If you send cold emails for a living, you know the pain: emails that vanish into spam folders, "sent" campaigns with zero replies, and that nagging feeling your tools are letting you down. This guide is for anyone who actually wants to fix deliverability issues, not just talk about them. We'll break down exactly how to measure, diagnose, and improve your cold email deliverability using Snov features—what works, what doesn't, and where you should save your energy.
Why Deliverability Actually Matters (And What Screws It Up)
Let’s keep it simple: If your emails don’t reach the inbox, your campaign is dead on arrival. Deliverability is the difference between getting ignored and not even being seen.
Common killers of cold email deliverability:
- Sending to bad or outdated lists
- Using spammy content or sketchy links
- Poor domain reputation (thanks to past behavior or recent mistakes)
- Technical misconfigurations (SPF, DKIM, DMARC—don’t worry, we’ll get there)
- Sending too many emails too fast
Snov gives you tools to spot and fix these problems. But don’t expect magic—no tool can fix a trashed domain or a list you scraped off a sketchy website.
Step 1: Measure Where You Stand (Don’t Guess)
Before you can improve anything, you have to know what’s actually happening. Snov has a few features that help you take the guesswork out of cold email deliverability.
1.1. Use Snov’s Email Warm-Up Tool
- What it does: Simulates real email activity for your account by sending and receiving emails in a controlled network.
- Why it matters: It’s not just about “warming up” a new domain. The data you get—about where your emails land and how they’re engaged with—gives you a real sense of your current sender reputation.
- How to do it:
- Connect your email account.
- Start the warm-up process and watch the dashboard. Pay attention to how many emails land in spam vs. inbox.
- What not to expect: Don’t think this is a one-time fix. The warm-up tool is most valuable for ongoing monitoring.
1.2. Check Email Health With Snov’s Email Drip Campaign Reports
- What you get: Open rates, bounce rates, reply rates, and (if you’re using tracking) click rates.
- What matters:
- High bounce rates (>2%) mean your list is bad or stale.
- Low open rates (<20-30%) often mean deliverability is suffering, not just that your copy is boring.
- Sudden drops—if your open rate tanks compared to last week, something’s up.
- Pro tip: Segment your data. If a certain domain or group has worse performance, look for patterns.
1.3. Use Snov’s Email Verifier Before You Hit Send
- What it does: Checks if the emails on your list are real, valid, and safe to send to.
- Why it matters: Bad emails tank your sender score and get you blacklisted.
- How to use it:
- Upload your list.
- Let Snov flag catch-all, invalid, or risky addresses.
- Remove or fix anything that’s not “valid.”
Bottom line: If you’re not measuring, you’re basically flying blind.
Step 2: Get Your Technical Setup Right (Don’t Skip This)
Most deliverability problems come down to technical missteps. Snov can help spot them, but you’ll need to get your hands dirty.
2.1. Check DNS Settings With Snov’s Email Warm-Up Tool
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC. These are like your email’s passport stamps—if they’re missing or wrong, expect trouble.
- Snov’s warm-up tool will flag missing or misconfigured records.
- SPF: Proves you’re allowed to send from your domain.
- DKIM: Signs your emails so they’re harder to spoof.
- DMARC: Tells receivers what to do if SPF/DKIM fail.
- How to fix: Snov gives you the info, but you’ll need to update your DNS records (usually wherever you bought your domain). If this sounds intimidating, ask whoever manages your domain or look up a plain-English guide. Don’t just ignore these errors.
2.2. Use Snov’s Blacklist Checker
- What it does: Checks if your sending domain or IP is on any common blacklists.
- Why it matters: If you’re blacklisted, your emails likely won’t get through, no matter how perfect your copy.
- What to do if you’re blacklisted:
- Identify which list you’re on.
- Follow their removal process (yes, it’s a pain).
- Clean up your list and sending habits before trying again.
2.3. Authenticate Every Sending Domain
- Don’t send cold email from @gmail.com or other free providers. Use your own domain.
- Authenticate every sending address you use—don’t just set it and forget it.
Step 3: Clean Your List—Every Single Time
Snov’s email verifier isn’t optional—it’s your first line of defense.
- Use it before every new campaign. Don’t trust old lists, even if they “worked last year.”
- What to remove:
- Invalid/undeliverable emails (obviously)
- Catch-all addresses (these are risky if you’re sending at scale)
- Role-based emails (info@, sales@)—these can be spam traps
- Don’t believe any tool that claims 100% accuracy—always expect a few bad apples.
- Pro tip: If your bounce rate creeps above 2%, pause and re-verify.
Step 4: Warm Up and Monitor—But Don’t Rely on Automation Alone
Snov’s warm-up tool is useful, but it’s not a silver bullet.
- Start slow. Ramp up sending over days or weeks, not hours.
- Mix in real, manual replies. Automated warm-up is great, but real conversations are better for reputation.
- Watch for warning signs:
- Sudden drop in opens or replies
- Spike in bounces
- Reports of emails not arriving
- Don’t go back to “blast mode” just because you finished a warm-up sequence. Consistency matters more than volume.
Step 5: Write Like a Human (Not a Spammer)
No tool can save you if your emails sound like spam.
- Avoid spam trigger words. Snov’s template editor highlights some, but use your own judgment too.
- Personalize where possible. Even light personalization helps.
- Skip images, attachments, and too many links. These are red flags for spam filters.
- Test before sending. Send drafts to yourself and check where they land (inbox or spam).
- Pro tip: Don’t use URL shorteners—these are notorious for hurting deliverability.
Step 6: Track, Test, and Iterate
Snov’s reporting is only useful if you act on it. Here’s how to use it smartly:
- Set a baseline. What are your current open, bounce, and reply rates?
- Change one thing at a time. If you tweak your subject line, don’t also change your sending time—otherwise you’ll never know what worked.
- Keep a log. Note when you make changes and track what happens.
- Don’t chase tiny improvements. If you’re already seeing 40% open rates and <2% bounces, you’re doing fine. Focus on consistent, meaningful changes.
What to Ignore (Seriously)
There’s a lot of noise about “secret hacks” and “AI-powered deliverability boosters.” Here’s what you can skip:
- Promises of 100% inbox placement. No tool can guarantee this.
- Any tool that wants your email password. Use OAuth or API connections only.
- Scammy list vendors. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Stick to basics: send to good lists, authenticate your domain, and don’t act like a spammer.
Keep It Simple, Fix What Matters
Deliverability isn’t voodoo. With Snov’s features, you can measure what’s happening, find what’s broken, and fix the stuff that counts. Don’t get lost chasing every little metric or shiny new tool. Start with the steps above, watch your numbers, and tweak as you go. Most of the time, simple and steady wins the game.