How to whitelist emails and manage safe sender lists in Inboxally

If you’re sending important emails—newsletters, customer updates, or even just trying to stay out of spam—getting your messages delivered matters. You might have heard about whitelisting and safe sender lists, but actually managing them can get confusing fast, especially if you’re using tools like Inboxally.

This guide is for folks who need clear, real-world steps to make sure the right emails reach the right inboxes. We’ll look at how to whitelist emails in Inboxally, manage your safe sender lists, and skip the busywork that doesn’t actually help. Let’s get to it.

Why Whitelisting Matters (And What It Actually Does)

First, a reality check: whitelisting can help with deliverability, but it’s not a magic fix. If your emails are getting flagged as spam, whitelisting just tells Inboxally (and sometimes your own inbox) that a specific sender is OK. Think of it as telling the bouncer at a club, “This one’s with me.”

But: - If your content is spammy, or your domain is on a blacklist somewhere, whitelisting alone won’t save you. - Whitelisting in Inboxally only affects what Inboxally does—not Gmail, Outlook, or your subscribers’ personal spam filters.

Still, if you use Inboxally for inbox placement testing, sending, or coaching your emails out of spam, safe sender lists are a useful tool in your kit.

Step 1: Understanding How Inboxally Handles Safe Sender Lists

Inboxally isn’t like your personal Gmail account where you just “add to contacts.” Instead, it’s a deliverability tool designed to simulate real inbox behavior. When you “whitelist” or add to a safe sender list in Inboxally, you’re telling the platform to treat emails from certain senders as safe during its simulations and coaching.

Here’s what that means: - Safe sender lists in Inboxally are managed per project or campaign. - Adding an email or domain to the safe sender list in Inboxally tells the system not to treat those messages as spam during its tests. - This helps you see how your email would perform if the recipient had already whitelisted you.

Pro tip: Don’t confuse Inboxally’s safe sender list with your email marketing tool’s contact list. They aren’t the same thing.

Step 2: Accessing the Safe Sender List in Inboxally

Let’s walk through it step by step:

  1. Log in to your Inboxally account.
  2. On the left sidebar, navigate to the project or campaign where you want to whitelist emails.
  3. Find the “Settings” or “Preferences” section for that project. (Inboxally moves menus around now and then, but it’s usually on the left or top bar.)
  4. Look for a tab or link called “Safe Senders,” “Whitelisted Addresses,” or something similar. (As of early 2024, it’s usually labeled “Safe Senders.”)
  5. Open the Safe Sender list. You’ll see any addresses or domains already added.

If you’re new to Inboxally: Safe sender lists are project-specific. If you want to whitelist an address for multiple projects, you’ll have to do it for each one. Yes, it’s a little tedious.

Step 3: Adding an Email Address or Domain to the Safe Sender List

Once you’ve found the right spot, here’s what to do:

  1. Click the “Add” or “+” button.
  2. Enter the email address (like you@yourdomain.com) or a whole domain (like @yourdomain.com) you want to whitelist.
  3. Save or confirm your changes.

A few tips: - Be specific: Adding @yourdomain.com will whitelist all emails from your domain, which is handy if you have several senders. - Don’t go overboard: Only add addresses you actually want Inboxally to treat as safe. If you whitelist everything, your test results won’t be realistic. - Double-check typos: One wrong letter means the whitelist won’t work.

What doesn’t work: Don’t bother pasting in a whole list of addresses separated by commas or spaces. Inboxally usually wants them one at a time. If you have a ton to add, reach out to their support—sometimes they’ll upload a CSV for you.

Step 4: Removing or Editing Safe Senders

Mistakes happen, or you might want to clean up your list. Here’s how:

  1. Go back to the Safe Sender list in your project’s settings.
  2. Find the address or domain you want to remove or edit.
  3. Click the trash can or “Remove” icon. Or, if you can edit, click the pencil or “Edit” button.
  4. Save your changes.

Real talk: If you’re testing different sender addresses, keep your safe sender list short. Too many whitelisted addresses can skew your deliverability reports.

Step 5: Using Safe Sender Lists Effectively

Whitelisting is only one part of deliverability. Here’s how to make it work for you:

  • Test with and without whitelisting: If you only test whitelisted senders, you’ll get a false sense of security. Always do a “cold” test as well.
  • Don’t try to trick the system: Whitelisting your own addresses just to “pass” Inboxally’s tests won’t help with real inboxes. Use it for simulating real subscribers who’ve marked you safe.
  • Update regularly: If you add new sender addresses or domains, add them to your lists. But don’t leave old, unused addresses in there.

Ignore the hype: Some folks claim whitelisting in Inboxally will magically fix inbox placement everywhere. It won’t. It’s just a simulation for your testing, not a guarantee for your audience.

Step 6: What to Do If Whitelisting Doesn’t Help

If your emails are still landing in spam—even after whitelisting in Inboxally—here’s what to check next:

  • Your content: Too many links, sketchy wording, or spammy triggers? Clean it up.
  • Your sending reputation: Check your domain and IP. Tools like MXToolbox or SenderScore can help.
  • Authentication: Make sure you’ve set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC correctly. If you don’t know what those are, start there—they’re more important than any whitelist.
  • List hygiene: Old, unengaged subscribers hurt your deliverability. Remove them regularly.

Inboxally is a good tool, but it’s only one part of the bigger picture.

Step 7: Exporting or Backing Up Your Safe Sender List

Inboxally doesn’t have a slick “export” button for safe sender lists as of mid-2024. If you want a backup, you’ll have to do it manually:

  • Copy-paste the list into a spreadsheet or text file.
  • If you manage a lot of projects, keep a master list somewhere safe.

Don’t rely on any SaaS tool to keep your data forever. Stuff happens. Backups are boring, but losing hours of work is worse.

Step 8: Educate Your Real Subscribers (Optional, But Smart)

Remember: Inboxally’s whitelist is for your testing, not your actual subscribers’ inboxes. If you want real people to whitelist your emails:

  • Send them a quick email explaining how to add your address to their contacts or safe sender list.
  • Include simple, non-technical instructions for Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.
  • Don’t overdo it. Asking once is enough—no one wants another “add us to your address book!” nag every week.

Quick Recap & Real-World Advice

  • Whitelisting in Inboxally helps you simulate real inbox behavior, but it won’t fix fundamental deliverability problems.
  • Keep your safe sender list focused and up to date.
  • Don’t skip the other deliverability basics: authentication, clean lists, good content.
  • Use Inboxally’s safe sender list to test scenarios, not to paper over problems.

If in doubt, start simple. Add just the addresses you need, run your tests, and build from there. You can always tweak things later—no need to overcomplicate it on day one.