Why deliverability matters
Every email you send has one of three outcomes:| Outcome | What happens | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Inbox | Email arrives in the recipient’s primary inbox | Message is seen and can be acted on |
| Spam | Email is delivered but placed in the spam/junk folder | Rarely seen; damages sender reputation |
| Bounce | Email is rejected by the receiving server | Never delivered; high bounce rates damage reputation |
- Inbox placement rate: 95%+
- Bounce rate: under 2%
- Spam complaint rate: under 0.1% (1 per 1,000 emails)
Dedicated sending domain setup
Setting up a dedicated sending domain is the single most important step for email deliverability. Without it, your emails are sent from a shared domain, which means your reputation is affected by other senders.Adding a domain
Click Add Domain
Click Add Sending Domain and enter your domain name (e.g.,
mail.yourbusiness.com). Using a subdomain like mail. or send. is recommended to protect your root domain’s reputation.Add DNS records
The platform will generate DNS records that you must add to your domain’s DNS provider (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.). You will need to add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
SPF record
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells receiving mail servers which servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | TXT |
| Host | @ or subdomain |
| Value | Provided by HoopAI (typically includes include: directive) |
| TTL | 3600 (or default) |
You can only have one SPF record per domain. If you already have an SPF record, you must merge the new
include: directive into your existing record rather than creating a second one.DKIM record
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to your emails, proving they were not tampered with in transit.| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | TXT (or CNAME, depending on provider) |
| Host | Selector provided by HoopAI (e.g., k1._domainkey) |
| Value | Public key string provided by the platform |
| TTL | 3600 |
DMARC policy
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) tells receiving servers what to do if SPF or DKIM checks fail.| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | TXT |
| Host | _dmarc |
| Value | v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com |
| TTL | 3600 |
| Policy | Behavior | When to use |
|---|---|---|
p=none | Monitor only, deliver all emails | Start here — collect data before enforcing |
p=quarantine | Send failing emails to spam | After confirming legitimate emails pass SPF/DKIM |
p=reject | Block failing emails entirely | Maximum protection, use after thorough testing |
DNS verification checklist
Use this checklist to confirm your email authentication is complete:| Check | Status | How to verify |
|---|---|---|
| SPF record added | Pending / Done | nslookup -type=txt yourdomain.com |
| DKIM record added | Pending / Done | nslookup -type=txt selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com |
| DMARC record added | Pending / Done | nslookup -type=txt _dmarc.yourdomain.com |
| Domain verified in platform | Pending / Done | Settings > Email Services > check status |
| Test email delivered to inbox | Pending / Done | Send test to Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo |
Email warmup
When you set up a new sending domain, mailbox providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) have no history with your domain. Sending a large volume of email immediately will trigger spam filters. Email warmup is the process of gradually increasing your sending volume to build a positive sender reputation.How it works
During warmup, the HoopAI platform sends emails between real inboxes in a managed network. These emails are opened, replied to, and removed from spam — all signals that tell inbox providers your domain is trustworthy.The built-in warmup feature is available with LC Email. If you use Mailgun or a third-party SMTP provider, you will need to manage warmup manually or use an external warmup service.
Recommended warmup schedule
| Week | Daily send volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10-25 | Send only to engaged contacts who are likely to open |
| 2 | 30-50 | Continue with engaged contacts |
| 3 | 75-100 | Begin expanding to broader lists |
| 4 | 150-250 | Monitor bounce and complaint rates |
| 5 | 300-500 | Scale up if metrics remain healthy |
| 6 | 500-1,000 | Approaching normal volume |
| 7 | 1,000-2,500 | Near full capacity |
| 8+ | Full volume | Maintain healthy sending practices |
Enable warmup
Turn on warmup
Toggle the Email Warmup switch to enabled. The platform will begin sending warmup emails automatically.
Monitor progress
Check the warmup dashboard daily to track inbox placement rates and warmup email interactions.
