Recovery: Email
Open rates fell off a cliff and your emails stopped arriving.
A deliverability collapse rarely has one dramatic cause. It is usually a mix of authentication drift, a list that got a little too stale, and a sending pattern that inbox providers started treating as suspicious. We check each piece.
- Full authentication check first
- Written cause before any changes
- No cost to see the scope
Evidence, then action
How we find why inboxes stopped
The evidence we pull first
We check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records against the domain actually sending your email, review bounce and complaint rates in your sending platform, and look at recent list growth and engagement trends for a sudden change.
The triage order
First we confirm authentication records are correctly set up and aligned with the sending domain, since a misconfigured record can silently cap inbox placement. Next we check spam complaint and bounce rates, then list hygiene and how the list was built, then recent changes in send volume or frequency.
What usually fixes it
Correcting authentication records, removing consistently unengaged or invalid addresses from the list, slowing a sudden jump in send volume back to a steady pace, and re warming the sending domain gradually restores inbox placement for most accounts over weeks, not days.
What we cannot promise
We cannot promise a specific date when every inbox provider will trust the domain again, since Gmail, Outlook, and other providers each make their own decisions on their own timeline. We can promise a clear diagnosis and a steady plan to rebuild trust.
The decision tree we run
If open rates dropped suddenly across every list segment
we check authentication records first, since a broken SPF or DKIM alignment after a domain or platform change can affect delivery to every recipient at once.
If only one segment or campaign type is affected
we check the content and links in that specific campaign, since a flagged link or a spam trigger phrase can affect one send without touching the domain's overall reputation.
If the list grew quickly right before the drop
we check how those contacts were added, since a purchased list or a sign up form with no confirmation step brings in addresses that generate complaints and hurt the whole domain's reputation.
If send volume recently jumped
we check whether the domain was warmed up gradually or the increase happened overnight, since inbox providers often react to a sudden volume spike as if it were spam behaviour.
How the engagement runs
01
Authentication and list audit
We check every authentication record and pull recent bounce, complaint, and engagement data from your sending platform.
02
A written cause and rebuild plan
You get a plain explanation of what caused the drop and a step by step plan to rebuild trust with inbox providers.
03
Rebuild, then monitor placement
We apply the fixes and track open rates and placement over the following weeks, since domain reputation rebuilds gradually, not overnight.
Email deliverability questions
Yes. Inbox providers make placement decisions per message, and once enough signals point toward spam, an entire send can land in a spam folder or a promotions tab where open rates fall sharply, even though the same list was performing normally the week before. The change can happen between one campaign and the next, with no warning email from the provider explaining why.
It is usually a mix. A list that was not being cleaned regularly, a sudden change in send volume, or a shared IP with other senders having problems can all contribute, and more than one of these is often true at the same time in a real account.
It varies by provider and by how severe the drop was, but most rebuilds take a few weeks of steady, well targeted sending rather than a single fix. Sending only to your most engaged contacts during that stretch tends to rebuild trust faster than sending to the full list right away. We will give you a realistic timeline once we see the specifics of your account.
Sometimes a short pause helps, especially if volume spiked suddenly, but going silent for too long can also hurt engagement signals over time. We will tell you plainly whether a pause makes sense for your specific situation, and for how long.
The audit and rebuild plan are part of a free proposal within one business day. Ongoing email marketing management after that is scoped in the same proposal based on your list size and sending needs.
Find out why your emails stopped arriving
Send us access to your sending platform and domain records. We will trace the cause and send a written rebuild plan within one business day.