Planning resource
Cold Email Deliverability Checklist Template
A copy-ready cold email deliverability checklist template: authentication, warm-up, list quality, reputation, and inbox placement audits.
Why this matters
This template is a copy-ready audit you can run before every launch or volume increase. Work top to bottom; any failed item is a reason to fix setup before sending, because deliverability is the ceiling on every downstream metric.
Authentication audit
Verify each record before sending
| Check | Pass condition |
|---|---|
| SPF | All sending sources included; no permerror |
| DKIM | Signature valid and verified on received mail |
| DMARC | Policy published; SPF or DKIM aligned with From domain |
| Reverse DNS / rDNS | Sending IP resolves to a matching hostname |
| TLS | Mail transmitted over encrypted connection |
Warm-up and volume audit
- New mailboxes ramped gradually over weeks, not started at full volume.
- Daily sending cap per mailbox respected.
- Volume spread across multiple warmed mailboxes when scaling.
- No sudden volume spike from any single mailbox.
List quality audit
- Addresses verified before send (syntax + MX + SMTP).
- Contacts relevant to the offer and audience.
- Opt-out and complaint handling defined and honored.
- Bounce rate target below ~3%; complaint rate below ~0.1%.
Inbox placement and reputation audit
- Seed-list test shows primary inbox, not spam/promotions.
- Sender domain age and history are clean.
- No misleading subject lines or deceptive content.
- Reputation trend stable or improving week over week.
How to use the result
Fix before you scale
If any authentication or placement item fails, pause the send and resolve it. A failed deliverability audit predicts low open and reply rates regardless of copy quality.
One-pass deliverability checklist
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC published, aligned, and passing.
- rDNS and TLS configured on sending infrastructure.
- Mailboxes warmed; daily caps respected.
- List verified, relevant, opt-out honored.
- Inbox placement tested to primary tab.
- Reputation trend stable; complaint rate low.
Frequently asked questions
What kills cold email deliverability?
Missing or misaligned authentication, sudden volume spikes, unverified lists with high bounces, spam complaints, and misleading content.
How do I audit a domain?
Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC pass and align, check rDNS and TLS, test inbox placement with a seed list, and review bounce and complaint rates.
What is a safe sender score?
There is no single universal score; focus on concrete signals — bounce below ~3%, complaints below ~0.1%, and primary-inbox placement on seed tests.
Related pages
Model your own numbers
Use the ColdMailCalculator to turn assumptions into a reviewable forecast instead of a guess.
Forecasts and metrics ranges are educational estimates based on user-provided assumptions. Results are not guaranteed. This content is not legal, financial, deliverability, or business advice.