Deliverability guide

The simple habits that help email stay out of spam and junk.

Most inbox problems come from a few repeat offenders: weak authentication, shouty subject lines, messy content balance, and poor sender reputation. Samuel checks those because they are the things people can actually improve.

Authentication
SPF DKIM DMARC
Content balance
Subject style
Invoice for April services ACT NOW!!! FREE MONEY
Links 12 Try to stay at or under this
Heavy links 24+ Starts looking much spammier
Plain text 0 HTML-only is a warning sign
Images 3+ Needs decent supporting text

1. Authenticate your domain properly

Mailbox providers want proof that the message really belongs to the domain in the From line.

  • Publish a valid SPF record for the return-path domain.
  • Sign mail with DKIM so each message carries a verifiable signature.
  • Publish a DMARC record on the visible From domain.
  • Keep the From domain and return-path domain aligned where possible.

2. Keep the subject line calm and human

Spam filters and people both react badly to subjects that sound like panic, hype, or manipulation.

  • Avoid phrases like "act now", "guaranteed", "urgent", and "free money".
  • Do not write the whole subject in ALL CAPS.
  • Skip repeated punctuation like `!!!` or `???`.
  • Say what the email is actually about in plain language.

3. Make the content look natural

Emails that are all image, all hype, or mostly links tend to look like campaigns filters were built to stop.

  • Include a real plain-text version, not just HTML.
  • Keep link counts modest unless there is a very good reason not to.
  • Avoid URL shorteners when possible so the destination is transparent.
  • If you use multiple images, support them with enough readable text.

4. Respect list hygiene and intent

The best technical setup in the world will not rescue mail that recipients do not want.

  • Send to people who expect to hear from you.
  • For marketing-style email, include a real unsubscribe path.
  • Do not keep hammering dead, mistyped, or disinterested addresses.
  • Watch sender reputation and blacklists when delivery suddenly gets worse.

Good example

Subject: Invoice #24936 for April work

Why it helps: specific, calm, and expected.

Risky example

Subject: ACT NOW!!! LIMITED TIME OFFER

Why it hurts: all-caps, hype language, and repeated punctuation.

Best mindset

Write like a real person with a clear reason for emailing, not like you are trying to trick attention out of someone.

Samuel is most useful when you treat the score as a conversation starter, not a magical verdict. The point is to show what looks risky and why, so you can improve the next send.