Deliverability 101: landing in the inbox

"Deliverability" is whether your email actually reaches the inbox. Great content doesn't matter if it lands in spam. Here's how to keep your sending healthy.

Start with the basics

• Verify your From address (see Set up and verify your From email address).
• Only email people who opted in. Permission is the foundation of deliverability.
• Keep your business name and address set so every email is compliant.

Warm up gradually

If you're sending to a list for the first time, don't blast everyone at once. Start with smaller, engaged groups and increase volume over a few sends. A sudden spike in volume from a new sender looks suspicious to mailbox providers.

Keep your list clean

• Let ThunkMail suppress bounces, unsubscribes, and complaints automatically — don't try to re-add them.
• Remove contacts who haven't opened anything in a long time. A smaller, engaged list outperforms a big, cold one.

Write emails people want

• Use a clear, honest subject line — no ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation, or "FREE!!!" style hooks.
• Balance images and text; an email that's one giant image is a classic spam signal.
• Always include a working unsubscribe link (ThunkMail adds this for you).

Watch your metrics

After each send, check your open, click, bounce, and complaint rates. Rising bounces or complaints are an early warning. Sustained complaint rates above roughly 0.1% need attention — pull back, clean your list, and focus on your most engaged subscribers.

Good deliverability is a habit, not a one-time setting. Send relevant email to people who want it, and the inbox takes care of itself.