Subscribe to our newsletter
Stay ahead of the new deliverability standards and keep your email performance strong.
The inbox landscape is changing fast. Stricter filters, evolving reputation systems, and advanced authentication standards are making it harder for legitimate marketing emails to stay visible.
Use this quick checklist to make sure your team is ready for 2026.
1. Authentication & Domain Setup
- SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up and aligned with your sending domain.
- Each record passes validation when tested (use tools like MXToolbox or Mail-Tester).
- A clear process exists for reviewing and updating DNS records after platform or domain changes.
- You’re not sending both marketing and sales emails from the same root domain (use subdomains).
Why it matters: Proper authentication tells inbox providers you’re legitimate – and helps protect your brand from spoofing or phishing.
2. Sending Behavior & Volume
- You’re monitoring daily and weekly send volumes – no sudden spikes.
- New domains or IPs are gradually warmed up before scaling.
- Large sends are segmented or staggered, not blasted all at once.
- You’re not reusing “burned” or poorly performing sending domains.
Why it matters: Reputation is built on consistency. Spikes, unverified domains, and aggressive sending patterns trigger filters even for good senders.
3. Engagement Health
- You regularly remove inactive contacts (no opens/clicks in 90–120 days).
- Campaigns are targeted – not broad sends to “everyone.”
- You’re monitoring engagement by domain (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to catch early warning signs.
- Reply rates, not just open/click rates, are part of your engagement review.
Why it matters: Inbox providers track how recipients engage. Strong engagement signals trust – and keeps your messages out of spam.
4. Content & Design
- Subject lines are clear and human – no spammy triggers (ALL CAPS, “FREE,” “ACT NOW,” etc.).
- You’re not overusing images or links that could trigger filters.
- You include plain-text versions of your HTML emails.
- Unsubscribe links are easy to find and actually work.
Why it matters: Even small content tweaks can affect inbox placement. Simplicity and transparency build deliverability trust.
5. Monitoring & Alerts
- You test inbox placement regularly (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail).
- You’ve set up alerts for DMARC or sender reputation drops.
- You track metrics beyond delivery – like inbox rate and spam placement.
- You review sending performance monthly with your ESP or deliverability partner.
Why it matters: Deliverability issues start small. Regular monitoring helps you catch and fix them before they hurt ROI.
💡 Pro Tip: Get Expert Eyes on Your Deliverability
Even the most careful teams miss things – especially as new filters and standards roll out. Working with a trusted deliverability consultancy ensures experts are continuously monitoring your sender reputation, domain health, and authentication status.
A proactive partner can detect red flags before they impact ROI, manage warmups or domain rotations safely, and fix issues before they snowball. It’s the fastest way to keep your sending safe and your campaigns performing year-round.
Final Note
Email deliverability in 2026 won’t reward senders who send the most – it will reward senders who send safely.
If you’d like a deeper audit or want to know how your current setup stacks up against 2026 standards, Senders can run a no-charge deliverability checkup to pinpoint risks early.
We’d love to learn more about your business, email deliverability and outreach goals, and see if we might be able to help.
Whether you have questions about what we do, how Protocol works, or you’d just like to pick our brains on some of our best practices, we’d be happy to chat.
Schedule a call with our Revenue Director, Chrisley Ceme.
Stay ahead of the new deliverability standards and keep your email performance strong.
The inbox landscape is changing fast. Stricter filters, evolving reputation systems, and advanced authentication standards are making it harder for legitimate marketing emails to stay visible.
Use this quick checklist to make sure your team is ready for 2026.
1. Authentication & Domain Setup
- SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up and aligned with your sending domain.
- Each record passes validation when tested (use tools like MXToolbox or Mail-Tester).
- A clear process exists for reviewing and updating DNS records after platform or domain changes.
- You’re not sending both marketing and sales emails from the same root domain (use subdomains).
Why it matters: Proper authentication tells inbox providers you’re legitimate – and helps protect your brand from spoofing or phishing.
2. Sending Behavior & Volume
- You’re monitoring daily and weekly send volumes – no sudden spikes.
- New domains or IPs are gradually warmed up before scaling.
- Large sends are segmented or staggered, not blasted all at once.
- You’re not reusing “burned” or poorly performing sending domains.
Why it matters: Reputation is built on consistency. Spikes, unverified domains, and aggressive sending patterns trigger filters even for good senders.
3. Engagement Health
- You regularly remove inactive contacts (no opens/clicks in 90–120 days).
- Campaigns are targeted – not broad sends to “everyone.”
- You’re monitoring engagement by domain (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to catch early warning signs.
- Reply rates, not just open/click rates, are part of your engagement review.
Why it matters: Inbox providers track how recipients engage. Strong engagement signals trust – and keeps your messages out of spam.
4. Content & Design
- Subject lines are clear and human – no spammy triggers (ALL CAPS, “FREE,” “ACT NOW,” etc.).
- You’re not overusing images or links that could trigger filters.
- You include plain-text versions of your HTML emails.
- Unsubscribe links are easy to find and actually work.
Why it matters: Even small content tweaks can affect inbox placement. Simplicity and transparency build deliverability trust.
5. Monitoring & Alerts
- You test inbox placement regularly (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail).
- You’ve set up alerts for DMARC or sender reputation drops.
- You track metrics beyond delivery – like inbox rate and spam placement.
- You review sending performance monthly with your ESP or deliverability partner.
Why it matters: Deliverability issues start small. Regular monitoring helps you catch and fix them before they hurt ROI.
💡 Pro Tip: Get Expert Eyes on Your Deliverability
Even the most careful teams miss things – especially as new filters and standards roll out. Working with a trusted deliverability consultancy ensures experts are continuously monitoring your sender reputation, domain health, and authentication status.
A proactive partner can detect red flags before they impact ROI, manage warmups or domain rotations safely, and fix issues before they snowball. It’s the fastest way to keep your sending safe and your campaigns performing year-round.
Final Note
Email deliverability in 2026 won’t reward senders who send the most – it will reward senders who send safely.
If you’d like a deeper audit or want to know how your current setup stacks up against 2026 standards, Senders can run a no-charge deliverability checkup to pinpoint risks early.
Our Revenue Director, Chrisley Ceme, is leading the Triggered Outbound program.Chrisley’s gone deep on this strategy and can walk you through:
- How Triggered Outbound fits with your outbound goals
- What triggers are available (and what’s possible within our platform)
- Pricing, onboarding, and getting started