Warmup best practices
- Send to your most engaged contacts first — people who have recently opened or clicked your emails
- Avoid purchased or scraped lists during warmup — these have high bounce and complaint rates
- Use real, valuable content — not test emails or placeholder content
- Monitor daily — check bounce rates, complaint rates, and open rates after each send
- Do not skip warmup or ramp too quickly — a sudden spike in volume from a new domain is a classic spam signal and can result in your domain being blacklisted
Sender reputation
Your sender reputation is a score assigned by mailbox providers based on your sending behavior. It determines whether your emails reach the inbox.Factors that affect reputation
| Factor | Impact | Ideal target |
|---|---|---|
| Bounce rate | High | Under 2% |
| Spam complaint rate | Very high | Under 0.1% |
| Open rate | Medium | Above 20% |
| Unsubscribe rate | Medium | Under 0.5% |
| Spam trap hits | Very high | Zero |
| Email authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) | High | All passing |
| Sending consistency | Medium | Regular, predictable volume |
| Domain age | Low-medium | Older is better |
Monitoring reputation
- Google Postmaster Tools — free tool to monitor your domain reputation with Gmail. Set up at postmaster.google.com
- Microsoft SNDS — monitor reputation with Outlook/Hotmail
- MXToolbox — check for blacklists at mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx
- Platform analytics — check email stats in Reporting > Email in the HoopAI dashboard
Email service providers
The HoopAI platform supports three email sending methods:- LC Email
- Mailgun
- Custom SMTP
LC Email (LeadConnector Email) is the built-in email service.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Setup | Automatic — no external account needed |
| Pricing | Usage-based, per-email charges (see pricing below) |
| Domain setup | Configure in Settings > Email Services |
| Warmup | Built-in warmup tool available |
| Dedicated IP | Available at higher volumes |
| Deliverability tracking | Native dashboard |
| Support | Full HoopAI support |
| Best for | Most users who want a simple, integrated solution |
LC Email pricing
LC Email uses a simple usage-based pricing model with volume discounts.| Monthly volume | Rate per email | Effective cost per 10,000 emails |
|---|---|---|
| First 10,000 | $0.000675 | $6.75 |
| 10,001-100,000 | $0.000600 | $6.00 |
| 100,001-1,000,000 | $0.000500 | $5.00 |
| 1,000,001+ | Contact support | Custom pricing |
Pricing is subject to change. Check Settings > Email Services > Billing for your current rates and usage.
Email bounces
Hard bounces vs soft bounces
| Type | Cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Hard bounce | Email address does not exist, domain invalid, or recipient server permanently rejects | Remove immediately — never send again |
| Soft bounce | Inbox full, server temporarily unavailable, message too large | Retry up to 3 times, then remove if persistent |
- Hard bounces — contact is marked as bounced and excluded from future sends
- Soft bounces — retried automatically; marked as bounced after multiple failures
Bounce rate management
To keep your bounce rate under 2%:- Validate emails before importing — use email verification services to clean lists
- Remove inactive contacts — contacts who have not engaged in 6+ months are more likely to bounce
- Use double opt-in — require email confirmation before adding to your list
- Never use purchased lists — these have extremely high bounce rates
- Check for typo domains — gamil.com, yahooo.com, hotmal.com, etc.
