Email Deliverability Checklist: Setup, Pre-Send & Monitoring
A complete email deliverability checklist covering authentication, list quality, content optimization, and monitoring. Setup once, check before every send, monitor ongoing.
Part 1: Foundational Setup
Set these up once, then monitor periodically.
Authentication
- ☐ SPF record published and includes all sending services — Check your SPF →
- ☐ DKIM enabled and public key in DNS — Check your DKIM →
- ☐ DMARC policy published at
_dmarc.yourdomain.com— Check your DMARC →
→ Full authentication setup guide
Monitoring Tools
- ☐ Google Postmaster Tools configured
- ☐ Microsoft SNDS enrolled
- ☐ DMARC reports being received
Infrastructure
- ☐ Custom tracking domain configured — What's a tracking domain? →
- ☐ SSL on tracking domain
- ☐ Double opt-in enabled — List growth strategies →
Part 2: Before Every Send
Run through before each campaign.
List Quality
- ☐ Sending to engaged subscribers (opened/clicked in last 90 days) — Understanding engagement metrics →
- ☐ Hard bounces suppressed
- ☐ Spam complainers removed
- ☐ Recent unsubscribes processed
- ☐ No purchased or scraped addresses
Content
- ☐ Subject line passes spam checks — Test your subject line →
- ☐ No ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation — Worst subject line mistakes →
- ☐ Text-to-image ratio at least 60:40 — Plain text vs HTML →
- ☐ All links work
- ☐ No URL shorteners
- ☐ Unsubscribe link visible — CAN-SPAM requirements →
- ☐ Physical address included
Testing
- ☐ Test email sent and reviewed
- ☐ Renders correctly on mobile — Mobile optimization guide →
- ☐ Renders correctly in dark mode
- ☐ Personalization displays correctly
- ☐ Authentication passing — Run full health check →
Sending
- ☐ Volume consistent with normal patterns
- ☐ Most engaged subscribers receiving first
Part 3: Ongoing Monitoring
Weekly
- ☐ Check Google Postmaster Tools
- ☐ Check Microsoft SNDS status
- ☐ Review bounce and complaint rates
Monthly
- ☐ Check blacklists — Blocklist checker →
- ☐ Verify authentication still passing — SPF | DKIM | DMARC
- ☐ Review DMARC reports
- ☐ Run re-engagement for inactive subscribers — Re-engagement guide →
Quarterly
- ☐ Full list cleaning — List hygiene guide →
- ☐ Verify all sending services in SPF
- ☐ Review engagement trends — Gmail tabs & filtering →
Target Metrics
| Metric | Target | Warning | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bounce Rate | Under 1% | 1-2% | Over 2% |
| Spam Complaint Rate | Under 0.05% | 0.05-0.1% | Over 0.1% |
| Unsubscribe Rate | Under 0.3% | 0.3-0.5% | Over 0.5% |
→ Understanding email engagement metrics
Quick Troubleshooting
Emails going to spam? Check: Authentication → Blacklists → Content → Reputation → Complaints
High bounce rates? Check: List source → List age → Signup validation
Reputation dropped? Check: Recent changes → Spam traps → Complaint spike → Authentication
Tools
Subject Line Tester — Check your subject line before sending
Email Health Check — Full deliverability audit
SPF Checker — Verify your SPF record
DKIM Checker — Verify your DKIM setup
DMARC Checker — Verify your DMARC policy
Blocklist Checker — Check if you're blacklisted
Compliance Checker — Check CAN-SPAM, GDPR, CASL compliance