In 60 Seconds

Deliverability in 60 Seconds

•DNS Records: You must authenticate your domain. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are not optional. If you don't have them, Gmail/Yahoo will block you.
•The 'Warm Up': You cannot buy a new domain and send 1,000 emails on Day 1. You must 'ramp up' volume over 4 weeks.
•SMS Compliance: A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code). You must register your brand with the carriers, or your texts will be blocked.
•Spam Words: Avoid utilizing 'FREE', '$#x27;, 'GUARANTEE' in subject lines. They trigger filters.
•Engagement: The more people open your emails, the more Google trusts you. Delete inactive subscribers to boost your score.

You hit "Send." Your CRM says "Sent." The customer says "I never got it."

This is the Deliverability Crisis. Gmail, Yahoo, and Carriers (AT&T/Verizon) are at war with spam. You are collateral damage.

To survive, you must prove you are legitimate.

The Email Trinity (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

You need to add these records to your DNS (GoDaddy/Cloudflare).

SPF (Sender Policy Framework): "I allow this IP address to send email for me."
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): "This email was not tampered with." (Digital Signature).
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication): "If the email fails the first two checks, delete it."

Action: Go to mxtoolbox.com and run a domain scan. If you see red, fix it immediately.

The A2P 10DLC Apocalypse (SMS)

If you send texts from a business software (Twilio, GoHighLevel, ServiceTitan), you are subject to A2P 10DLC regulations.

Requirement: You must register your Business (EIN) and your "Campaign Use Case" with The Campaign Registry.
Penalty: If you don't, your texts will be filtered or blocked by carriers.
Opt-Out Language: Every first text MUST include "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." No exceptions.

Keeping Your Domain Clean

Don't Buy Lists: Never buy an email list. Those lists contain "Spam Traps" (fake emails that alert blacklists).
Remove Bounces: If an email bounces (Hard Bounce), delete it instantly. Sending to dead emails hurts your score.
Reply Tracking: Ask people to reply. "Reply 'Yes' if you got this." Replies signal to Google that you are a friend, not a marketer.

Verification Checklist

DMARC Active: Is your policy set to p=quarantine or p=reject? (p=none does nothing).
Test Email: Send an email to mail-tester.com. What is your score? (Aim for 9/10).
A2P Approved: Check your SMS provider settings. Is your Brand Status "Approved"?

Common Mistakes

[!WARNING] Using bit.ly Links Never use public URL shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl) in SMS. Carriers block them instantly because scammers use them. Use full links or your own branded short domain.

Sending from "noreply@": Always send from a human name (mike@). "Noreply" tells the spam filter that this is a robot.
Heavy Images: Emails that are just one giant image are often caught. Use text-heavy HTML.

FAQ

Q: My emails go to the 'Promotions' tab. How do I fix it? A: Ask the user to "Drag this to Primary." Also, reduce the number of links and images. Strip it down to plain text.

Q: How long does a domain warm-up take? A: 2-4 weeks. Start with 20 emails/day, double it every 3 days.

Sources and References

Google: Email Sender Guidelines - The new 2024 rules.
Twilio: What is A2P 10DLC? - Compliance guide.

Changelog

2024-06-20: Initial publication.

Read Next in This Hub:

Intent-Based Follow-up - Content strategy.
No Response Leads - When to stop.

Related System:

Automation Architecture - We handle the DNS setup.

Follow-Up Deliverability: How to Avoid Spam Folders and Keep Messages Seen