How can I diagnose and resolve email deliverability issues when emails aren't reaching intended recipients?

Summary

Diagnosing and resolving email deliverability issues requires a comprehensive strategy encompassing technical setup, sending practices, and content optimization. Key steps include verifying sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools, and analyzing Non-Delivery Reports (NDRs) to identify delivery failures. High spam complaint rates, especially related to cold emails, negatively impact deliverability. Mitigation strategies involve warming up IP addresses, cleaning email lists, segmenting lists for targeted messaging, and personalizing email content. Regularly checking IP addresses against blacklists, using tools like Mail-Tester to assess spam scores, and monitoring inbox placement across different email providers are also crucial. Separating infrastructure for cold emails helps protect the primary domain's reputation. Analyzing DMARC reports aids in identifying and addressing authentication failures and spoofing attempts. Determining whether emails land in spam or are blocked directs troubleshooting efforts.

Key findings

  • Authentication is Key: Valid SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations are crucial for sender verification and trust.
  • Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
  • Address Spam Complaints: High spam complaint rates significantly harm deliverability; aim for rates below 0.1%.
  • Cold Email Isolation: Separate cold email infrastructure from primary domain to protect reputation.
  • List Hygiene Matters: Regularly clean and segment email lists to improve engagement and reduce bounces.
  • Content Optimization is Important: Personalized, engaging, and mobile-friendly content reduces spam flags.
  • Analyze NDRs: Non-Delivery Reports provide insights into why emails fail to deliver.
  • Blacklist Awareness: Regularly check IPs and domains against blacklists to address reputation issues.
  • Delivery Destination Analysis: Determine if emails are going to spam or being blocked entirely to guide troubleshooting.
  • DMARC Reporting: DMARC reporting offers a method of identifying if emails are authentic.

Key considerations

  • Verify Authentication: Thoroughly verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations.
  • Implement Reputation Monitoring: Consistently monitor sender reputation using available tools.
  • Manage Spam Complaints: Address and reduce spam complaints through improved sending practices.
  • Isolate Cold Emails if Possible: Separate cold email activities onto a separate domain and infrastructure.
  • Practice List Hygiene: Maintain a clean and engaged email list through regular cleaning and segmentation.
  • Optimize Content: Create personalized and engaging email content.
  • Analyze and Understand NDRs: Review NDRs to understand why email deliveries fail.
  • Blacklist Management: Be aware of and manage any potential listings on blacklists.
  • Determine Delivery Path: Determine is emails are going into spam or being blocked.
  • Implement DMARC Analysis: Review DMARC reports regularly.

What email marketers say
15Marketer opinions

Diagnosing and resolving email deliverability issues involves a multi-faceted approach. It begins with verifying sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools. High spam complaint rates, often linked to sending cold emails, significantly impact deliverability. Strategies to mitigate this include warming up IP addresses, cleaning email lists by removing inactive subscribers, segmenting lists for targeted messaging, and personalizing email content to increase engagement. Checking IP addresses against blacklists and using tools like Mail-Tester to assess spam scores are also crucial. Finally, monitoring inbox placement across different email providers and A/B testing email content enhances deliverability and overall email performance.

