2026 Guide · Deliverability

Staying Out Of Spam

Spam filters aren't looking for one bad email — they're looking for patterns. Here's how to make sure yours look like the messages recipients want.

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Bounce ceiling

<3%

Complaint ceiling

<0.1%

Text-to-link ratio

>20:1

Images per email

0–1

01

What MyProspectPro Already Handles for You

Domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC alignment through Resend), automatic List-Unsubscribe headers, plain-text alternatives for every HTML send, and 10 email/second pacing to prevent volume spikes.

Your job is the content, list quality, and rhythm. That's what the rest of this guide covers.

02

Content Signals Filters Watch For

Spam-Trigger Words

"Free", "guaranteed", "$$$", "act now", "100% risk-free", excessive punctuation!!!. Avoid these especially in subject lines.

Link Ratio

One or two links per email. Ten links to different domains looks like a phishing attempt or newsletter blast.

URL Shorteners

bit.ly and tinyurl are heavily spam-flagged. MyProspectPro's tracking links use your own tracking domain — leave them alone.

Heavy Images

Emails that are all image and little text ("image-heavy") score high on spam filters. Keep it text-first.

All-Caps Subject Lines

Instant trigger. Same for repeated exclamation marks or emoji stuffing.

03

Sending Patterns That Build Reputation

Warm-Up Gradually

New domains should start at 10–20 sends/day and double weekly, not overnight. See the 30-Day Playbook.

Consistency Beats Volume

150/day every weekday is safer than 750 on Monday and silence for the rest of the week.

Business Hours Only

3am blasts look automated. Send during normal working hours in your recipient's time zone when possible.

Respect Unsubscribes Instantly

Every unsubscribe request is honored immediately in MyProspectPro. Never contact a suppressed address again.

Cap Follow-Ups at 4

More than 4 touches to a non-responder is functionally harassment and filters treat it that way.

04

List Hygiene is 50% of Deliverability

A dirty list — dead addresses, role accounts, catch-alls, spam traps — will sink even a perfectly authenticated domain. See the Cleaning Your Contact List and Finding & Verifying Email Addresses Ethically guides.

Watch bounce rate weekly. If it climbs above 3%, stop sending, clean the list, and only resume when you've isolated the bad addresses.

Do

  • Keep bounce rate under 3% and complaints under 0.1%.
  • Send in a consistent daily rhythm, not sporadic bursts.
  • Write plain-text-first emails; MyProspectPro auto-generates the text version.
  • Include the physical mailing address in the footer (CAN-SPAM requirement).
  • Honor unsubscribes and suppressions instantly.

Don't

  • No spam-trigger words in subject lines ("free," "$$$," etc.).
  • Skip URL shorteners — use full links or the built-in tracker.
  • Don't send image-only emails.
  • Never buy lists or scrape indiscriminately (see the Ethical Sourcing guide).
  • Don't ignore the unsubscribe link — it's the single easiest way to burn your domain.

Pre-Send Checklist

  1. 1SPF, DKIM, DMARC records verified.
  2. 2Bounce rate under 3%.
  3. 3No spam-trigger words in subject.
  4. 4One or two links per email, no shorteners.
  5. 5Physical address in signature/footer.
  6. 6Unsubscribe link present (auto-added by MyProspectPro).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my emails still land in spam?

Usually one of: subject line triggers, low domain reputation, dirty list, or aggressive volume ramp. Check each in that order. See the dashboard's bounce and complaint metrics.

Do images really hurt deliverability?

Yes, especially for cold outreach. One small image is usually fine; image-heavy emails or emails that are one big image score badly.

Should I add a signature image or logo?

For cold outreach, no — plain text signatures deliver better. Save logos for transactional or warm-thread emails.

What's the fastest way to recover a damaged domain?

Pause cold sends for 2–4 weeks, send only warm/transactional email, clean the entire list, and then ramp again slowly starting from 10/day.

Land in the Inbox Every Time

MyProspectPro handles the sending, tracking, and follow-ups so you can focus on the message.