> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.spott.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Email Deliverability Best Practices

> Warm up your sending domain, keep your mailing list clean, and optimize content so marketing emails reach the inbox.

Before sending campaigns with the [Marketing module](/docs/outreach/marketing),
make sure your [sending domain is verified](/docs/settings/domains). Then follow
the practices below to reach more recipients, drive better engagement, and protect
your sender reputation.

## Warm up your sending domain

A brand-new sending domain or subdomain has no sending history, so inbox providers
have no reason to trust it yet. Sending a high volume of email straight away can
look suspicious to them, and they may respond by throttling your messages, delaying
them, or routing them to spam. A poor reputation picked up early is slow and
difficult to undo. Warming up prevents this: you build trust gradually, starting
with low volumes and increasing over time, before sending at full scale.

The basics to warm up **from scratch**:

* **Send to your most engaged recipients first**: people who reliably open and
  click. Strong early engagement is what builds reputation fastest.
* **Start with a low daily volume**, around 5 to 10 emails a day, and increase it
  step by step over **at least two weeks**, working up toward roughly 50 a day
  before continuing on to your full sending volume. Keep each increase modest
  rather than jumping.
* **Watch your numbers as you go**: keep bounces low, complaints below 0.3%
  (ideally under 0.1%), and engagement healthy. If metrics dip, slow down before
  ramping further.

If you are already sending from a domain or subdomain with an established, healthy
sending history, that reputation carries over, so there is no need to warm up from
scratch. If you would rather not manage the ramp manually, dedicated email warm-up
tools can automate it for you.

<Warning>
  **Warming up your domain and managing its sending reputation over time are your
  responsibility, not Spott's.** We send the campaigns you build, but we do not
  manage your domain, your DNS, or your sender reputation on your behalf. Warming
  up a new domain, keeping your lists clean, and monitoring reputation over time
  are down to you.
</Warning>

## Build and maintain a clean mailing list

* **Build a proper opt-in process.** Only email recipients who have explicitly
  consented and understand what they are signing up for. Consent is not permanent:
  record its validity and periodically reconfirm that subscribers are still
  interested.
* **Always include an unsubscribe link.** Making it easy to opt out reduces spam
  complaints, builds trust, and ultimately improves deliverability. The marketing
  builder requires this, so you cannot forget it.
* **Do not purchase or scrape lists.** Unsolicited emails lead to high bounce
  rates, spam complaints, compliance risks (GDPR, CAN-SPAM), and damage to your
  sender reputation.
* **Keep your lists clean.** A small, engaged list outperforms a large,
  unresponsive one. Regularly:
  * Remove hard bounces and invalid addresses
  * Avoid role-based addresses such as `info@` or `office@`
  * Remove unengaged recipients

<Warning>
  By default, all candidates are **opted in** for marketing communication. It is
  **your responsibility to collect the initial opt-in** for your mailing list.
  From then on, clicking the unsubscribe link automatically creates a marketing
  opt-out, visible on the [Consent subtab](/docs/settings/gdpr-consent) of the
  contact or candidate.
</Warning>

## Optimize your content

### For engaged readers

* **Branding**: use a consistent logo, color scheme, "From" name, and email
  address so recipients immediately recognize you as a trusted sender.
* **Keep it short.** Lead with the most important information, use bullet points
  to avoid long text blocks, and write compelling subject lines. The longer the
  scroll, the lower the engagement.
* **Mobile responsiveness.** A significant portion of emails are read on mobile,
  and unoptimized emails are often deleted or marked as spam. Use Spott's email
  builder and preview your emails across devices before sending.

### For spam filters and inbox providers

* **Optimize images.** Add descriptive alt text and scale images correctly; the
  email builder handles responsive design.
* **Host images in Spott's File Manager** for reliable loading and better inbox
  placement.
* **Maintain a good text-to-image ratio.** Aim for 2 to 4 sentences of text per
  image. Too many images with little text can trigger spam filters.
* **Keep email size in check.** Large emails may be clipped or blocked. Use the
  **Preview** and **Send test** features to review the email before sending.

Together, these practices improve deliverability, reduce spam complaints, and keep
your audience engaged.