If you’re running B2B outbound campaigns, you know email deliverability isn’t just a technical issue—it’s the difference between hitting quota and shouting into the void. Most sales and marketing tools promise “better deliverability,” but unless you’re actually monitoring how your emails land, you’re guessing. This guide walks you through how to set up deliverability monitoring using Folderly—and skips the hype so you can focus on what matters: making sure your emails actually show up, not just get sent.
Who should care about this?
If you’re sending cold outreach, booking demos, or running any kind of outbound sequence, this is for you. Maybe you’re a founder, a sales rep, or a marketer who owns the email channel. You don’t need to be a technical wizard, but you do need a basic understanding of your email setup.
Why bother with deliverability monitoring?
Let’s get this out of the way: If you aren’t checking where your emails land (inbox, promotions, spam, or nowhere at all), you’re flying blind. Open rates don’t tell the whole story—especially since Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection is skewing the numbers. Inbox placement is what counts.
Folderly is one of the better-known deliverability tools. It’s not magic, but it gives you real feedback on how mailbox providers see your emails, and how often you’re getting filtered or junked—so you can fix issues before your campaigns burn out.
Step 1: Prep your sending domain and email accounts
Before you even log into Folderly, get your house in order:
- Authenticate your domain. Make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are set up. If you’re not sure, check with your DNS provider (or ask IT). Folderly can point out issues, but it can’t fix your DNS for you.
- Warm up new mailboxes. If you’re using brand-new domains or inboxes, send some real, low-volume emails first. Don’t blast 500 cold emails out of the gate. Folderly has “warming” features, but don’t expect miracles if you’re reckless.
- Keep one mailbox per user. Sharing logins or sending from “info@” is asking for trouble. Personalization matters for both humans and spam filters.
Pro tip: If your domain reputation is already trashed, deliverability tools can only do so much. Sometimes, starting over with a fresh domain is faster (but be honest with yourself about why you got blacklisted).
Step 2: Sign up and connect your mailbox in Folderly
Here’s the honest part: Folderly is a paid tool, and it isn’t cheap. But if you’re serious about outbound, the cost is usually worth it after a couple of missed deals.
- Sign up for a Folderly account. Go to their site and create an account. You’ll land in the dashboard.
- Add a new mailbox. Folderly supports Google, Microsoft 365, and SMTP/IMAP connections. Pick the same account you use for outbound.
- Grant permissions. You’ll need to give Folderly access to read and send emails from your account. This is necessary for monitoring and “warm-up” features.
- Choose your sending settings. You can set daily limits, warm-up schedules, and more. Don’t just accept the defaults—match these to your real campaign volumes.
Watch out for:
- Using a “catch-all” mailbox or aliases can skew results. Always monitor the real mailbox you’re sending from.
- If your IT team locks down OAuth permissions, you might need their help for Google or Microsoft mailboxes.
Step 3: Set up deliverability monitoring
This is where Folderly starts earning its keep.
- Turn on deliverability monitoring. Folderly sets up a network of “seed” inboxes on major providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.). Your mailbox will automatically send test emails to these addresses on a set schedule.
- Configure your test frequency. Daily is usually enough, unless you’re troubleshooting a specific issue.
- Review your test templates. Folderly will use your real email content (or a sample). The more your test emails match your actual campaigns, the more accurate the deliverability read.
- Whitelist Folderly’s addresses. If your company has strict outbound rules, make sure these test emails don’t get blocked by internal filters.
What matters:
- Folderly’s “seed” network is decent, but like every tool, it’s not perfect. Treat the results as a signal, not gospel.
- Don’t obsess over a single test. Look for trends—if your Gmail inbox rate drops from 90% to 30%, that’s a problem.
Step 4: Interpret the results (without getting lost in the weeds)
You’ll start seeing data in your Folderly dashboard:
- Inbox, Promotions, Spam, Missing: You’ll get a breakdown for each provider.
- Reputation score: Useful, but don’t hang your hat on one number.
- Detailed headers and recommendations: Folderly will flag technical issues it finds (bad authentication, blacklists, etc.).
What’s worth your attention:
- Sudden drops in inbox placement. If something tanks overnight, check your sending volume, content, and recent changes.
- Consistent spam or “missing” rates. This means your emails aren’t just landing in spam—they’re being blocked entirely.
- Authentication errors. These are fixable—update your DNS records.
What to ignore:
- Minor day-to-day fluctuations. Everyone’s numbers bounce a bit.
- “Promotions” tab on Gmail. Nobody truly controls this, and most B2B buyers check it anyway.
- Overly broad advice like “change your subject line.” Focus on the basics: authentication, volume, content.
Step 5: Take action on what you see
Monitoring is only useful if you actually do something with the data.
- Fix technical errors first. SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and blacklists are non-negotiable. Folderly gives you specifics; don’t put these off.
- Tweak your sending practices.
- Lower your daily volume if you’re getting flagged.
- Avoid sending the exact same template to hundreds of people.
- Watch your “reply-to” setup—some spam filters care.
- Change up your content if needed. But don’t chase your tail rewriting every email. Stick to clear, personalized messages.
- Monitor over time. Run tests weekly, especially after you change your campaigns.
Pro tip: Don’t expect instant fixes. It can take days or weeks for changes to show up in your inbox placement. Be patient.
Step 6: Don’t get distracted by shiny features
Folderly, like most SaaS tools, will pitch you on “AI optimization” and other bells and whistles. Here’s the straight talk:
- Warm-up automation is handy, but not a silver bullet. If your real campaigns are spammy, no amount of automated interaction will save you.
- Blacklist monitoring is useful, but public blacklists (like Spamhaus) matter more than obscure ones. Don’t panic if you’re on a minor list.
- “AI” suggestions are mostly common sense: send fewer emails, personalize more, don’t use spammy words.
Stick to the basics. Fancy dashboards don’t matter if your SPF record is broken.
What Folderly can’t do (and what you still need to own)
No tool can guarantee inbox delivery. Here’s what Folderly won’t fix:
- Poor sender reputation from years of abuse.
- Bad lists full of spam traps or bought emails.
- Content that screams “cold spam” instead of a real conversation.
You still need to:
- Keep your lists clean and up to date.
- Send emails people actually want.
- Respect unsubscribe requests—every time.
Keep it simple, review often, and iterate
Deliverability isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it thing. Set up Folderly once, but check in regularly—especially before big campaigns or after making changes. Don’t get lost in data, and don’t obsess over every blip. Focus on steady trends, fix the basics, and keep your outreach human.
The best setup is the one you actually use. Start small, review weekly, and tweak as you go. Inbox placement is a moving target, but with a bit of discipline (and a good monitoring tool), you’ll stay in the game.