Pre-send checklist
Pre-send checklist for the first campaign from a new domain
Mailbox providers do not know a new domain, so they watch its first sends closely. Authentication proves the email is really from you; a gradual start shows that people want it. Skip either and good email lands in spam.
The inbox line
- The From address uses the domain you have authenticated.
- The sender name is a brand people will recognise from signing up.
- The reply address exists and is read.
- The subject is plain. A new domain is not the time for a hard sell.
Inside the email
- Links point to your own domain, not to a link shortener.
- There is a text version as well as the HTML one.
- A physical postal address is in the footer where the law requires one.
- The unsubscribe link is visible and works with one click.
The send
- SPF and DKIM pass. Send a test and read the message headers.
- A DMARC record is published for the domain.
- The first sends go to your most engaged subscribers, in small batches that grow.
- Bounces and complaints are watched after each batch before the next goes out.
One tip
Send a test to an address at each large mailbox provider and open "show original" or the message headers. You want to see SPF, DKIM and DMARC each marked as pass.
Common questions
What are SPF, DKIM and DMARC?
Three DNS records. SPF lists the servers allowed to send for your domain. DKIM adds a signature that proves the message was not altered. DMARC tells receivers what to do when the first two fail and where to send reports.
Why start with small sends on a new domain?
A new domain has no sending history. A sudden large send looks the same as a spammer who registered a domain yesterday. Starting with engaged readers and growing the volume builds a reputation that later campaigns rely on.
More checklists
CW-01 · 12 CHECKS
A newsletter
For the regular send that is easy to stop checking.
Open checklist
CW-02 · 12 CHECKS
A welcome email
The first email a new subscriber gets. It sends itself, so check it well once.
Open checklist
CW-03 · 12 CHECKS
A product launch
One chance, many people watching, and a page that must be live.
Open checklist
CW-04 · 12 CHECKS
A sale or promotion
Codes, end dates and exclusions: the details people complain about.
Open checklist
Final call
A sent email cannot be unsent.
Check the inbox line before it leaves. Free, no account, nothing uploaded.