Deliverability Risk Review (QA)

Deliverability Risk Review (QA)

1. 01

   Verify list consent and opt-in source before any send

   Confirm every recipient was acquired through a permission-based mechanism such as a signup form or purchased-list exclusion. Platforms like Mailmunch and AWeber provide list-source tagging to support this audit.

2. 02

   Check sender authentication records for the client domain

   Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are published and aligned with the sending platform. Missing or misconfigured records are a leading cause of spam-folder placement.

3. 03

   Review engagement metrics from the last 30 days

   Look at open and click rates alongside complaint and unsubscribe rates. A complaint rate above 0.1% or a steep open-rate decline signals a deliverability problem that needs correction before the next campaign.

4. 04

   Segment inactive subscribers out of the active send list

   Move contacts with no opens or clicks in 90 days into a separate re-engagement or suppression list. This protects sender reputation and improves campaign metrics for the client.

5. 05

   Test email rendering across major clients and devices

   Use the platform's preview tools or a third-party renderer to check Gmail, Outlook, and mobile clients. Broken layouts or blocked images can hurt engagement and lead to spam complaints.

6. 06

   Confirm suppression list and unsubscribe handling are active

   Verify that the platform automatically honors unsubscribe requests and that global suppression lists are applied. Failure here violates CAN-SPAM and can trigger blacklisting.

7. 07

   Document findings and remediation steps for the client

   Prepare a short report listing any risks found, actions taken, and recommendations for list hygiene or content changes. This creates an audit trail and supports the retainer relationship.