Preparations
1. Set MX and SPF records
MX: Improves email deliverability. Some recipient mail servers check whether an MX record is configured. If you have already configured an MX record for receiving emails, you can delete the MX record for Direct Mail.
SPF: Prevents your sender address from being spoofed. This stops others from sending notifications and promotional messages by impersonating you.
2. Set DKIM and DMARC records. These email anti-spoofing measures increase your email reputation and improve deliverability.
DKIM: In the Direct Mail console, find the configuration information for your email domain to obtain the record value. For more information, see What is DKIM? How do I set a DKIM record?
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is an email security protocol that authenticates the sending domain using message encryption. This process verifies that an email was not tampered with during transmission and ensures the integrity of the body.
DMARC: You can configure this yourself without submitting a request. For more information, see What is DMARC? How do I set a DMARC record?
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) prevents others from spoofing your email domain. It also lets you receive reports about spoofing attempts. When a Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) that supports the DMARC protocol receives an email from your domain, it performs a DMARC check. If the check fails, a report is sent to the mailbox specified in your DMARC settings.
3. Provide a valid unsubscribe link
The unsubscribe service is usually part of your own system. Each email you send must contain a unique unsubscribe link that includes the recipient's email address. When a recipient clicks this link, a request is sent to your unsubscribe service. You then parse the recipient's address from the request and remove it from your recipient list. You are responsible for handling the unsubscribe link and process.
4. Improve email quality based on test results
You can use this website to test your emails. This is a third-party website, so be careful with the information that you include in your test content. Send a test email to the temporary mailbox generated on the page to check whether it is marked as spam. Note: The results from this website are for reference only. Each email service provider has a different anti-spam system, but this test can help you identify email quality issues.
5. Add your sender address to an allowlist
If you are sending emails to recipients within your own company, contact your company's email administrator to add your sender address to the allowlist.
6. Send the recipient a request in advance.
If you send newsletters or notifications to your members, contact their email service providers in advance.
Suggestions for sending emails
1. A sudden burst of high-frequency sending can trigger throttling by recipient servers. Warm up your email domain by gradually increasing your sending volume. Spread your sending out evenly over time. For more information, see Warm-up guide.
2. Ensure that your recipient list is high-quality. It should contain only active users who have consented to receive your emails. Promptly remove invalid addresses. A high rate of invalid addresses triggers system rules that can lower your sending reputation or result in your account being blocked.
3. Avoid frequently sending emails with the same subject to multiple recipients who use the same email service provider. This behavior can cause your emails to be automatically marked as spam.