Key opinions

  • Authentication: Properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for verifying sender identity and preventing spoofing.
  • Sender Reputation: Monitoring sender reputation via tools like Google Postmaster Tools is critical for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.
  • Spam Complaints: High spam complaint rates negatively impact deliverability; aim for a rate below 0.1%.
  • Cold Emails: Sending cold emails can increase the risk of deliverability issues; consider warming up IPs and using separate sending domains.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists to remove inactive subscribers and reduce bounce rates and spam complaints.
  • Content Optimization: Personalizing email content, A/B testing subject lines, and ensuring mobile-friendliness can improve engagement and deliverability.
  • Blacklist Checks: Regularly check your IP and domain against email blacklists to identify potential issues.
  • Deliverability Testing: Use tools like Mail-Tester and mailbox placement tests to assess email spam scores and inbox placement across different providers.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Setup: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured to avoid authentication failures.
  • Spam Complaint Monitoring: Continuously monitor spam complaint rates and take immediate action to address any issues.
  • Email List Management: Implement a double opt-in process and regularly clean your email list to maintain a healthy subscriber base.
  • Content Relevance: Personalize email content and segment your audience to improve engagement and reduce the likelihood of being marked as spam.
  • Sending Practices: Warm up new IP addresses and sending domains to build a positive sender reputation gradually.
  • Provider-Specific Issues: Monitor inbox placement across different email providers to identify and address any provider-specific deliverability issues.
  • Blacklist Monitoring: Set up alerts to be notified if your IP or domain is blacklisted, and act quickly to resolve the issue.
  • Engagement Matters: Focus on strategies that increase user engagement like mobile-friendly emails and A/B testing of subject lines.
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares Google Postmaster Tools for monitoring sender reputation at Gmail and notes that cold emails often cause deliverability issues. They also state that the user reported spam rate is quite high and the risk threshold for spam complaints is about 0.1%, and per that graph they are averaging 0.5% to 1.5%.

April 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue suggests warming up your IP address, cleaning your email list regularly to remove inactive subscribers, and personalizing your email content to increase engagement and avoid spam filters.

June 2023 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit user u/ColdEmailExpert suggests using multiple smaller sending domains to spread the risk, carefully warming up IPs, and closely monitoring bounce rates when sending cold emails. They also recommend using personalized content to avoid spam filters.

August 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks asks if DKIM is enabled and if cold emails are being sent, as these could impact sender reputation.

February 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet recommends checking your sender reputation, ensuring your IP address isn't blacklisted, and segmenting your email list to improve engagement and deliverability.

February 2022 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow user TechGuru123 recommends using tools like Mail-Tester to check the spam score of your emails before sending them. This helps identify potential issues with content, authentication, or blacklisting.

April 2022 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks provides a link to an ActiveCampaign article on reducing high spam complaint rates.

June 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost indicates the importance of setting up proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to ensure emails are trusted by receiving mail servers and to minimize the risk of being flagged as spam.

November 2021 - SparkPost
Marketer view

Email marketer from Woodpecker details the process of IP/Domain warming. This involves gradually increasing sending volume over time to build a positive sender reputation with ISPs. Starting slow and steadily increasing volume improves deliverability, especially for new domains or IP addresses.

September 2021 - Woodpecker
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum advises A/B testing subject lines and email content, personalizing email content to increase user engagement, and ensuring emails are mobile-friendly. High engagement is a key signal for good deliverability.

January 2024 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests confirming if the emails are going to spam or being blocked. Spam placement could be due to high spam complaint rate, while blocking could indicate issues on the recipient end.

September 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from GlockApps advises using a mailbox placement test to see where your emails land – inbox, spam, or promotions tab – across various ISPs. These tests provide insights into how ISPs view your emails and highlight potential deliverability issues.

December 2021 - GlockApps
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot emphasizes the importance of building a clean email list through double opt-in, and regular list maintenance to reduce bounce rates and spam complaints. It also suggests segmenting the list to target more effectively.

January 2025 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus advises monitoring inbox placement across different email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) to understand how your emails are being categorized. This helps identify deliverability issues that may be specific to certain providers.

April 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOctopus recommends optimizing email content, using a reputable email service provider (ESP), and actively managing subscriptions (opt-in process) to improve deliverability and maintain a healthy sender reputation.

February 2023 - EmailOctopus

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

Diagnosing and resolving email deliverability problems requires a thorough examination of factors ranging from the technical setup to sending practices. A crucial first step is determining whether emails are being delivered to the spam folder or being blocked outright, as each scenario points to different underlying issues. Properly configuring and validating email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential, as misconfigurations are a common cause of deliverability failures. Regularly checking your sending IP and domain against email blacklists is also vital for identifying potential reputation problems. Furthermore, using a separate infrastructure for cold emails can prevent deliverability issues from impacting your primary domain. Analyzing DMARC reports helps identify authentication failures and spoofing attempts, and adjusting DMARC policies to quarantine or reject suspicious emails can improve deliverability and protect against domain abuse.

