Setup checklist#
- ☐ Create seed accounts at Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, and key B2B gateways.
- ☐ Send each campaign to the seed list before the full send.
- ☐ Record inbox, spam, promotions, and missing counts per provider.
- ☐ Correlate drops with content, sending domain, or list segment changes.
- ☐ Fix authentication, reputation, or content issues before scaling.
Audit checklist#
- ☐ Confirm you are not: trusting a single seed mailbox per provider; use several with different engagement histories.
- ☐ Confirm you are not: optimizing for the seed test and not real recipient engagement.
Ongoing monitoring#
- ☐ Weekly: review provider dashboards (Postmaster Tools, SNDS) and bounce logs
- ☐ Monthly: re-run the setup verification after any vendor or DNS change
- ☐ Quarterly: full audit against this checklist
Frequently asked questions#
Why does mail land in Gmail Promotions?
Gmail classifies by content and sender behavior. Promotions is not spam and often performs well; do not over-optimize to escape it.
What is a good inbox placement rate?
Above 90% is healthy. Below 80% indicates a reputation or authentication problem.