The Deliverability Checklist: 25 Things to Check Before Every Campaign
Run through this checklist before every cold email campaign launch in 2026. Catching problems before you send prevents damage that takes weeks to repair.
Run through this checklist before every cold email campaign launch in 2026. Catching problems before you send prevents damage that takes weeks to repair.
Authentication
SPF record exists and is valid (check here) DKIM is properly configured DMARC record exists and is valid (check here) All DNS records are correctly configured (check here)
Domain health
Domain is not on any blacklists (check here) Domain is not expiring soon (check here) Domain has a live website or landing page Domain reputation is Medium or High in Google Postmaster Tools
Account health
All sending accounts are warmed up (minimum 14 days) Warmup is still running alongside the campaign No accounts are suspended or restricted Each account is within safe daily sending limits (25-40/day)
List quality
All email addresses have been verified within the last 30 days Bounce rate expectation is below 2% No role-based addresses (info@, sales@, team@) No previously bounced or unsubscribed addresses List matches your defined ICP
Content
Email is plain text (no HTML templates or images) No spam trigger words Zero or one link maximum Email body is under 100 words Subject line is under 6 words, lowercase, conversational CTA is a simple question
Technical
Custom tracking domain is set up (or tracking is disabled) Inbox placement test shows primary inbox across Gmail and Outlook (test here) Print this checklist. Use it every time. It takes 15 minutes and prevents weeks of deliverability damage.
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