Key opinions

  • Spam vs. Blocked: Determining whether emails land in spam or are blocked entirely directs troubleshooting efforts.
  • Authentication: Validating and correctly configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for email deliverability.
  • Blacklist Monitoring: Regularly checking against email blacklists identifies potential reputation issues.
  • Cold Email Infrastructure: Using a separate infrastructure for cold emails protects the primary domain's reputation.
  • DMARC Analysis: Analyzing DMARC reports aids in identifying and mitigating authentication failures and spoofing.

Key considerations

  • Determine Delivery Status: First, confirm if emails are being delivered to the spam folder or blocked entirely, as this informs the next steps.
  • Validate Authentication Records: Carefully validate SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings to ensure correct configuration.
  • Monitor Blacklists Regularly: Implement a process for regularly checking against blacklists and address any issues promptly.
  • Isolate Cold Email Campaigns: Consider setting up a separate infrastructure and domain specifically for cold email campaigns.
  • Review DMARC Reports: Regularly review DMARC reports and adjust policies to enhance security and deliverability.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise suggests reviewing DMARC reports to identify authentication failures and potential spoofing attempts, and adjusting the DMARC policy to 'quarantine' or 'reject' to improve deliverability and protect against domain abuse.

November 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises setting up a separate infrastructure, including a different domain, for cold emails if they are being sent on the same domain as the corporate domain. They also mention that Google Postmaster data doesn't include information for Google Workspace accounts, only @gmail.com addresses.

May 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that it's important to determine whether the emails are going to the spam folder or being blocked entirely. Blocked emails require investigation into IP reputation, blacklists, and authentication issues, while spam placement suggests content or engagement problems.

June 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource recommends checking your sending IP and domain against various email blacklists to identify if you've been flagged for sending spam. If blacklisted, it is important to address the issues that led to the listing before requesting removal.

October 2021 - Spamresource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Steve Atkins, highlights ensuring that email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are properly configured and validated is critical. Misconfigured authentication is a common cause for deliverability problems.

October 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Diagnosing and resolving email deliverability issues involves several key technical aspects. Verifying sender authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial to establish trust with receiving mail servers and prevent spoofing. Analyzing Non-Delivery Reports (NDRs) helps identify delivery failures caused by issues like incorrect addresses or full mailboxes. Implementing DMARC protects against spoofing and phishing by providing a policy for handling emails that fail authentication checks. Monitoring domain reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools is also important for identifying and addressing potential deliverability problems.

Key findings

  • Authentication Verification: Verifying SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for establishing sender legitimacy and preventing spoofing.
  • NDR Analysis: Analyzing Non-Delivery Reports (NDRs) reveals reasons for email delivery failures.
  • DMARC Implementation: Implementing DMARC protects against spoofing and phishing by defining how to handle emails failing authentication.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring domain reputation helps identify and address deliverability issues.

Key considerations

  • Sender Authentication: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured and validated.
  • NDR Review: Regularly review NDRs to identify and resolve delivery failure causes.
  • DMARC Policy: Establish a DMARC policy to manage emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.
  • Reputation Monitoring Tools: Utilize tools like Google Postmaster Tools to track domain reputation and identify issues proactively.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help emphasizes verifying sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), avoiding sending unsolicited email, and monitoring your domain's reputation using Google Postmaster Tools to diagnose deliverability issues.

February 2025 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article

Documentation from RFC explains that SPF records help prevent email spoofing by specifying which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. Configuring SPF correctly is crucial for improving email deliverability.

October 2022 - RFC
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks by providing a policy for how receiving mail servers should handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks. Implementing DMARC can improve email deliverability and protect your brand's reputation.

November 2022 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Support advises analyzing Non-Delivery Reports (NDRs) or bounce messages to understand the reason for email delivery failures. Common reasons include incorrect email addresses, full mailboxes, or server issues.

September 2022 - Microsoft Support