Deliverability

Introducing the Quick Opt-In Option in Email Unsubscribe Workflow

Problem Statement:

Previously, the process to re-opt into our mailing list after unsubscribing was complicated and lacked a same-window solution.

What We Did:

To address this, we've introduced a quick resubscribe link directly within the unsubscribe success message. Now, if a user unsubscribes by mistake, they can easily opt back in by clicking the resubscribe link. This action will immediately remove the email from the Do Not Disturb (DND) list.

How to Test?

1. Go to Email Marketing.
2. Create and send a campaign to a dummy contact.
3. Click the unsubscribe link in the email.
4. Use the resubscribe link in the success message.
   
   
5. Check the DND section in contacts.
   

Note:
Users re-opting in may still appear under unsubscribed in campaign statistics. We are working to fix this.

From February 2024 onwards, Google and Yahoo are making it necessary for email senders to use email authentication, and there are also some important policy changes related to consent and engagement. If senders don't follow these rules, their emails might be delayed, blocked, or marked as spam. Even though this might feel like a sudden change, these requirements have actually been considered the best way to make sure emails get delivered properly for quite some time.

Prepare Your Account:

Follow our checklist to make sure you meet the new sender requirements set by both Google and Yahoo.

1. Elevate Your Brand with a Branded Sending Sub-Domain

Enhance control over your sender reputation and improve inbox branding by setting up a branded sending sub-domain. Say goodbye to the "sent via msgsndr.com" disclaimer and embrace better deliverability practices. Starting in February, this becomes a must for bulk senders reaching out to Google and Yahoo recipients.

Keep in mind that after enabling your branded sending sub-domain, a gradual warm-up of your sending infrastructure may be necessary over the next 2 – 4 weeks.

Need assistance? Check out our guide on setting up a branded sending sub-domain.

Example of what a Branded sending domain looks like to Gmail users

2. Establish DMARC Email Authentication for Your Sending Domain

What is DMARC? DMARC, short for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, is a standard that enhances SPF and DKIM. It communicates a policy to mailbox providers, guiding them on how to handle emails failing SPF, DKIM, or both, claiming to be from your domain (potentially spoofed).

What should you do? If you lack a DMARC record AND are sending more than 5,000 emails per day (aggregated for your account using a shared sending domain), you should add one to your DNS.

Implementation Steps:

1. Use a free DMARC checker like Dmarcian to find out if you already have a DMARC record in place. Enter your root domain (ie: yourdomain.com) and hit inspect. If you see "Hooray! Your DMARC record is valid," you're good to go - ignore the following steps. If not, continue to step 2.

2. Visit your DNS hosting provider and create a TXT DNS record.

3. Choose TXT as the record type.

4. Set the Host/Name value as: _DMARC

5. In the Content/Points to field, enter: v=DMARC1; p=none;

Keep in mind that Google recommends gradually changing your DMARC policy over time to be more restrictive. You can read about this process in their Recommended DMARC Rollout Tutorial document.

Here's what the record would look like if setting up in Cloudflare for a domain called demodomain.com:

6. Save/submit and use Dmarcian to verify the DMARC record has successfully been added (it may take a few minutes to register). You can also check by sending yourself an email and inspecting the header.

In Gmail, you can inspect the header of an email by clicking the three-dots icon and selecting the "Show More" option. Here's what the header will look like for an email that was sent from a domain that has a valid DMARC record in place:

3. Ensure Brand Consistency

Align your "from" address with your branded domain for a cohesive and recognizable email identity.

To align with DMARC standards, your "from" address domain must match the root domain of your branded sending domain. For example, if your branded sending domain is "lc.msgsndr.com," the corresponding root domain is "msgsndr.com." Thus, using "hello@msgsndr.com" as your "from" address maintains alignment with the root domain.

4. Avoid pretending to be Gmail in the "From" headers of your emails

Why does it matter?

Gmail and Yahoo are getting stricter with a DMARC policy called 'quarantine.' If you try to act like you're sending from Gmail or Yahoo, it could harm how your emails get delivered.

What's the solution?

Keep it simple: just don't pretend to be Gmail or Yahoo in the "From" part of your emails. To put it briefly, don't send emails claiming to be from 'example@gmail.com' or 'example@yahoo.com.'

5. Make it easy to Unsubscribe

Now, it's important for senders to make it really easy for people to stop getting their emails. If someone doesn't want the emails anymore, they shouldn't have to search for the unsubscribe button.

If you use the email service, take a look at this blog post. Turning on this option will automatically include an unsubscribe link in the footer of all your emails.

