Email Deliverability Best Practices

Why Deliverability Matters

Email deliverability refers to the ability of your emails to reach the inbox rather than the spam folder. Even the best-written email campaign is worthless if it never reaches your subscribers. Cavaco is built with deliverability best practices baked in, but there are steps you should take to maximize your inbox placement rate.

Configure email sending preferences including quiet hours and smart sending to protect deliverability.

Domain Authentication

The single most important step for deliverability is authenticating your sending domain. This involves setting up three DNS records: SPF (authorizes Cavaco's servers to send on your behalf), DKIM (adds a cryptographic signature to every email), and DMARC (tells receiving servers what to do with emails that fail authentication checks). Navigate to Settings > Domains to verify your domain and get the exact DNS records to add.

List Hygiene

Sending to invalid or unengaged email addresses harms your sender reputation. Cavaco automatically suppresses hard bounces and unsubscribes. Additionally, consider running a re-engagement campaign for contacts who haven't opened an email in 6+ months, then suppressing those who still don't engage.

Engagement-Based Sending

Internet service providers use engagement signals to determine inbox placement. Use Cavaco's segments to identify your most engaged subscribers and prioritize them for new campaigns before rolling out to your full list.

Content Best Practices

Avoid spam trigger words in subject lines. Maintain a healthy image-to-text ratio. Always include a plain-text version of your email, which Cavaco generates automatically. Include a clear unsubscribe link in every marketing email — Cavaco adds this automatically.