Definition

Email deliverability is the ability to land marketing and transactional emails in recipients’ inboxes rather than spam folders. It is measured by inbox placement rate, bounce rate, and spam complaint rate.

Detailed Explanation

Deliverability depends on sender reputation (IP and domain), authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene, engagement rates, and content signals. Mailbox providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) score senders over time — poor practices compound into blacklisting.

Deliverability Rate ≈ (Emails Delivered to Inbox ÷ Emails Sent) × 100

Warm up new sending domains gradually. Segment engaged vs. inactive subscribers. Remove hard bounces immediately.

Nepal Context

Nepali businesses using shared hosting email (info@company.com.np via cPanel) for bulk marketing often hit spam filters. Use dedicated ESPs (Mailchimp, Brevo, SendGrid) with authenticated domains. Gmail dominates consumer email in Nepal — engagement and authentication matter most.

Practical Examples

  1. Set up SPF + DKIM + DMARC before first campaign — check with mail-tester.com.
  2. Re-engagement campaign to inactive 90-day non-openers; suppress non-responders.
  3. Transactional emails (order confirmations) on separate subdomain (e.g., mail.yourbrand.com).

Key Takeaways

  • Deliverability = inbox placement, not just “sent” status.
  • Authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) is non-negotiable for bulk sending.
  • Engagement signals drive future inbox placement.

Common Mistakes

  1. Purchasing email lists — destroys reputation instantly.
  2. No authentication records — major cause of spam folder placement.
  3. Sending from free Gmail to large lists — violates ToS and triggers blocks.