Streamlined Unsubscribing: One-Click Solution

We've got good news for you! Meeting the new requirement of having a one-click unsubscribe link in every email just got easier. They’ve got it covered for you by automatically adding a one-click unsubscribe link to the header of each email you send except 1:1 emails.

Just to clarify, the "header" here refers to the behind-the-scenes information in your email, which includes details about the sender and message authentication. We are enhancing the one-click list-unsubscribe feature in the code for every message. While the appearance of one-click unsubscribe may vary in different email platforms, a visual example from Gmail is shown below.

Your only task? Before February rolls around, take a quick look at all your campaign templates and flow emails. Ensure there's an unsubscribe link somewhere in your email body – the footer is typically a common spot. It doesn't have to be one-click, but it should be clear and easy for recipients to find. Easy as that!

6. Optimize Email Delivery: Keep Your Spam Rate Below 0.30%

Make Sure People Want Your Emails: Just like you wouldn't want a stranger in your home without permission, it's not cool to send emails without permission either. Always make sure that people actually want to get emails from you.

If too many people complain about your emails being spam (like 3 out of every 1,000), it can cause problems. Your emails might get delayed, end up in the spam folder, or not get delivered at all. To avoid this, try to keep your spam complaints to less than 1 out of every 1,000 emails you send.

You can check Yahoo spam complaints in the Spam Reports. But, remember, we cannot track Gmail spam complaints and as such they are not included in email metrics within the platform. Gmail has its way of handling spam complaints to keep user info private. If you want to keep an eye on Gmail spam complaints, use Google Postmaster Tools. This helps make sure your emails get to where they're supposed to go without any issues.

What is the list-unsubscribe header?

The list-unsubscribe header is an additional ‘unsubscribe’ link generated by some of the most common email providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.). When list-unsubscribe instructions are detected in the email header, it allows email recipients to remove their email addresses from your distribution list without searching for the unsubscribe link in your email.

Why is the list-unsubscribe header good for email deliverability?

This feature is a deliverability best practice! It helps reduce complaints by giving subscribers a quick method to safely unsubscribe without negatively impacting your sending reputation. It is an additional, preferred option that recipients can use rather than report spam or an abuse complaint.

Can this be disabled?

No, this cannot be disabled, as this is an RFC/industry standard.

Why am I not getting the unsubscribe option in the email header?

The unsubscribe option is only shown for senders with a high reputation. This only works for some senders right now. We're actively encouraging senders to support auto-unsubscribe — we think 100% should. We won't provide the unsubscribe option on messages from spammers: we can't trust that they'll actually unsubscribe you, and they might even send you more spam.

So you'll only see the unsubscribe option for senders that we're pretty sure are not spammers and will actually honor your unsubscribe request. We're being pretty conservative about which senders to trust in the beginning; over time, we hope to offer the ability to unsubscribe from more emails.

“I think my deliverability is ok…”

What does that mean? Where do we see Deliverability?

First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page regarding the difference between “Delivered” and “Deliverability” because they are very different!

DELIVERED

This is the stat you see in your SMTP dashboard or in your email stats (along with opens, replies, clicks, bounces, complaints, etc.)

Delivery just means the email got to the recipient mail server – somewhere – could be the inbox, spam, promotions, updates – who freaking knows where it landed??? It’s also possible the mail server will choose not to hand it off to the email account, but that’s not as likely since most mail servers would prefer to outright reject the email and provide that feedback to the sender.

... You know... like when the postal carrier marks your package as "delivered" in their system, but it's nowhere to be found in your mailbox so you start hunting around your doorstep and asking neighbors if they got it by mistake, but it’s nowhere to be found? (sorry... went off on a tangent there!)

A good Delivery rate is 98%+

Because – what’s the alternative?

The opposite of Delivered is Undelivered… meaning it didn’t get delivered AT ALL. It failed or bounced or got rejected by the receiving mail server – none of those are what we want.

NOTE: Delivered is a stat MOST email marketing tools DO NOT share with you! 

Why? Because they’d have to answer to it. Instead, they show how many people went into a campaign or automation, then skip right over Delivered and just show the Open rate.

For those using Mailgun with the platform, every stat is visible. So, unlike other email tools, the platform lets you have full visibility into your delivery rates, and direct communication with your own SMTP provider, which means the power is entirely in your hands to get the best possible results from your email marketing efforts. THIS is why I love the platform/Mailgun combination so much! No other email toolset gives this much opportunity for excellent deliverability.

DELIVERABILITY

Unlike Delivery, Deliverability is a stat you don’t see anywhere.

