Globally, average inbox placement rates (IPRs) were just below 85 percent in 2022.
If your messages don’t land where they’re supposed to, your hard work might never even get seen.
That’s where an audit of your email setup comes in.
A proper review of things like sender reputation, bounce rates, and authentication protocols can reveal hidden problems.
And here’s the good part – this isn’t some mysterious process. This 12-step checklist shows you how to measure sender score, check for spam traps, and fix deliverability problems. You’ll also learn how authentication and tracking domains keep emails out of spam.
Let’s get started:
The scoring system explained
Our 12-point checklist gives you a full overview of your email deliverability health.
Each step you complete earns 1 point, so tracking your progress and pinpointing areas needing more attention is easy.
Here’s how the scoring works:
- 10–12 points: You’re in great shape! Your emails are likely reaching inboxes without trouble. Keep up the good work, and maintain those best practices.
- 7–9 points: There’s room for improvement. Some factors might be holding your emails back from consistently landing in inboxes. Focus on tightening up areas like authentication, list hygiene, or engagement.
- 6 points or fewer: This signals critical issues that need immediate action. Your emails are likely struggling to bypass spam filters, and some major fixes are required to restore trust with mailbox providers.
Step-by-step email deliverability audit
Ready to see how you score? Let’s get right into it:
#1 Verify your sender reputation (1 point)
Your sender reputation is your email report card. It’s a score that internet service providers use to decide if your emails belong in the inbox or the spam folder. If your reputation is shaky, your campaigns might never see the light of day.
What to check:
Use tools like Sender Score to measure your sender reputation. This number reflects how trustworthy your sending practices are in the eyes of mailbox providers.
Ideal rating:
Shoot for a score of 80 or higher. Anything less suggests some problems you’ll need to fix.
Actionable tip:
If your score is below 80, start by cleaning your email list to remove invalid addresses and reduce spam complaints. It’s also a good idea to check for spam traps or issues with your IP addresses that could harm your reputation.
#2 Authenticate your emails (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) (1 point)
Email authentication is a security badge for your messages. It tells receiving mail servers that your emails are legit, not some phishing scam trying to sneak in. Without it, your marketing emails or cold email campaigns could be flagged as suspicious – or worse, blocked entirely.
What to check:
Make sure you’ve got SPF, DKIM, and DMARC set up correctly. These protocols work together to verify that your emails come from a trusted sender.
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Confirms that your IP addresses are allowed to send emails for your domain.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to your emails to prove they weren’t altered during delivery.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Helps email service providers decide what to do with messages that fail SPF or DKIM checks.
Ideal rating:
Pass all three tests. If any of these are missing or misconfigured, you’re leaving your emails open to rejection.
Actionable tip:
Lack of authentication can lead to emails being flagged as suspicious. Use a setup guide to configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC properly. If you’re running cold email campaigns, consider using a different domain to protect your main domain’s reputation.
#3 Monitor your bounce rate (1 point)
If you don’t belong to the 39,5% of email marketers who occasionally remove inactive addresses from their lists, bounce rates will likely be your problem. A high bounce rate is like shouting into the void—it means your emails aren’t reaching anyone. Hard bounces, in particular, are a big red flag for email service providers, signaling bad list hygiene or outdated addresses.
What to check:
Keep a close eye on your bounce rate. It should stay below 2%, especially for hard bounces.
Ideal rating: less than 2% for hard bounces. Anything higher can damage your sending reputation and block your messages.
Actionable tip:
High bounce rates damage your sender’s reputation. Use email verification tools like Bouncer to weed out invalid or inactive addresses before you hit send.
#4 Analyze spam complaints (1 point)
Spam complaints are like getting a bad Yelp review—you won’t recover if you ignore them. If too many recipients mark your emails as spam, internet service providers might blacklist your domain or IP address.
What to check:
Track the percentage of people flagging your emails as spam. This metric should be a top priority when managing your email reputation.
Ideal rating: below 0.1%. Even a slight increase can make email providers think your content is unwanted or irrelevant.
Actionable tip:
High complaints often stem from irrelevant content or poor targeting. Always segment your list based on customer behavior and interests to avoid this.
#5 Review your email list hygiene (1 point)
Think of your email list like a garden—it needs regular upkeep to thrive. Neglecting it leads to outdated or inactive contacts, which hurts your sender score and deliverability.
What to check:
Audit your email list frequently and remove inactive, invalid, or fake addresses. A clean list helps you maintain a good reputation with mailbox providers.
Ideal rating: no inactive or invalid addresses on your list.
Actionable tip:
Tools like Bouncer can automate list hygiene and keep your emails reaching the right inboxes. Regular clean-ups also reduce bounce rates and spam complaints.
Check this out: Email List Hygiene Report
#6 Evaluate inbox placement (1 point)
Even if your emails are well-written and perfectly timed, they’re useless if they land in the spam folder. Inbox placement is key to your email reputation and directly affects your campaign success.
What to check:
Use tools to see if your emails are landing where they should—in the inbox. Check placement rates for different email providers and track patterns.
