Email deliverability is one of those topics that sounds technical and intimidating, but really boils down to a simple question: Are your emails actually reaching people’s inboxes, or are they getting marooned in spam? If you’re running any kind of email campaign—whether you’re a marketer, founder, or just trying to get a newsletter off the ground—this matters a lot more than open or click rates.
This guide is for anyone who’s serious about getting their emails in front of real humans, not just sent into the void. We’ll walk through how to use Glockapps, a popular inbox placement and deliverability testing tool, to see where your emails are landing and fix what’s broken. No fluff, just practical steps (and a few warnings about what not to waste your time on).
Why Inbox Placement Matters More Than You Think
Open rates are easy to obsess over, but they don’t tell you if your emails are actually making it to the inbox. Most ESPs (email service providers) will count an email as “delivered” even if it’s dumped in the spam folder or lost in a promotions tab.
If you’re seeing lower engagement than you expect, deliverability is the first thing to check. You can’t fix what you can’t see, and that’s where a tool like Glockapps comes in handy—it shows you exactly where your email lands across different mailboxes and ISPs.
Step 1: Understanding What Glockapps Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Let’s get clear before you spend money or time:
What it does: - Sends your email to a network of real test inboxes across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc. - Tells you if your message landed in inbox, spam, or somewhere else. - Spots technical issues (like missing authentication records or broken formatting) that might hurt deliverability. - Gives you a report so you can see patterns and track changes over time.
What it doesn’t do: - It won’t magically fix low engagement or a bad sender reputation. - It’s not a replacement for actual subscriber feedback or list hygiene. - It can’t hack Gmail’s sorting or guarantee you’ll always hit “Primary.”
Bottom line: Glockapps is a visibility tool. It tells you where your emails are going, so you can make informed decisions—not just guess.
Step 2: Setting Up Glockapps for Your First Inbox Placement Test
You’ll need: - A Glockapps account (there’s a free trial, but the best features are paid) - The ability to send a real campaign or test email from your email platform
Here’s how to get started:
- Sign Up and Log In
- Head to Glockapps and create an account.
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The dashboard is straightforward—no major onboarding needed.
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Create a New Inbox Test
- Click “Start Test” or “New Inbox Placement Test.”
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Glockapps will generate a list of unique email addresses—these are their test mailboxes across major providers.
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Send Your Email to the Test List
- Copy those addresses into your ESP (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, whatever you use).
- Send your email just like you would to your real list. Don’t tweak the content or sender details, or you’ll get a false picture.
Pro tip: If you’re running a newsletter, you can BCC the test addresses on a regular send. If you’re sending a one-off campaign, treat this as a real blast.
- Wait for Results
- Glockapps usually gets results within a few minutes, but give it up to 15 if you’re testing during peak hours.
Step 3: Reading the Results Without Getting Overwhelmed
Glockapps spits out a lot of data. Here’s what to focus on:
The Big Three: - Inbox: Your email landed in the main inbox. - Promotions: For Gmail, this is the “Promotions” tab. Not always bad, but less visible. - Spam/Junk: The danger zone.
What Actually Matters: - If more than ~20% of your test emails are hitting spam, you’ve got a problem. - If Gmail is sending you to Promotions but other providers are fine, it’s not the end of the world (most commercial email lands there). - Consistent inbox placement across all providers is the dream, but rare.
Ignore This: - Tiny differences between “Focused” and “Other” on Outlook. Nobody really knows how Microsoft sorts these, and it changes constantly. - Obsessing over 1-2% landing in spam, especially if you’re using a shared IP or a newer domain.
Step 4: Diagnosing and Fixing Deliverability Issues
You found out you’re hitting spam—now what? Here’s what to check, in rough order of importance:
1. Authentication Records
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC: If Glockapps flags missing or broken records, fix these first. Your ESP or domain host will have guides.
- No authentication = instant spam in many cases.
2. Sending Reputation
- Are you using a brand-new domain or IP? Deliverability will be rough for a while.
- If you’re on a shared IP, someone else’s bad behavior could be hurting you.
- Warm up new domains/IPs by sending small, real campaigns before blasting a big list.
3. List Quality
- Old, stale, or bought email lists are spam-folder bait.
- Glockapps can’t tell you if your list is bad, but if you’re hitting spam and using questionable lists, start here.
4. Content Issues
- Glockapps will show you “Spam Trigger” words, broken links, or weird formatting.
- Don’t chase every tiny warning, but obvious stuff (ALL CAPS, sketchy links) should be cleaned up.
5. Frequency and Volume
- Blasting too many emails at once, especially to cold addresses, is a red flag.
- Ramp up volume slowly if you’re just starting out.
6. Unsubscribe Process
- Make it easy to opt out.
- Hidden or hard-to-find unsubscribe links can get you flagged as spam, fast.
Step 5: Testing, Tweaking, and Retesting (Without Losing Your Mind)
Don’t get caught in analysis paralysis. Here’s how to use Glockapps efficiently:
- Test Before Major Campaigns: Not every send. Once a month or before a big launch is plenty.
- Track Progress, Not Perfection: Look for trends (improving vs. getting worse), not one-off results.
- Make One Change at a Time: If you tweak content, sender address, and authentication all at once, you’ll never know what helped.
- Don’t Obsess Over Tabs: Promotions isn’t death—it’s still the inbox, just a different tab.
Pro tip: If you’re always landing in spam, and you’ve fixed basics like authentication and list quality, it might be time to start fresh with a new domain or ESP. Sometimes, the damage is done, and it’s not worth endless tinkering.
What to Ignore (Seriously)
A few things people waste time worrying about:
- Color of your buttons or images: Has zero impact on inbox placement.
- Tiny spam score differences: These tools aren’t perfect. A 2% change is just noise.
- Gimmicky “deliverability hacks”: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Stick to fundamentals.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Monitoring inbox placement isn’t magic, but it’s the best early-warning system for email trouble. Use Glockapps to get clear, actionable feedback, fix the obvious issues, and don’t stress about the stuff you can’t control.
Keep your sending practices clean, test regularly (but not obsessively), and focus on building real trust with your audience. Email is a long game—iterate, pay attention, and don’t let the tech overwhelm you.