Deliverability = Inbox Placement… in other words, your Inboxing Rate – how much of your email hits the Inbox vs. other folders (like Spam or Junk or Promotions…) or not delivering at all.

Email Service Providers do not provide this level of detail in their feedback loops, so we don’t actually see stats related to which folders our email is landing in - only if it was delivered.

A Good Deliverability rate would obviously be ?%

Although there’s no such thing as 100% to the inbox every time, it’s important to understand some of the factors that play into it, so we can come as close to 100% as possible.

Things like:

• IP and domain reputation

Reputation is KEY! Many, many things affect reputation, but there are 2 main categories that weigh heavily… Volume and Consistency, and the almighty Engagement (opens, clicks, replies, bounces, complaints, unsubscribes). For more information on stats, check out “What Email Deliverability Stats Should I Look For?”.

• Individual Email Service Provider (ESP) filtering preferences

Google, Yahoo!, Outlook, etc. - they don’t all filter exactly the same… There are 100s of things that play into email deliverability, but none of these companies provide a whitepaper with their filtering logic.

• Authentication

Those pesky DNS records - the SPFs, DKIMs, and DMARCs of the world. And don’t forget your MX records… if those aren’t configured correctly, that could also land you in spam or even prevent delivery.

• Domain age

Whether it’s a root domain or a domain, age factors into warm-up considerations. Treat your new domain like a first date… the goal being to get a second date. When you show up at the door with a new domain, you have no history and no reputation, so make sure to start sending slow and don’t rush things. A good reputation can overcome a young domain age.

• Domain suffix

Some of them have a bad rep from the start! The most trustworthy domain suffixes are .com, .co, .net, and .org (.edu and .gov for those who can use them). There are others that work well, and some that can send you directly to the spam folder. See how your domain suffix rates here.

• Subject line and body copy

What you say matters. One time I took the word FREE out of a subject line, and that alone improved Deliverability by 7%! Stay away from known spammy words/phrases like “click here”, “opportunity”, “free”, “100%”, etc.

• Blacklistings

The dreaded “Black Spot.” There are actually different types of blacklists and different reasons for ending up on one. Some cause huge problems, and some are just temporary. Check to see if your domain or IP is blacklisted here.

• Link types, link length, number of links, link reputation

Even a simple signature tool can have a dramatic effect on deliverability. Keep in mind, having a link in your email that’s associated with a blacklist or has a bad reputation makes your email “guilty by association,” so make sure any links used inside your email are ones you trust and/or control.

• Text to HTML ratio

There’s a time and a place for “fancy” email templates. The general rule is 60:40, leaning heavy on the text side. The audience know/like/trust factor and previous engagement can weigh in on how much HTML you can get away with. Also, it’s important to test. It may be that the heavier HTML, even though decreasing deliverability, may still win on conversions.

• Volume and consistency

How much you send, how fast you send it, and how often you send... All of these factors can affect your domain or IP reputation, which can then affect your deliverability. Think of what a “spammer” would do… sends a lot, all at once, more interested in just shoving the email out than concerning themselves with nurturing the recipient relationship. Don’t be like a spammer. (see Domain Age)

• Recipient email behavior

Believe it or not, how the user interacts with their own email account factors into how your email might be directed. Learning to factor recipient behavior into your deliverability strategy will take you much further than most marketers.

And many others...

We don’t have control over every factor that plays into Deliverability, but it’s important to isolate the things we CAN control - even if just a little bit, and then just do everything we can to control them entirely.

Need Some Help?

• This article touches on a handful of things that affect whether or not your email gets delivered to the Inbox, but there are 100s of things that play into deliverability, and every situation is unique.

• Proper setup/configuration is necessary to get you TO the inbox, but it’s the behavioral stuff that ensures you STAY there.

• It’s virtually impossible to troubleshoot email deliverability issues over a Facebook post, helpdesk chat, or ticket. Troubleshooting properly requires an understanding of all the factors and thorough analysis in order to properly troubleshoot.

The article addresses common reasons why emails sent through the platform might end up in spam folders. It highlights factors such as poor sender reputation, lack of proper authentication (like SPF and DKIM), and content issues (like spammy keywords or formatting). The article provides actionable tips to improve email deliverability, including verifying domain settings, maintaining a clean email list, and monitoring engagement metrics. By following these guidelines, users can enhance their email marketing effectiveness and reduce the chances of their emails being marked as spam.

There are many reasons that mailbox providers could flag your email as spam. Here are the most common reasons we see and how to fix them!