Spam complaints
A spam complaint occurs when a recipient clicks “Report Spam” or “Mark as Junk” in their email client.How to minimize spam complaints
- Only email people who opted in — this is the #1 way to prevent complaints
- Include a clear unsubscribe link — make it easy and immediate (do not require login)
- Set expectations at opt-in — tell people what they will receive and how often
- Honor unsubscribes immediately — process within 24 hours (legally required within 10 days under CAN-SPAM)
- Use a recognizable “From” name — recipients should immediately know who is emailing them
- Send relevant content — irrelevant emails get marked as spam even from opted-in contacts
- Maintain consistent sending frequency — sudden spikes look suspicious
List hygiene
Regular list maintenance is critical for deliverability:| Task | Frequency | How |
|---|---|---|
| Remove hard bounces | Automatic | Platform handles this automatically |
| Remove unsubscribes | Automatic | Platform handles this automatically |
| Remove inactive contacts | Monthly/quarterly | Filter contacts with no opens in 90-180 days |
| Verify email addresses | Before import | Use email verification service before importing lists |
| Re-engagement campaign | Quarterly | Send “Are you still interested?” campaign to inactive contacts |
| Remove spam traps | Ongoing | Never use purchased lists; clean old lists regularly |
Monitoring email performance
Where to check email stats
| Metric | Location |
|---|---|
| Individual email stats | Conversations > select email > view delivery status |
| Campaign stats | Marketing > Emails > select campaign > analytics |
| Overall email health | Reporting > Email |
| Domain health | Settings > Email Services > authentication status, warmup progress |
| Domain reputation | Google Postmaster Tools (external) |
Key metrics to monitor
| Metric | Healthy | Warning | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open rate | 20%+ | 10-20% | Under 10% |
| Click rate | 2%+ | 1-2% | Under 1% |
| Bounce rate | Under 1% | 1-2% | Over 2% |
| Spam complaint rate | Under 0.05% | 0.05-0.1% | Over 0.1% |
| Unsubscribe rate | Under 0.3% | 0.3-0.5% | Over 0.5% |
Common issues and fixes
Emails going to spam
Emails going to spam
Check these in order:
- Email authentication — verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are all passing. Use mail-tester.com for a quick test
- Sender reputation — check Google Postmaster Tools for domain reputation
- Content — avoid spam trigger words (FREE, ACT NOW, LIMITED TIME), excessive capitalization, too many links, or image-only emails
- Text-to-image ratio — emails that are mostly images with little text are flagged more often
- List quality — high bounce or complaint rates damage reputation
- Warmup — if your domain is new, you may be sending too much too soon
- Unsubscribe link — ensure every email has a visible, working unsubscribe link
- Plain-text version — include a plain-text fallback to improve trust signals
Low open rates
Low open rates
Possible causes and fixes:
- Subject lines — test different subject lines with A/B splits; keep them under 50 characters; personalize with contact name
- Sender name — use a recognizable name, not “noreply@”
- Send time — test different days and times; Tuesday-Thursday 9-11 AM tends to perform best
- List engagement — segment by engagement; stop sending to contacts who never open
- Inbox placement — your emails may be going to spam (see above)
- Preview text — customize the preview text that appears after the subject line
- Promotions tab — Gmail may be placing your emails in the Promotions tab rather than Primary
High bounce rate
High bounce rate
Immediate actions:
- Stop sending until you clean your list
- Remove all hard-bounced addresses
- Run your list through an email verification service
- Remove contacts who have not engaged in 6+ months
- Check for typo domains (gamil.com, yahooo.com, etc.)
- If importing a new list, verify before importing
- Never import purchased or scraped email lists
DNS records not verifying
DNS records not verifying
Troubleshooting steps:
- Wait at least 1-4 hours for DNS propagation
- Verify you added records to the correct domain/subdomain
- Check for copy-paste errors in the record value
- Ensure you do not have duplicate or conflicting records (especially multiple SPF records)
- Use
nslookupor MXToolbox to verify records are published - If using Cloudflare, ensure the DNS record is set to DNS Only (gray cloud), not proxied
Emails not sending at all
Emails not sending at all
Check:
- Email service is connected and active (Settings > Email Services)
- Sending domain is verified
- Account is in good standing (no suspensions)
- Daily sending limit has not been reached
- Contact has a valid email address and is not marked as bounced or unsubscribed
- Check billing — insufficient balance may pause sending
Domain blacklisted
Domain blacklisted
Steps to resolve:
- Identify the blacklist using MXToolbox Blacklist Check
- Fix the root cause — high bounce rates, spam complaints, or compromised sending
- Submit a delisting request through the blacklist’s self-service removal process
- Re-warm your domain — treat it as partially new, ramp volume gradually over 2-3 weeks
DMARC failures
DMARC failures
Troubleshooting:
- Verify that your SPF record includes the correct
include:value for your sending service - Confirm that DKIM is properly signed — check the
d=ands=values in email headers match your DNS records - Start with
p=noneto collect reports before enforcingp=quarantineorp=reject - Use a DMARC analyzer tool to review your DMARC reports and identify failing sources
Best practices by email type
| Email type | Warmup needed | Authentication | Sending frequency | Key considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold email | Critical | SPF + DKIM + DMARC required | Low volume (50-100/day max) | Use a separate subdomain; high risk of complaints |
| Marketing campaigns | Yes | SPF + DKIM + DMARC required | Weekly or bi-weekly | Segment by engagement; always include unsubscribe |
| Transactional email | Minimal | SPF + DKIM + DMARC required | As needed | Use a separate subdomain from marketing; high open rates expected |
| Workflow automations | Yes | SPF + DKIM + DMARC required | Varies | Monitor aggregate stats across all workflows |
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to warm up a new domain?
