Symptoms#
- Messages landing in spam despite previously good placement
- Bounces mentioning policy, authentication, or reputation
- Provider dashboards showing a drop in reputation or authentication pass rate
Diagnosis steps#
- Confirm the configuration is live: query DNS from an external resolver and check the sending platform's settings page.
- Send to a seed mailbox and read the full headers, especially Authentication-Results.
- Compare the domains in From, Return-Path, and DKIM d= for alignment.
- Check provider dashboards (Google Postmaster Tools, Microsoft SNDS) for reputation and error rates.
- Review recent changes: new vendors, DNS edits, list imports, volume spikes.
Likely causes#
- Discounting in the first message, training shoppers to abandon.
- Sending to carts that were already purchased on another device.
Fix and re-verify#
- Capture email early in checkout or via identified sessions.
- Send the first message within an hour, the second at 24 hours, and an optional third with a modest incentive.
- Embed the actual products with images and a one-click return link.
- Suppress if the purchase completes at any point.
Frequently asked questions#
How many abandoned cart emails should I send?
Two or three. Beyond that, returns fall and complaints rise.