Ideal rating: 95% or more inbox placement. Anything lower could mean trouble with how mailbox providers view your domain.
Actionable tip:
Low placement might mean your domain is flagged. Check for blacklisting and investigate whether your sending reputation or email content needs attention.
#7 Check your email content (1 point)
Your email content is like your first impression. Spammy language or unbalanced formatting can send the wrong signal to receiving mail servers and get you flagged as junk mail.
What to check:
Avoid spam trigger words like “free” or “urgent” and don’t overload your message with images or flashy text. A clean, professional balance is what mailbox providers want to see.
Ideal rating: no spam trigger words or overly promotional phrases. Keep the content relevant and authentic.
Actionable tip:
Use email preview tools to see how your content looks across devices and inboxes. Small changes in formatting or tone can make a big difference.
Check this out: how to create amazing email marketing content
#8 Optimize your subject lines (1 point)
Your subject line is the gateway to your email. If it’s dull, too pushy, or misleading, recipients won’t even bother opening it. Worse, they might mark it as spam.
What to check:
Your subject lines should be clear, engaging, and relevant to the recipient. Avoid clickbait tactics that might boost opens temporarily but damage your reputation in the long run.
Ideal rating: high open rates (20%+). Consistently low open rates could mean your subject lines aren’t connecting with your audience.
Actionable tip:
Experiment with A/B testing to find what resonates with your audience. Test different tones, lengths, or angles to see what grabs attention without overpromising.
Check this out: how to create effective email subject lines
#9 Evaluate email engagement rates (1 point)
Engagement is the heartbeat of your email campaigns. If people open your emails and click through, it’s a sign that your content is hitting the mark. On the other hand, poor engagement can damage your sender’s reputation and lead to lower deliverability.
What to check:
Keep an eye on open rates, click-through rates, and how your audience interacts with your emails over time. A consistent drop could mean your content or targeting needs attention.
Ideal rating: open rates above 20% and click-through rates above 3%. If you’re below these benchmarks, it’s time to rethink your approach.
Actionable tip:
Engagement signals to ISPs that your emails are valuable, improving deliverability. Focus on crafting relevant content and segmenting your audience for better results.
#10 Test your sending domain reputation (1 point)
Your domain reputation works behind the scenes, shaping how mailbox providers perceive your emails. A poor reputation can send your messages straight to spam, even if everything else checks out.
What to check:
Use tools like Google Postmaster to get insights into your domain’s reputation. Check for patterns like increased spam complaints or blacklisting issues.
Ideal rating: medium to high. A low score means it’s time to dig deeper into what’s causing the problem.
Actionable tip:
“Low reputation could indicate spam complaints or blacklisting. Regularly monitor your metrics and address any red flags before they escalate.”
#11 Check your email sending frequency (1 point)
How often you send emails matters. Sending too many emails in a short period—or having irregular sending patterns—can make ISPs suspicious and hurt your deliverability.
What to check:
Stick to a predictable and consistent sending schedule. Avoid large spikes or long periods of inactivity that could confuse receiving mail servers.
Ideal rating: a consistent, steady schedule that keeps your audience engaged without overwhelming them.
Actionable tip:
Sudden spikes in sending can trigger spam filters. Plan your campaigns ahead and stick to a reliable schedule to avoid these pitfalls.
Check this out: the ideal email frequency
#12 Confirm compliance with email regulations (1 point)
Breaking email laws isn’t just risky – it’s costly. Failing to follow regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM can lead to fines and make mailbox providers suspicious of your emails.
What to check:
Make sure your practices meet the requirements for GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and other relevant laws. This includes clear unsubscribe options and only emailing people who’ve given permission.
Ideal rating: fully compliant with all applicable regulations.
Actionable tip:
Non-compliance can lead to penalties and harm deliverability. Regularly review your practices to stay on the right side of the law and maintain trust with your audience.
Score your email deliverability
Now that you’ve gone through the checklist, it’s time to add your points and see how your email deliverability measures up.
Use the table below to interpret your score:
- If you scored 10 or higher, your email campaigns are likely hitting the inbox. Great job! Keep monitoring regularly to maintain these results.
- If your score is between 7 and 9, don’t worry—it’s not too late to improve. Focus on the problem areas you’ve identified in this audit and watch your results improve.
- If your score is below 6, it’s time to act fast. Review each step, fix any glaring issues, and take advantage of tools that can help rebuild your email reputation.
Next steps to improve your deliverability score
Audit complete? Great! Now it’s time to tackle those lower-scoring areas. Pinpoint the issues holding back your email performance and start working through the fixes.
Here’s how you can take action:
- Use tools like Bouncer for email verification to clean up your list and reduce bounce rates.
- Test inbox placement to see where your emails are landing and make adjustments as needed.
- Regularly monitor your sender reputation to catch and resolve any red flags early.
Ready to take your email deliverability to the next level? Want a professional-grade email audit? Get started with Bouncer’s Deliverability Kit today.
With the right tools and steps, you’ll be on your way to better inbox placement and more impactful email campaigns.