How long does it take to warm up a new domain?
Plan for 4-8 weeks of gradual warmup. The exact timeline depends on your target volume and how engaged your recipient list is. Rushing warmup is one of the most common deliverability mistakes.
Should I use a subdomain for sending email?
Should I use a subdomain for sending email?
Yes. Using a subdomain like
mail.yourdomain.com or send.yourdomain.com protects your root domain’s reputation. If your sending subdomain gets a poor reputation, it does not affect email sent from your root domain (like employee email).What is a spam trap?
What is a spam trap?
A spam trap is an email address used by mailbox providers and anti-spam organizations to catch senders using bad practices. There are two types: pristine (never belonged to a real person) and recycled (abandoned addresses repurposed as traps). Hitting a spam trap severely damages your reputation.
Can I use my personal Gmail or Outlook for sending?
Can I use my personal Gmail or Outlook for sending?
Not recommended. Personal email accounts have very low sending limits (500/day for Gmail, 300/day for Outlook) and are not designed for bulk or automated sending. Use a dedicated sending domain through LC Email, Mailgun, or custom SMTP.
How do I check if my domain is blacklisted?
How do I check if my domain is blacklisted?
Use MXToolbox Blacklist Check to see if your domain or IP appears on any blacklists. If listed, follow the delisting instructions provided by each blacklist. Google Postmaster Tools also shows domain reputation for Gmail specifically.
What is the difference between LC Email and Mailgun?
What is the difference between LC Email and Mailgun?
LC Email is the built-in email service managed by the HoopAI platform — simpler to set up and billed through your HoopAI account. Mailgun is a third-party service that gives you more control over email infrastructure but requires a separate account and billing. Most users should start with LC Email.
Why are my emails bouncing even though the address is correct?
Why are my emails bouncing even though the address is correct?
The address may be correct but the receiving server could still reject your email due to: poor sender reputation, failed authentication (SPF/DKIM), content flagged as spam, or the receiving server being temporarily unavailable (soft bounce). Check your authentication setup first.
Do I need to warm up if I switch from Mailgun to LC Email?
Do I need to warm up if I switch from Mailgun to LC Email?
Yes. Warmup is tied to the sending infrastructure (IP and domain), not your account. Switching providers means you are sending from a new IP, which requires a fresh warmup.
How long does DNS propagation take?
How long does DNS propagation take?
Most DNS changes propagate within 15 minutes to 2 hours. In rare cases, it can take up to 48 hours. Use tools like DNS Checker to monitor propagation in real time.
Why are my emails delivered but showing low open rates?
Why are my emails delivered but showing low open rates?
Low open rates can indicate emails landing in the Promotions tab (Gmail) or Clutter folder (Outlook) rather than the primary inbox. They can also result from poor subject lines, unrecognized sender names, or sending to an unengaged segment. Segment more aggressively and sunset inactive contacts.