Choosing the right email platform can make all the difference for deliverability. But in order for your platform to work for you, you also need to understand your role in getting emails where they're supposed to go. That's how this guide can help.
Plus, you’ll learn the difference between delivery and deliverability, why deliverability is critical to email marketing success, what factors impact it (and what inbox providers expect), and how Mailchimp helps you reach more inboxes—and stay there.
Delivery vs. deliverability: What’s the difference?
Delivery means your email arrives somewhere (anywhere) in the recipient’s mailbox. Deliverability means it reaches the primary inbox, not the spam or junk folder.
Think of it this way: Delivery is the package arriving at the house. Deliverability is it being placed at the front door, not lost in the yard or marked “return to sender.”
Both delivery and deliverability are impacted by whether you follow bulk sender requirements, which are the guidelines and standards that email providers set, as well as your sender reputation. But deliverability is what ultimately drives email performance. It’s the difference between a message seen and a message missed.
Why should deliverability be a priority?
If your emails don’t land in the inbox, they don’t get opened or clicked, and they certainly can't convert. Here’s what a high deliverability rate can help you accomplish:
- Maximize reach: The higher your deliverability rating, the more your audience actually receives your message.
- Maintain engagement: Emails that land consistently in inboxes build trust. Poor placement leads to lower open rates and long-term disengagement.
- Protect your reputation: Internet service providers and email service providers monitor sender behavior. A strong sender reputation improves future deliverability, and a bad one is hard to reverse.
Key factors that affect deliverability
Deliverability is influenced by a combination of sender behavior, audience quality, technical setup, and content. Here are the essentials:
- Permissions: Mailchimp is a permission-based platform, meaning all contacts must have verifiable consent to receive your marketing emails. See examples of compliant and non-compliant contacts.
- List hygiene: Clean your email list regularly to remove bounced or unengaged addresses.
- Authentication: Set up domain authentication using SPF and DKIM so inbox providers recognize you as a legitimate sender.
- Sending frequency: Consistent sending (weekly is ideal) keeps your brand top-of-mind and signals healthy engagement.
- Content quality: Avoid spammy language and low-value messaging. Content that earns opens and clicks leads to better inbox placement.
Understand bulk sender requirements
Email service providers, like Gmail and Yahoo, have evolving standards for email marketers. You must meet certain bulk sender requirements, including:
- Strong authentication protocols
- Clear and documented opt-in
- Low complaint and bounce rates
- Easy unsubscribe options
Staying compliant is essential to maintaining access to inboxes.
How Mailchimp supports your deliverability
While you control your practices, Mailchimp gives you the foundation and tools to do it right. Here's what sets Mailchimp apart:
- Infrastructure: We manage our own servers for reliable, flexible sending, and maintain direct relationships with mailbox providers.
- Strong compliance policies: Our platform enforces high standards around permission, authentication, and content, to help protect your sender reputation.
- Reporting and analytics: Use Mailchimp email reports to track bounce rates, delivery stats, opens, and more.
- Segmentation tools: Filter your audience by behavior or engagement to avoid over-sending and to increase targeting precision.
- Signup forms and permission collection: Mailchimp signup forms include reCAPTCHA and double opt-in, which make it easy to build a clean, verified list.
If you collect contacts offline, it’s best practice to share your Mailchimp signup form with those contacts through a different email service. This will establish a record of permission and can help ensure that invalid contacts are not added as subscribed.
You have what it takes
Deliverability is a shared responsibility. Mailchimp’s infrastructure gives you a head start—but it's your sending practices that unlock inbox access.
What’s next?
Ready to get started with Mailchimp? Sign up now and start sending smarter.
Want to go deeper? Explore these related resources: