If your emails aren’t landing in inboxes or your open rates feel lower than expected, you’re not alone. Email deliverability is influenced by many factors, most of which are controlled by inbox providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo (not the sending platform itself).
The good news? There are proven steps you can take inside Flodesk to improve inbox placement and increase the likelihood your emails get opened. This guide walks you through the most impactful best practices, with a focus on what you can directly control.
1. Set up domain authentication
Domain authentication tells inbox providers that Flodesk is allowed to send emails on your behalf. Without it, your emails are far more likely to be filtered or blocked.
Authenticate your sending domain by setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
Complete all authentication steps—not partial setup
Why it matters
Unauthenticated or partially authenticated domains are one of the biggest red flags for inbox providers and a top cause of deliverability issues.
👉 If you haven’t authenticated yet, this should be your very first step.
2. Warm up your domain (especially after changes)
If you:
Migrated from another platform
Haven’t sent emails in 4–6 weeks
Are increasing send volume
You need to warm up your domain again.
How to warm up properly
Start with your most engaged subscribers
Gradually increase volume over several sends
Avoid sudden spikes in sending
This helps rebuild trust with inbox providers over time.
3. Keep your sending consistent
Irregular sending patterns can trigger spam filters, even if your content is solid.
What inbox providers don’t like
Long periods of silence followed by big sends
Sudden increases in email volume
Inconsistent weekly or monthly schedules
What works better
A predictable sending cadence
Gradual growth in list size and volume
Consistency over intensity
4. Maintain strong list hygiene
Sending to disengaged or inactive subscribers is one of the fastest ways to hurt deliverability.
Best practices
Regularly remove or suppress:
Subscribers who haven’t opened in a long time
Old imports with no recent engagement
Consider re-engagement campaigns before removing contacts
A smaller, more engaged list will outperform a large, inactive one every time.
5. Use clean, secure links in your emails
Links matter more than most people realize.
Avoid
Shortened links (Bitly, generic shorteners)
HTTP links (non-secure)
Use instead
Full, branded URLs
HTTPS links only
Shortened or insecure links are common spam signals for inbox providers.
6. Optimize content & subject lines for opens
Deliverability gets your email to the inbox—your content gets it opened.
Subject line tips
Be clear, not click-baity
Avoid excessive punctuation or ALL CAPS
Focus on one clear benefit or curiosity hook
Content best practices
Write like a human, not a brand
Balance text and links
Avoid overly promotional language in every email
Engagement (opens, clicks, replies) feeds back into deliverability over time.
7. Monitor the right metrics in Flodesk
Instead of focusing on one campaign, look for trends.
Metrics to watch
Open rate trends over time
Click activity
Engagement by segment
Performance differences between engaged vs full-list sends
What matters most
Consistency and improvement—not perfection on a single send.
8. Send to engaged subscribers (not everyone)
Sending to your entire list—even people who haven’t opened an email in months—can actively hurt your sender reputation.
Best practice inside Flodesk
Use engagement-based segments
Prioritize subscribers who have:
Opened or clicked recently
Signed up within the last 30–90 days
Avoid
Regularly blasting your full list
Continuing to email subscribers who never open or click
Inbox providers closely watch engagement. Low engagement signals = lower inbox placement.
Final takeaway
Deliverability isn’t about hacks or quick fixes. It’s about building trust with inbox providers and your subscribers. The biggest wins come from the actions you control: authentication, engagement, consistency, and list quality.
If you focus on these fundamentals, you’ll set yourself up for better inbox placement, stronger open rates, and more meaningful connections with your audience.
If you need help implementing any of these steps inside Flodesk, our support team is here for you 💛