Ensuring your emails reach the inbox is critical to campaign success. Repeatedly sending to spam or invalid addresses damages your sender reputation, raises bounce rates, risks blacklisting and wastes resources – all of which make it harder for future campaigns to reach inboxes. Keep your list clean and follow best practices to protect your deliverability and maintain engagement.
1. Keep your list clean
Invalid or stale addresses lead to bounces and hurt your sender reputation. Use our data validation tool to remove typos, disposable domains and inactive contacts. A healthier list boosts deliverability naturally. See Apps in journeys - data validation.
2. Send to the right recipients
Even a well-crafted email can trigger spam filters if it lands with the wrong people. Always send to relevant segments or opted-in contacts who expect your messages. This maintains engagement and protects your sender reputation.
3. Segment and personalise your sends
Relevant content drives engagement and reduces spam reports. Segment by preferences, behaviour or intent, and use personalisation fields to tailor your message. Discover more in Segmentation and personalisation 101 and How to add personalisation fields.
4. Avoid known spam triggers
Certain words and phrases increase the chance of spam filtering. Steer clear of overly promotional language and exclamation marks. For a comprehensive list, check 200 known spam phrases and email tips.
5. Throttle your sends
Sudden high-volume sends can flag spam filters. Space out your email sends or use email throttling to control delivery rate. Gradual sending helps mailbox providers build trust in your domain. Read What is throttling and do I need to use it?.
6. Follow deliverability best practices
Consistent sending cadence, clear subject lines and proper preheaders all contribute to better inbox placement. Review our top tips in Deliverability best practice and watch Masterclass Week 2 - Deliverability.
7. Provide clear unsubscribe options
Easy opt-out links reduce spam complaints. The standard Force24 locked-footer snippet includes a clear unsubscribe link by default. If you need to adjust footer details, simply ask our support team on live chat - they can help update your locked footer settings.
8. Monitor and audit your campaigns
Use inbox placement tests and deliverability audits to see where your emails land. Track bounces, spam complaints and engagement in your Personalised Deliverability Report and learn from real data. For testing guidance, see Inbox placement test and deliverability audit.
By authenticating your domain, keeping your list clean, targeting the right contacts and following these best practices, you’ll keep your emails out of spam folders and in front of engaged subscribers. Consistent monitoring and adjustment ensure you stay one step ahead of filtering algorithms.
For a deeper dive, download our Deliverability Guide.