# Email Deliverability Deliverability is the work of getting wanted email into the inbox. It depends on your technical setup, list quality, sending pace, content, and how people respond after the email lands. > Bento handles a lot of the infrastructure for you, but your domain reputation still belongs to you. Use this guide as the operating checklist for setup, warmup, monitoring, and troubleshooting. --- ## Start Here {{ id: 'start-here' }} If you are new to Bento, work through these in order: 1. Complete [account approval](/docs/deliverability/approvals). 2. Add and verify your [DNS records](/docs/dns). 3. Understand your current [sending limit](/docs/deliverability/sending_limits). 4. Start with your most engaged users during [domain warmup](/docs/deliverability/warmup). 5. Monitor bounces, complaints, opens, clicks, replies, and conversions. Good deliverability is mostly about consistency. Send to people who asked for your email, increase volume gradually, and react quickly when inbox providers show signs of stress. ## Baseline Setup {{ id: 'baseline-setup' }} Use this checklist before sending serious volume: | Area | What to check | Guide | | --- | --- | --- | | Account approval | Your business, website, list source, and sending plan are reviewed | [Approvals](/docs/deliverability/approvals) | | DNS authentication | SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and link branding are verified | [DNS Setup](/docs/dns) | | Sending pace | You know your daily cap and warmup path | [Sending Limits](/docs/deliverability/sending_limits) | | Email type | You know when to use marketing vs transactional email | [Marketing vs Transactional](/docs/deliverability/marketing-vs-transactional) | | Required notices | You know how to send mandated emails without disrupting your main Site | [Mandated Emails](/docs/deliverability/mandated_emails) | | Warmup | You are sending first to recent buyers, active users, or recent subscribers | [Domain Warmup](/docs/deliverability/warmup) | | List hygiene | Imported contacts are permission-based and cleaned before sending | [Import Guide](/docs/migrations/import) | | Sunset policy | You stop emailing contacts who have gone quiet | [List Hygiene](/docs/deliverability/list_hygiene) | | Complaint handling | You know the complaint thresholds and how FBLs work | [Spam Complaints](/docs/deliverability/complaints) | | Provider monitoring | Google Postmaster Tools is verified for your sending domain | [Google Postmaster Tools](/docs/deliverability/google_postmaster) | | Domain strategy | Marketing and transactional streams are separated where needed | [Subdomain Strategy](/docs/deliverability/subdomain_strategy) | | Bounce handling | You know which bounces are temporary, permanent, or reputation-related | [Bounce Guide](/docs/deliverability/bounces) | | Tracking | You know the limits of opens, clicks, bots, and privacy tools | [Open and Click Tracking](/docs/deliverability/tracking) | | Link safety | You know how to handle Gmail suspicious link warnings | [Gmail Link Warnings](/docs/deliverability/suspicious_links) | | Image safety | You know how to handle Gmail hidden image warnings | [Gmail Image Warnings](/docs/deliverability/gmail_image_warnings) | > ⚠️ **Warning** > Do not change or delete verified DNS records during a website migration, domain transfer, or cleanup. If authentication breaks, pause large sends and fix DNS before ramping again. --- ## Troubleshooting Paths {{ id: 'troubleshooting-paths' }} When something changes, diagnose the full pattern before changing strategy. ### Emails suddenly going to spam Work through the [Landing in Spam recovery guide](/docs/deliverability/spam_recovery). It covers confirming real spam placement, checking authentication, complaints, blocklists, list changes, and content, then rebuilding volume safely. ### Opens dropped 1. Check whether clicks, replies, purchases, or signups dropped too. 2. Review [Open and Click Tracking](/docs/deliverability/tracking) for Apple Mail Privacy Protection, Gmail image proxying, and image blocking. 3. Validate [DNS records](/docs/dns), especially DKIM and DMARC. 4. Compare by inbox provider. A Gmail-only drop points to a different issue than a broad drop. 5. Review recent changes to subject lines, segments, sending speed, and list source. If opens dropped but clicks and conversions stayed stable, the issue may be tracking noise rather than inbox placement. ### Bounces or deferrals increased 1. Check the bounce reason in [Bounces](/docs/deliverability/bounces). 2. Confirm DNS is still verified in [DNS Setup](/docs/dns). 3. Slow down the campaign if you see throttling or `421` style deferrals. 4. Stop sending to cold imported segments until you know the cause. 5. Resume with the [Domain Warmup](/docs/deliverability/warmup) guidance. ### Complaints increased 1. Pause broad sends to the affected segment. 2. Check whether recipients recognize the sender name and why they are receiving the email. 3. Remove stale, purchased, scraped, or unclear-source contacts. 4. Make the unsubscribe path obvious. 5. Restart with recent engaged users only. See [Spam Complaints and Feedback Loops](/docs/deliverability/complaints) for thresholds and how Bento handles complaint suppression. ### Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook throttled you Throttling usually means the provider wants less mail right now. Reduce speed, send to the most engaged users, and avoid retrying the same broad campaign aggressively. ### You need to send a mandated notice Contact Bento support first. For most required notices, create a separate Site in your team, upload the required recipients there, use an established domain or approved subdomain, send slowly, then archive the Site when the send is complete. Do not send from a brand-new domain. If the send is over 1 million users, coordinate provider outreach with major inbox providers like Yahoo and Hotmail/Outlook before sending. Follow [Mandated Emails](/docs/deliverability/mandated_emails) before importing the list. ### Gmail warns about a suspicious link Pause the campaign and find the exact URL Gmail flagged. Check whether the warning is tied to your branded tracking domain, the final destination, a third-party link, or a redirect in between. Follow [Gmail Link Warnings](/docs/deliverability/suspicious_links) before resuming volume. ### Gmail hides images in the message Check every image host domain in the email, especially logos, product images, CDN URLs, and custom image URLs. If Google Safe Browsing shows no issue, it may be short-lived Gmail testing. If a domain is flagged, fix the host or URL and follow [Gmail Image Warnings](/docs/deliverability/gmail_image_warnings). --- ## Healthy Sending Habits {{ id: 'healthy-sending-habits' }} Use these habits to protect reputation over time: - Send wanted email to people who opted in. - Keep a clear sender name and a consistent from domain. - Start new domains and major volume changes slowly. - Segment first sends to recent buyers, active users, recent signups, and recent clickers. - Use clear subject lines that match the email content. - Avoid URL shorteners and image-only emails. - Keep unsubscribe easy. Bento handles unsubscribe mechanics, but the email should still feel respectful. - Include an unsubscribe link in every email, including transactional sends. - Use double opt-in for risky sources, high-value forms, typo-prone forms, and regions where confirmed consent is expected. > Old advice about isolated "spam trigger words" is less important than whether people want the email. Inbox providers care about authentication, list source, complaints, engagement, and sending consistency. --- ## Monitoring Metrics {{ id: 'monitoring-metrics' }} Watch these metrics together: | Metric | Healthy pattern | Warning signs | | --- | --- | --- | | Opens | Stable trend by provider and segment | Sudden provider-specific drop | | Clicks | Steady clicks from real users | Clicks within seconds of delivery or no matching website activity | | Replies and conversions | Stable or improving over time | Drop alongside opens and clicks | | Bounce rate | Under 2% on healthy lists | Above 5% or sudden provider deferrals | | Spam complaints | Under 0.1% | Above 0.3% or complaints from new segments | | Unsubscribes | Predictable by campaign type | Sudden spike after a new source or offer | > ⚠️ **Warning** > Opens are directional. Apple Mail Privacy Protection, Gmail image proxying, image blocking, and pixel behavior can all distort them. Use clicks, replies, conversions, complaints, bounces, and Postmaster-style provider data alongside opens. ### Useful Tools - **Bento Dashboard**: Monitor engagement and campaign performance. - **Deliverability Monitor**: Track inbox placement and reputation signals in Bento. - **Google Postmaster Tools**: See how Gmail views your domain. Setup guide: [Google Postmaster Tools](/docs/deliverability/google_postmaster). - **Website analytics with UTMs**: Connect email clicks to sessions, purchases, trials, or signups. --- ## Guides {{ id: 'guides' }} Dive deeper into specific deliverability topics. ### Setup and Sending - [DNS Setup Configure SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and link branding](/docs/dns) {' '} - [DMARC Deep Dive Alignment, policy rollout, reading reports, and BIMI](/docs/deliverability/dmarc) {' '} - [Subdomain Strategy Separate marketing and transactional sending domains](/docs/deliverability/subdomain_strategy) {' '} - [Account Approval Complete the approval process to start sending](/docs/deliverability/approvals) {' '} - [Domain Warmup Build sender reputation with a gradual warmup strategy](/docs/deliverability/warmup) {' '} - [Re-warming and Seasonal Sending Restart after a pause and plan Black Friday volume spikes](/docs/deliverability/rewarming) {' '} - [Sending Limits How daily send caps work during trial and warmup, and how to increase them](/docs/deliverability/sending_limits) {' '} - [Sending Pools How IP pools work and when to consider dedicated IPs](/docs/deliverability/pools) {' '} - [Marketing vs Transactional Choose the right email type and sending path in Bento](/docs/deliverability/marketing-vs-transactional) - [Mandated Emails Send required notices without disrupting your main Site](/docs/deliverability/mandated_emails) ### Reputation and List Health - [Spam Complaints and Feedback Loops Complaint thresholds, FBLs, and what to do when complaints spike](/docs/deliverability/complaints) {' '} - [Unsubscribes and Suppression One-click unsubscribe, suppression lists, and compliance](/docs/deliverability/unsubscribes) {' '} - [List Hygiene and Sunset Policies Sunset inactive contacts and run win-back campaigns safely](/docs/deliverability/list_hygiene) {' '} - [Spam Traps How traps get on lists and how to keep them off yours](/docs/deliverability/spam_traps) {' '} - [Email Blocklists Spamhaus and friends, IP vs domain listings, and delisting](/docs/deliverability/blocklists) {' '} - [Google Postmaster Tools Set up Postmaster Tools and read every dashboard](/docs/deliverability/google_postmaster) {' '} - [Double Opt-In Verify subscribers and improve list quality](/docs/deliverability/double_optin) - [Open and Click Tracking Understand opens, clicks, bot activity, privacy tools, and attribution](/docs/deliverability/tracking) ### Inbox Providers - [Gmail Requirements Meet Gmail's bulk sender authentication requirements](/docs/knowledge_base/gmail_authentication) {' '} - [Outlook and Microsoft SmartScreen, SNDS, junk folder fixes, and Microsoft 365](/docs/deliverability/outlook) {' '} - [Yahoo and AOL Yahoo sender requirements, deferrals, and recovery](/docs/deliverability/yahoo) - [Apple Mail and iCloud iCloud filtering plus Mail Privacy Protection effects](/docs/deliverability/apple_mail) ### Troubleshooting - [Landing in Spam Diagnose spam placement and rebuild your reputation](/docs/deliverability/spam_recovery) {' '} - [Bounce Handling Understand bounce types and how Bento handles them](/docs/deliverability/bounces) {' '} - [Content and Deliverability Gmail clipping, image balance, link hygiene, and the Promotions tab](/docs/deliverability/content) {' '} - [Gmail Link Warnings Find and fix suspicious link warnings in Gmail](/docs/deliverability/suspicious_links) - [Gmail Image Warnings Diagnose hidden image warnings and unsafe image hosts](/docs/deliverability/gmail_image_warnings)