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Email Deliverability

Understanding Email Deliverability and How to Improve It

Olivia Zhao avatar
Written by Olivia Zhao
Updated over a month ago

Why Aren’t My Emails Being Delivered?

If your emails aren’t being delivered, it’s easy to assume the recipient’s email address is incorrect. However, delivery issues often occur for other reasons unrelated to the email address itself. These issues can be frustrating, but understanding them is the first step to resolving them.


Common Reasons Emails Are Not Delivered

Here are some common causes of email deliverability issues:

  1. Spam Filters:

    Modern spam filters are highly sensitive. If your email contains certain keywords, attachments, or formatting that trigger these filters, it might end up in the recipient’s spam folder or be blocked altogether.

  2. Sender Reputation:

    Email service providers track the reputation of your email domain or IP address. If your domain has a poor reputation due to high bounce rates, spam complaints, or sending emails to outdated addresses, your emails may be blocked.

  3. Full Mailboxes:

    If the recipient’s inbox is full, your email can’t be delivered. This is particularly common for free email providers like Yahoo or Gmail, where users may not actively manage their storage limits.

  4. Temporary Server Issues:

    Sometimes, the recipient’s email server might experience temporary outages or delays, causing emails to bounce back.

  5. Blocked Email Addresses:

    The recipient’s email server or organization might have blocked your domain or email address, often for security or policy reasons.


Tips to Increase Email Deliverability

If you’re facing email deliverability challenges, follow these tips to improve your success rate:

  1. Maintain a Clean Email List:

    Regularly update your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses. This reduces bounce rates and protects your sender reputation.

  2. Avoid Spam Triggers:

    Write clear, concise subject lines and avoid excessive punctuation or overly promotional language. Additionally, avoid using large attachments or too many links, as these can trigger spam filters.

  3. Authenticate Your Emails:

    Use email authentication protocols such as SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance). These help email servers verify that your messages are legitimate, increasing the likelihood of delivery.


What if the Email Address is Incorrect?

If, after reviewing the above, you suspect that an email address is incorrect, you can downvote the contact details. We will then issue a refund for the credit used to unlock that specific contact, ensuring you only pay for verified, accurate data.

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