Email deliverability checklist
Use this list to improve inbox placement and reduce spam folder placement.
This checklist is intentionally practical. The goal is not to list every theoretical factor in email deliverability, but to separate the fast technical checks from the longer reputation and campaign-quality work. For many domains, the fastest wins still come from authentication and alignment because they are visible, auditable and easier to assign.
Authentication checklist
- SPF record exists and lookup count is under 10.
- DKIM signing is enabled on every sending platform.
- DMARC record exists with valid reporting address.
- SPF or DKIM aligns with your visible From domain.
Infrastructure checklist
- MX records are valid and reachable.
- MTA-STS is deployed for inbound transport security.
- TLS-RPT is configured for delivery failure visibility.
Reputation and content checklist
- Use confirmed opt-in and list hygiene workflows.
- Keep bounce and complaint rates low.
- Avoid misleading subject lines and spam-trigger content patterns.
- Warm up new sending domains gradually.
Ownership checklist
Usually owned by technical teams
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC records.
- MX, MTA-STS and TLS-RPT configuration.
- Provider-side signing and routing setup.
Usually owned by marketing or lifecycle teams
- List hygiene and permission quality.
- Campaign cadence and warm-up discipline.
- Content, engagement and complaint reduction.
How to use this checklist in the right order
Start by confirming the technical baseline. If SPF, DKIM or DMARC are broken, fix those before running expensive campaign experiments. Once the domain passes the basics, move to list quality, engagement and content issues. This order saves time because it removes obvious trust problems before you interpret softer signals.
Common mistakes in the sequence
Optimizing content before authentication
You can spend weeks rewriting campaigns while the real blocker is still a broken trust baseline.
Tightening DMARC before sender inventory
That can block legitimate traffic if one platform is still unsigned or misaligned.
Adding new tools without DNS cleanup
Each sender added without pruning old ones makes SPF and ownership harder to manage.
Looking at one provider only
Mailbox placement can differ across Gmail, Microsoft and Yahoo, so trends matter more than one inbox test.
What a report adds beyond the checklist
A checklist is helpful for orientation. A report becomes useful when you need current findings, a severity order, and copy you can share with whoever owns DNS or email infrastructure. That is where a free scan plus a short PDF summary can create more momentum than a generic article alone.
Once the checklist is clear, the homepage scan is the quickest way to see the current state of one domain.