area | Best Practice |
|---|---|
| Authentication | Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for your domain |
| Consistent Volume | Avoid large spikes in email volume — warm up gradually |
| Engagement Monitoring | Regularly monitor opens, clicks, bounces, and spam complaints |
| List Hygiene | Clean your list frequently and remove inactive or bounced emails |
| Opt-In Practices | Use double opt-in and never buy or scrape email lists |
| Avoid Spam Triggers | Watch subject lines, avoid all caps, misleading language, or image-only emails |
| Feedback Loops | Set up complaint feedback loops with providers like Yahoo and Microsoft |
| Monitor Reputation | Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Talos Intelligence |
Proper domain authentication is non-negotiable for inbox placement. If you don’t have these set up, you risk being sent straight into the spam folder.
The way I like to explain this to clients: this is like running up to someone in a cafe and asking them to send your invitations to all of their friends. If you run up without introducing yourself, you’ll likely scare the person and they’ll throw most of your invites in the trash; if you introduce yourself, show ID, and build credibility, your invitations are more likely to send up being sent properly. It’s all about seeing a good first impression!
| Item | Why It Matters | How to Check / Fix | Tools | Educational Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPF | Tells receiving servers which senders are allowed to send on your behalf | Add a TXT record in your DNS zone | MXToolbox SPF, Google SPF Guide | https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-spf-record/#:~:text=A sender policy framework (SPF,Domain Name System (DNS) |
| DKIM | Adds a digital signature proving the message was authorized and unmodified | Set up in your ESP and publish DNS record | https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-dkim-record/#:~:text=A DKIM record is a,to verify an email's authenticity | |
| DMARC | Aligns SPF & DKIM and tells mailbox providers what to do with unauthenticated mail | Start with p=none and monitor reports |
DMARC Analyzer, Valimail Setup | https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/dmarc#:~:text=DMARC Definition,Policy Framework (SPF) protocols |
| BIMI | Enables logo display in inboxes (ex. Gmail, Yahoo) | Requires DMARC + VMC Certificate | BIMI Group, Gmail BIMI Guide | https://postmarkapp.com/blog/what-the-heck-is-bimi |
These are foundational elements to separate your good messages from spammy traffic.
If you want to work to ensure you have great inbox placement, look here to set further foundation.
| Item | Why It Matters | How to Check / Fix | Tools | Educational Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use a Custom Subdomain | Isolates sender reputation | Configure in DNS & ESP | https://www.mailgun.com/blog/email/the-basics-of-email-subdomains/ | |
| Dedicated IP | Full control over IP reputation | Set up via ESP if >100K emails/month | https://mailchimp.com/resources/dedicated-ip/ | |
| Reverse DNS (rDNS/PTR) | Required by most providers | Should match sending domain | GlockApps SMTP Test | https://www.mailgenius.com/email-deliverability-checklist/ |
| TLS Encryption | Secures email delivery | Confirm with ESP | SSL Labs Test | https://www.egress.com/blog/email-encryption/tls-email-encryption-know |