Sending From a Public Domain

If you are sending messages from a free domain like gmail.com, yahoo.com, etc., your messages will likely go to the spam folder. You'll want to be sure to send mail from a domain that you own and that matches your branding.

DMARC

If the domain you use to send mail has a DMARC policy but you haven't verified the domain with your SMTP provider, your messages will likely go to spam. Check with your SMTP provider for instructions on how to ensure your messages pass DMARC.

List Health & List Collection

If all of the technical pieces above are covered, list health and list collection are the next most important factors to determine deliverability. Be sure that:

• Everyone on your list gave direct consent to receive email marketing from you.
• Your cold subscribers are cleaned from your list regularly.
• Your forms are secured with double opt-in.

To learn more about why messages go to the inbox or spam folder, check out our Introduction To Email Deliverability article.

Sending Internal Mail

Are you sending messages to the same domain that the message is coming from? For example, sending from info@exampledomain.com to suan@exampledomain.com. If so, it's common for these internal messages to go to spam. This is because your mailbox sees that it's receiving a message from itself, but it knows that it didn't send the message (the platform did). This makes your mailbox think it's being spoofed, and it sends the message to spam.

If you're just sending internal mail to test your messages, we recommend using a free email like gmail.com. If you need to send mail internally outside of testing, you'll want to have the person who manages mail for your domain whitelist the IP address of your SMTP provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I test if my emails are going to spam before sending them to my list?
   You can use email testing tools that analyze your email content and sender reputation. Additionally, consider sending test emails to different email providers (like Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) to see where they land.

2. What steps can I take if my domain has a poor sender reputation?
   Improving your domain's sender reputation involves several strategies, including gradually increasing your email sending volume, regularly cleaning your email list, and actively engaging with your audience to boost open rates.

3. How often should I clean my email list to avoid spam issues?
   It's recommended to clean your email list every 6 to 12 months. Regularly remove inactive subscribers and those who haven't engaged with your emails to maintain a healthy list and improve deliverability.

How To Add an Email Event Trigger (Clicked/Opened) to a Workflow:

Step 1: Select the initial trigger within your workflow and search email

Step 2: Select Email Events from the dropdown 

Step 3: Click Add filters


Step 4: Select Email Events from filter options, then Event

Step 5: Select the appropriate action - Clicked or Opened

Your new Trigger is now within your Workflow! 

1. Create a landing page with messaging you want people to see when they unsubscribe

2. Use the url to the landing page from Step 1 to make a Trigger Link.

3. Replace the default unsubscribe link url with the Trigger Link.

Click on 1. Marketing > 2. Trigger links > 3. Add Link

Click Save once you put:

Name: Unsubscribe Link

Link URL: Paste the funnel unsubscribe page URL here

4. Create a workflow that uses "Trigger Link Clicked" as the condition and "Set Contact DND" as the action

Click on 1. Automation > 2. Create workflow

Click on 1. Start from scratch > 2. Create new workflow

1. Update the workflow title to Trigger Link Unsubscribe

2. Click on Add New Workflow Trigger

Search for the Trigger Link Clicked workflow trigger

Click on Add filters

Filters

Trigger Link: Select Unsubscrbe link

Now we can add our first workflow action

Look up the action to Set contact DND



In the dropdown, choose Enable DND for specific channels: 

Select Email as the Channels

Click Save Actions



Save and publish workflow!

5. Now you can integrate the trigger link as the unsubscribe link in the email footer

1. highlight here

2. Click on the link icon

Select Unsubscribe Link from Link list

Click Save



Now anyone who click on the trigger link here will be marked DND for the email channel! 

This article provides a comprehensive overview of what email deliverability means and its significance for marketers and businesses. It explains the factors that affect whether emails reach their intended recipients' inboxes, such as sender reputation, authentication protocols, and content quality. The piece also highlights best practices for improving deliverability rates, ensuring that emails not only reach their destination but also engage the audience effectively. This resource is essential for anyone looking to enhance their email marketing strategy and maximize engagement.

What is deliverability and why is it important?

Deliverability is a measure of how many of your emails are going to subscribers' inboxes versus their spam folders. After putting so much work into your email marketing, you want to be sure that your messages are actually being seen by your subscribers! This is why deliverability is crucial.

How is deliverability determined?

There are a lot of factors that influence inbox placement. In general, mailbox providers are trying to determine three things:

1. Is the message safe?
2. Is the message wanted by most subscribers?
3. Is the message wanted by this particular subscriber?

If the answer to all three questions is yes, the message belongs in the inbox. If any of the answers above are no, this message belongs in the spam folder. To make this decision, mailbox providers typically turn to the sender reputation they have calculated for you.

