10 Email Deliverability Tips Every DTC Brand Needs in 2025

I've been on dozens of email account audit calls this month.

And I keep seeing the same thing.

Deliverability is in the toilet. Emails going straight to spam. Brands with zero idea it's even happening.

We're rolling into Q4 right now. 

The  BIGGEST revenue quarter of the year. And if your emails aren't landing in the inbox, you're basically lighting money on fire.

Here’s the thing about deliverability is it's like a car alternator.

Nobody thnks about it. It's technical and boring and totally unsexy.

Until it stops working and you're stranded on the side of the highway with a dead car battery. Then you quickly become an alternator expert.

(Ask me how I know this…)

So without further ado… let’s get to the tips.

My Top 10 Deliverability Tips 

1. Set up Google Postmaster Tools and actually check it

Almost nobody has this installed. It's free. It takes 10 minutes.

This tool shows you what Gmail actually thinks about your emails. Your domain reputation (basically your credit score for email). Your spam complaint rate. Authentication status.

Klaviyo can't see any of this data. Gmail doesn't share it with them. So if you're not using Postmaster Tools, you're flying blind.

2. Authenticate everything that touches your domain

Every single platform that sends emails from your domain needs to be authenticated. Klaviyo, yes. But also Gorgias. Your review platform. Shopify transactional emails. Everything.

If even one system isn't authenticated, it tanks your reputation. And here's the good news: once you fix authentication issues, deliverability usually bounces back fast.

3. Stop emailing your entire list

You cannot blast your whole list anymore. Period.

My default engaged segment: anyone who's subscribed AND (opened or clicked in the last 90 days OR joined in the last 30 days).

That's your starting point. If someone hasn't touched your emails in three months, they're hurting you more than helping you.

4. Mix in all-text emails regularly

Here's a wild stat: some of the biggest DTC brands are sending 30% of their emails as plain text. One link. No images. ALL words.

Why? Because Gmail loves them. They look personal. They get replies. They land in primary.

You don't have to go full plain-text, but you should be mixing them in. At minimum, include live text sections in your designed emails. All images? Straight to spam.

5. Use email like it's actually meant to be used

Email is a two-way platform. Not a broadcast megaphone.

Ask people to reply. Then actually reply back to them. Especially in your welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase.

When Gmail sees real conversations happening, it treats you like a human, not a marketing bot.

6. Set up a dummy email account

Create a Gmail account. Subscribe to your list. Then don't interact with it at all.

Watch where your emails land over time. As you stop engaging, Gmail will start moving your emails to promotions or spam. Because that's how it works for everyone.

This is your early warning system. Check it weekly.

7. Stop trying to hack Gmail

Gmail optimizes for each individual person. What you see in your inbox is different from what I see in mine.

If someone engages with your emails, you go to primary. If they ignore you, you go to promotions or spam.

There's no hack. No trick. It's all interaction-based. So stop looking for shortcuts and focus on sending emails people actually want to open.

8. Create an emergency deliverability list

This is your backup plan when things go sideways.

My emergency segment: subscribed + opened or clicked 2+ emails in the last 30 days + exclude Apple opens and bot clicks.

If you notice open rates suddenly tank, send your next few campaigns to just this list. Let things stabilize. Then gradually add people back.

Keep this segment ready to go. You'll thank me later.

9. Pay attention to open rate drops

Yeah, open rates are inflated now. Apple privacy, bots, all that.

But they're still a signal. If your open rates suddenly drop 10-15%, something's wrong. Maybe authentication broke. Maybe you're landing in spam. Maybe you pissed off Gmail.

Don't ignore it. Dig in and figure out what changed.

10. Set up a sunset flow

You need an automation that removes dead weight from your list.

My rule: if someone hasn't opened, clicked, or bought anything in six months, they're gone. Suppressed. Done.

These people are actively damaging your deliverability. And they're driving up your Klaviyo bill for zero return.

Be ruthless here. Your engaged subscribers will thank you by actually seeing your emails.

Look, deliverability isn't sexy. I get it.

But it's the foundation of everything. You can have the best copy, the best offers, the best strategy in the world.

If your emails land in the spam folder, none of it matters.

If you're heading into Q4 and you're not 100% confident your deliverability is dialed in, let's talk. 

I'll audit your account and tell you exactly what's broken and how to fix it.

-Ben

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