Client Onboarding Deliverability Baseline (Onboarding)

Client Onboarding Deliverability Baseline (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Inventory the client's current email infrastructure and sending domains

   Document every domain and subdomain used for sending, including marketing, transactional, and any legacy systems. Note the ESPs and any third-party sending services in play.

2. 02

   Verify authentication records for each sending domain

   Check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records using a tool like EasyDMARC or manual DNS lookups. Confirm that DMARC is set to reject or quarantine, not just monitor, and that alignment is correct.

3. 03

   Assess list health and acquisition practices

   Review how the client collects email addresses, whether they use confirmed opt-in, and the age of the list. Run a sample through a verification service like ZeroBounce to gauge bounce and complaint risk.

4. 04

   Review sending volume and frequency patterns

   Look at historical send volumes, cadence, and any sudden spikes or drops. Compare against typical thresholds for the client's domain age and reputation to spot risky patterns.

5. 05

   Check current inbox placement and blacklist status

   Use a seed-based testing tool like MailReach or GlockApps to measure where emails land across major providers. Also check common blacklists and blocklists for any listings.

6. 06

   Document a baseline score and set improvement targets

   Create a deliverability scorecard covering authentication, list health, and placement. Agree on measurable targets with the client, such as reducing spam rate below 0.1% or achieving 95% inbox placement.

7. 07

   Establish a monitoring and reporting cadence

   Define how often you'll review deliverability metrics, who gets reports, and what triggers an alert. Set up dashboards in the client's ESP or a monitoring tool like InboxAlly.