Sender Reputation

Mailbox providers, such as Gmail, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc., create a reputation score for your sending domain. You can think of this like a credit score, but unfortunately, there’s no one source of truth that can indicate exactly what your score is and why. Mailbox providers keep your score, and the algorithms used to determine it, private. However, the most important determining factor is the way that subscribers engage (or don’t engage) with your message.

Subscriber Engagement

The best way for mailbox providers to determine where your mail belongs is by seeing how your subscribers interact with it. There are actions your subscribers can take that will raise your sender reputation, and actions that will lower your sender reputation.

Here are some recommendations for promoting positive engagement:

• List Health: Only import subscribers who have given you direct permission to receive email marketing. Quality is much more important than quantity when it comes to email marketing. You don’t want anyone on your list who doesn’t want to be there. For the best deliverability, be sure everyone on your list knew exactly what they were signing up for.
• Secure your forms with a double opt-in and/or ReCaptcha: If your form isn’t secure, there’s a good chance you’ll start to see bots abusing it.
• Prune your list regularly: Be sure you don’t let cold subscribers pile up. If you don’t clean your list regularly, the unengaged subscribers will start to become the majority. When this happens, your sender reputation drops and more messages start to be filtered to spam.

Consistency

An important component of your sender reputation is consistency. If there is any sudden change to the way you send messages, mailbox providers will see your messages as risky and potentially place them in the spam folder. Here are some characteristics you’ll want to keep consistent:

• Sending Domain: It’s perfectly fine to send from multiple domains, but be sure the domain you’re sending from is the one that subscribers will recognize. Avoid sending from a brand-new domain or a domain that has not sent any mail in a long time (over 6 months).
• Volume: Be sure to send to a consistent number of subscribers each week. It’s normal for your list to shrink and grow, but try not to have any major volume swings. If you need to introduce a large number of new subscribers, start sending to them in small batches so you don’t alarm mailbox providers.
• Frequency: Send at least once per month to keep your sender reputation established. If mailbox providers don’t see enough mail from you, they won’t be able to maintain a reputation for you, and you’ll be starting from scratch on your next send. Also, don’t send too frequently to subscribers, as it could cause them to mark your messages as spam! It’s best to ask your subscribers ahead of time how often they’d like to hear from you and give them the ability to modify their preferences in each email.

Content

While content matters much less than it used to when it comes to inbox placement, it still has the potential to influence your deliverability—especially if your sender reputation isn’t well established.

If mailbox providers haven’t seen consistency from you, they might need to rely on your content as another data point to decide whether your message is safe and wanted. On the flip side, if mailbox providers have seen enough consistent volume from you that they have confidence in the way you’ve been scored, they’re more likely to totally ignore your content.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Don't Use Link Shorteners: Because link shorteners are used so often by spammers, they can raise a red flag for spam filters. Transparency is key for good deliverability. When adding a link to your emails, link directly to the website you're sending subscribers to.
• Spammy Words and Phrases: Avoid overly promotional or urgent language. Even if you are selling something in your email, try to write it so that it sounds human and conversational.
• Image-to-Text Ratio: There’s no magic number here, but ensure you have enough text in your email so that if images failed to load, your message would still be clear.
• Avoid Gimmicks: Tricks like “Re: Your Order #2095642” might boost open rates initially but can cause subscribers to lose trust in you. They’ll be more likely to mark the message as spam or disengage with your emails entirely.
• Encourage Authentic Engagement: Invite subscribers to engage in ways that build relationships, such as asking them to reply with their favorite song right now.

Summary

Influence mailbox providers to place your messages in the inbox by becoming subscriber-focused. Give your subscribers the power to choose the type of content they want to receive and how often they want to receive it. Build a list of subscribers who want to be there, and create the kind of content that keeps them engaged!

Frequently Asked Questions

• What tools can I use to monitor my email deliverability? Various tools can help track email deliverability, including platforms like Mailgun, SendGrid, and Litmus. These tools provide insights into bounce rates, open rates, and sender reputation, allowing you to optimize your email campaigns.

• How can I recover from being blacklisted by email providers? If you find your domain or IP address blacklisted, start by identifying the cause, such as spam complaints or poor sending practices. Rectify any issues, ensure compliance with best practices, and then follow the specific removal process for the blacklist. Building a positive sending reputation may take time.

• What role does engagement play in email deliverability? Engagement metrics, such as open rates and click-through rates, significantly influence deliverability. Higher engagement signals to email providers that your content is valuable, improving your sender reputation. Low engagement can lead to your emails being filtered or sent to spam folders.