How to Improve Your Email Deliverability and IP Reputation

You’ve put in the effort to craft a thoughtful email campaign—compelling content, clear calls to action, helpful links—only to discover that your audience never even saw it. Your message landed in spam, or worse, didn’t land at all.

If that’s ever happened to you, you’re not alone. Email deliverability is one of the most important—and most overlooked—parts of a successful campaign. Inbox providers like Gmail and Outlook are constantly evaluating whether you’re a sender they can trust. Are your emails safe, authentic, and wanted?

Here’s how to strengthen your IP reputation and make sure your emails actually reach the people you’re trying to serve.

1. Focus on Your Most Engaged Subscribers

Inbox providers pay close attention to how people interact with your emails. If you're regularly sending to contacts who haven’t opened or clicked in months, your reputation can take a hit.

Start with your most active segment:

• People who have clicked in the last 30 days

• Then move to 30-day openers

• Then gradually expand to older segments if needed

Prioritizing engagement tells inboxes your emails are relevant and valuable.

2. Remove Inactive Contacts Over Time

It can be hard to let go of subscribers, especially if you've worked hard to build your list. But if someone hasn’t opened your emails in a long time—say, after 50+ sends—it’s time to remove or suppress them.

Holding onto unengaged users drags down your metrics and sends the wrong signals to inbox providers.

3. Validate New Lists Before Sending

If you’re adding a new list of contacts, make sure it’s clean before you hit send. Use a validation tool like Debounce or FreshAddress to identify and remove invalid or inactive email addresses.

This small step helps you avoid hard bounces, which protects your sender reputation and improve your results.

4. Balance Images and Text in Your Emails

Too much of one thing—whether it’s all images or all text—can raise red flags with inbox filters. Aim for a healthy 50/50 balance between images and written content. This not only improves deliverability but also creates a better experience for your readers.

5. Set Up Email Authentication

Authenticating your domain might sound technical, but it’s essential for deliverability. These three tools work together to prove your emails are legitimate:

• SPF authorizes the servers allowed to send email on your behalf

• DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails

• DMARC tells inbox providers how to handle emails that fail the first two checks

Setting these up correctly helps inboxes recognize and trust your emails.

6. Monitor Blocklists Regularly

Even reputable senders can end up on an email blocklist. That’s why it’s smart to run occasional checks using a tool like Mail Tester. It will scan major blocklists and let you know if your IP address is flagged—so you can address any issues before they impact deliverability.

7. Make Unsubscribing Easy

Including a clear unsubscribe link is not just legally required, it’s a healthy part of maintaining list quality. If someone can’t easily opt out, they’re more likely to mark your message as spam, which damages your reputation far more than an unsubscribe ever would.

Final Thoughts

Improving your deliverability isn’t just about tech settings and metrics, it’s about building trust. When your emails reach the inbox consistently, it means your message is more likely to be heard, appreciated, and acted on.

Want to connect with high-intent Christian audiences—whether that’s readers, pastors, or Echo Prayer App users? Contact us to learn how our email services can help you connect with the right people at the right time.