The spam checker before an e-mail campaign: what it is for and how to act on its advice

E-mail·· 53 views· 2 min read

The short answer: before sending, the spam checker reviews the campaign and gives short advice to keep it out of spam. It does not decide for you and it cannot guarantee delivery: it points out what usually goes wrong, and the person writing fixes it.

What counts against a campaign

The filters at the big e-mail services look at two things: who is sending (the domain, its reputation, its history) and what is being sent. The checker helps with the second. The most common content mistakes:

Mistake Why it hurts What to do
An e-mail made of a single image With no text the filter cannot tell what it is, and many people read with images off. Text first, image to illustrate.
Subject in capitals or full of exclamation marks It is the vocabulary filters know by heart. A subject written as a normal sentence.
Unsubscribe link hidden or missing People who cannot find the way out press «spam». The link in the footer, in plain sight.
Shortened links, or links to many places They hide the destination. Few links, to your own domain.

Using the advice

1 Run the checker when the campaign is finished, not halfway.
2 Read each piece of advice and fix what applies. Advice about the subject, for example, takes seconds to sort out.
3 Check again after the fixes.
4 Send yourself a test and see where it lands: inbox, promotions or spam.
Passing the checker is not enough if the domain is not verified. Without correct SPF, DKIM and DMARC, the best text in the world lands in spam. See SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
The checker looks at the campaign; the list is up to you. A list with dead addresses or people who never asked ruins delivery however good the text is. See keeping the list healthy.

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SEE ALSO

The eight checks before you send an e-mail campaign

When a recipient marks your campaign as spam: why it weighs so much and how to avoid it

The subject line of a campaign e-mail: short, honest and saying what is inside

SPF, DKIM and DMARC: why your e-mail lands in spam

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