Email Deliverability 101: How to Land in the Inbox, Not Spam
You can write the perfect email, but if it lands in spam nobody reads it. Deliverability is the practice of getting your mail into the inbox. Here's what actually matters.
What "deliverability" really means
Being delivered (accepted by the mail server) is not the same as reaching the inbox. Deliverability is about the second one — avoiding the spam folder and blocks.
1. Authenticate your sending domain
Three records do the heavy lifting:
- SPF — lists the servers allowed to send for your domain.
- DKIM — cryptographically signs your mail so receivers can verify it wasn't tampered with.
- DMARC — tells receivers what to do with mail that fails the checks, and gives you reporting.
Without these, Gmail and Yahoo will throttle or reject bulk mail.
2. Only email people who opted in
Purchased or scraped lists are the fastest route to the spam folder. Send to contacts who asked to hear from you.
3. Make unsubscribing easy
Include a visible unsubscribe link and one-click List-Unsubscribe headers. Counter-intuitively, easy unsubscribes protect your reputation — they're far better than spam complaints.
4. Watch your engagement
Mailbox providers reward mail that people open and click, and punish mail that's ignored or marked as spam. Prune inactive subscribers and keep content relevant.
5. Handle bounces and complaints automatically
Remove hard bounces immediately and suppress anyone who complains. A rising bounce or complaint rate is a red flag to receivers.
6. Warm up new domains and IPs
Ramp volume gradually when you start sending from a new domain. Sudden large blasts look like spam.
Bottom line: deliverability is earned through authentication, a clean opted-in list and steady engagement. Shotbees handles domain authentication, one-click unsubscribe and automatic bounce/complaint suppression so your mail keeps reaching the inbox.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my emails going to spam?
Usually one of three reasons: your domain isn't authenticated (missing SPF/DKIM/DMARC), you're emailing people who didn't opt in, or low engagement is dragging down your sender reputation.
What are SPF, DKIM and DMARC?
They're DNS records that prove your mail is really from you. SPF authorises your sending servers, DKIM signs each message, and DMARC tells receivers what to do with mail that fails — together they're essential for reaching Gmail and Yahoo inboxes.
How do I stop emails from bouncing?
Remove hard bounces immediately and never re-add them, validate new addresses at sign-up, and keep your list clean. A rising bounce rate signals problems to mailbox providers.
Related reading
Shotbees handles domain authentication, one-click unsubscribe and automatic bounce suppression for you. Try it free for 14 days.