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How to increase email inboxing

Email marketing is only effective when your emails land in the recipient’s inbox—not in the spam folder.

Najwa Syeda avatar
Written by Najwa Syeda
Updated over a month ago

Inbox placement (also known as email deliverability) is key to boosting open rates, engagement, and overall ROI. In this guide, we’ll walk you through practical steps to increase your email inboxing rates using SendX and general best practices.

Before You Begin

Before implementing the steps below, ensure you have:

  • Access to your SendX account

  • A clean email list with verified contacts

  • A custom domain to send emails from

  • Basic understanding of email authentication (CNAME, DKIM, DMARC)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Use a Double Opt-In List

Using double opt-in helps ensure the authenticity of your email subscribers. When users confirm their email address by clicking a verification link, it significantly reduces:

  • Hard bounces

  • Spam complaints

  • Low engagement rates

Avoid using purchased or scraped email lists, as they often lead to spam reports and damage your sender reputation.

2. Improve Your Domain Reputation

Positive engagement with your domain (opens, clicks, replies) signals to spam filters that your emails are trustworthy.

To boost domain reputation:

  • Ask your team to interact with your emails.

  • Reply to sent emails to show engagement.

  • Use warm-up tools like AmpleMarket or InboxAlly.

  • If using a new domain, ramp up sending volume gradually.

3. Clean Your Email List Regularly

A clean email list reduces bounce rates and improves inboxing. Use email verification tools like SendVerify to:

  • Remove invalid or inactive addresses

  • Improve deliverability automatically before each campaign

4. Set the ‘From’ and ‘Reply-To’ Fields Properly

Ensure your email campaigns have a clearly defined:

  • From address

  • Reply-To address

This builds trust and reduces the chance of your emails being flagged as spam.

5. Optimize Your Subject Lines

Subject lines play a big role in determining inbox placement.

Avoid:

  • Spammy words like "Free", "100% off", "Guarantee", "Chance", "Password", "$$$"

  • ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation (e.g., “BUY NOW!!!”)

Instead:

  • Keep subject lines clear, relevant, and value-driven

6. Watch Your Email Content

Spam filters scan your content. Ensure your emails:

  • Use proper grammar and spelling (use tools like Grammarly)

  • Link only to reputable domains

  • Avoid URL shorteners

  • Keep emails concise—don’t send novel-length content

  • Maintain a balanced text-to-image ratio

7. Include a Visible Unsubscribe Link

SendX automatically adds an unsubscribe link to your campaigns. You can customize this via:

Settings > Setup > Unsubscribe

Providing an easy opt-out option prevents recipients from marking your emails as spam.

8. Authenticate Your Emails

Set up the following authentication methods:

  • Cname

  • DKIM

  • DMARC

These protocols help email providers verify that your emails are legitimate, reducing the chance of them being blocked or sent to spam.

9. Get a Dedicated IP (Optional but Recommended)

With a dedicated IP, you gain full control over your sender reputation.

Benefits of a dedicated IP:

  • Isolates your email reputation from other senders

  • Provides consistent deliverability

  • Helps build long-term domain trust

To request a dedicated IP, contact the SendX support team. When switching to a dedicated IP, warm it up gradually by sending smaller campaigns first and increasing volume over time.

Tips & Best Practices

Never use purchased or scraped lists

📥 Warm up your domain and IP before scaling campaigns

🧹 Clean your email list at least once a month

🔍 A/B test subject lines to find the ones that perform best

💬 Encourage replies to increase domain engagement

📈 Monitor bounce, open, and click rates regularly

🔗 Avoid suspicious-looking links or shortened URLs

By following these steps, you’ll significantly improve your email inboxing rate and ensure your messages reach your audience’s primary inbox. Consistency, quality, and authenticity are the keys to long-term email marketing success.

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