"I think my deliverability is ok…"

What does that actually mean? Where do you even see Deliverability? Let's start by making sure we're on the same page about two terms that get mixed up all the time — Delivered and Deliverability. They are very different.

You know… like when the postal carrier marks your package "delivered" in their system but it's nowhere to be found on your doorstep, and you end up asking every neighbor if it got dropped at their place by mistake? Yeah. Like that.

A Good Delivery Rate is 98%+

The opposite of Delivered is Undelivered — meaning it didn't make it to the recipient server at all. It failed, bounced, or got rejected. None of those are what we want.

Why HighLevel + Mailgun is Special

Most email marketing tools hide Delivered as a stat — because they'd have to answer for it. They'll show you how many people entered a campaign and then jump straight to Open Rate. HighLevel with Mailgun gives you full visibility into every stat and direct communication with your own SMTP provider, which means the power is entirely in your hands.

Deliverability = Inbox Placement

In other words — your Inboxing Rate. How much of your mail hits the Inbox versus Spam, Junk, Promotions, Updates, or nowhere at all.

Reputation is KEY. Many, many things feed into it, but two categories carry the most weight: Volume & Consistency and the almighty Engagement (opens, clicks, replies, bounces, complaints, unsubscribes). For more on stats, see "What Email Deliverability Stats Should I Look For?".

Google, Yahoo, Outlook, Apple — they don't all filter the same way. There are hundreds of signals each provider evaluates, and none of them publish a whitepaper explaining their filtering logic. What works for Gmail may not work for Outlook.

Those pesky DNS records — the SPFs, DKIMs, and DMARCs of the world. And don't forget your MX records; if those aren't configured correctly you could land in spam or prevent delivery entirely.

Root domain or subdomain, age factors into warm-up. Treat your new domain like a first date — the goal is a second date. A new domain has no history and no reputation, so start slow and don't rush things. A strong reputation can overcome young age.

Some TLDs come with a bad reputation from day one. The most trusted suffixes are .com, .co, .net, .org (plus .edu and .gov for those who qualify). Others can send you straight to spam. Check how your domain suffix rates on Spamhaus.

What you say matters. I once took the word FREE out of a single subject line and deliverability improved by 7%. Avoid spammy triggers like "click here", "opportunity", "free", "100%", and heavy punctuation (!!!).

The dreaded "Black Spot." Different blacklists, different consequences — some cause huge problems, others are temporary. Check whether your domain or IP is listed on MXToolbox Blacklists.

Even a simple signature tool can hurt deliverability. A single blacklisted or bad-reputation link makes your whole email "guilty by association." Only include links you trust or control.

There's a time and place for fancy templates. The general rule is 60:40, leaning text-heavy. Audience know/like/trust and past engagement can let you get away with more HTML — and sometimes heavier HTML wins on conversions even with lower deliverability. Test.

How much you send, how fast, and how often — all of these shape reputation. Think about what a spammer does: huge volume, all at once, pushing mail out rather than nurturing relationships. Don't be a spammer. (See also: Domain Age.)

Believe it or not, how your recipient interacts with their own email account factors into where your message is routed. Factoring recipient behavior into your strategy puts you ahead of most marketers.

Image-to-text ratio, attachment types, time of send, engagement recency, complaint rate trends, spam-trap exposure, unsubscribe behavior — the list keeps going. Look for more detailed articles on these individual factors coming soon.

The Short Version

Proper setup and authentication get you to the inbox. Consistent behavior — good list hygiene, relevant content, steady volume, real engagement — keeps you in the inbox.

Want a One-on-One Look?

If you're struggling to get emails to the inbox — or just want to level up your email marketing — book a call with Krystin at Email-2-Inbox.

What's the difference between Delivered and Deliverability?

Delivered means the message reached the recipient's mail server (somewhere — inbox, spam, promotions, you name it). Deliverability means inbox placement specifically — what percentage of your mail actually lands in the primary inbox versus other folders.

Where can I see my Deliverability rate?

You can't — not directly. ESPs don't report inbox placement. What you can monitor is delivery rate, open rate, spam complaint rate, and postmaster tools data (Google Postmaster, Microsoft SNDS), which together give you a strong proxy for inbox placement.

What counts as a "good" delivery rate?

98% or higher. Anything below that signals list hygiene problems, authentication issues, or reputation damage worth investigating.

Why should I use HighLevel with Mailgun instead of a tool that hides these stats?

Because you get full visibility. Most email marketing platforms obscure delivered, bounce, and complaint stats so you can't hold them accountable. HighLevel + Mailgun gives you every stat and lets you communicate directly with the SMTP provider — which means you own the outcome.

What's the single biggest lever I can pull to improve deliverability?

Engagement. Send to people who open, click, and reply — stop sending to people who don't. Clean lists and relevant content lift everything else: reputation, inbox placement, conversion rate. It's that direct.

Can I recover from a damaged sender reputation?

Yes, but it takes time. Pause your worst-performing sends, aggressively prune unengaged contacts, focus on your most engaged segment, and gradually rebuild volume. Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) must be perfect while you recover.