If you’re running email campaigns and your open rates are tanking, odds are your messages are getting dumped into spam. Whitelisting your sending domain is one of those unglamorous but essential steps that can make the difference between ending up in the inbox…or never being seen at all. This guide walks you through how to do it with Folderly, a tool designed to help folks who just want their emails to show up where they’re supposed to.
This is for anyone serious about sending email—marketers, sales teams, founders. You don’t need to be a tech wizard, but you do need to care about not wasting your time and money. Let’s get your domain whitelisted, cut through the noise, and get back to sending emails that actually land.
Why Whitelisting Matters (and What It Actually Is)
First, let’s clear something up: “whitelisting” is a confusing word. In this context, it doesn’t mean you’re asking every recipient to add you to their contacts (good luck with that at scale). Here, whitelisting your sending domain means setting things up so email providers (like Google or Outlook) see your messages as legit, not spammy.
This boils down to:
- Proving you own the domain you’re sending from
- Authenticating your emails so they aren’t spoofed or forged
- Building a good sender reputation over time
Folderly helps automate and monitor this process. But be realistic: there’s no magic button. You still need to get your technical ducks in a row. If you skip these steps, all the clever subject lines in the world won’t help.
Step 1: Prep Your Domain Before You Even Touch Folderly
Don’t skip this, or Folderly won’t save you. If your domain is brand new (registered in the last month or two), most mailbox providers are automatically suspicious. Warm it up:
- Send a few manual, real emails to friends or colleagues, not just bulk messages.
- Avoid using a domain that was previously used for spam. You can check its reputation using free online tools.
- Set up a dedicated sending domain or subdomain. Don’t use your main company domain for cold outreach. Example: use
mail.yourcompany.com.
Pro tip: If you just bought your domain yesterday, consider pausing your campaign plans. Let it age a bit.
Step 2: Set Up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records
No tool can fix deliverability without these records in place. They’re not as scary as they sound:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Says which servers can send email for your domain.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a tamper-proof signature to your emails.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Tells inboxes what to do if something looks fishy.
You’ll usually add these as DNS records where your domain is hosted (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.).
- Get the right values from your email sending provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Mailgun, etc.).
- Log into your domain registrar’s DNS settings.
- Add or update the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
- Wait up to 24 hours for changes to propagate.
Gotchas: - Only one SPF record per domain. If you see two, merge them. - DMARC is optional, but not setting it up is a rookie mistake. - If this sounds like gibberish, Folderly’s setup wizard walks you through it. But you still need access to your DNS.
Step 3: Connect Your Domain to Folderly
All set up? Now it’s time to make Folderly useful.
- Sign up and log in to Folderly.
- Add your sending domain. Folderly will prompt you to enter DNS details to verify ownership.
- Follow the prompts for authentication. If you’ve already set up SPF/DKIM/DMARC, Folderly should detect them. If not, it’ll flag what’s missing.
- Grant Folderly access to your sending inbox (optional, but useful). This lets it monitor deliverability in real time.
What’s actually happening here? - Folderly checks your records, warns you about gaps, and helps you fix them. - It runs ongoing tests to see if your emails land in the inbox, promotions, or spam. - You’ll get a dashboard with a deliverability “score”—handy, but don’t obsess over tiny changes.
Step 4: Use Folderly’s Inbox Placement Tests
This is where most folks stop, but don’t. Whitelisting isn’t a one-and-done thing—providers can change their filters, and your reputation can shift.
- Run an Inbox Placement Test from Folderly. This sends test emails to real inboxes on Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.
- Check where your test messages land: inbox, spam, or promotions.
- Fix issues as they come up. Folderly will give you plain-English advice, like “Your SPF record is missing” or “Your sending domain is on a blacklist.”
Ignore the hype: No tool can guarantee 100% inbox placement. If Folderly says you’re in the clear but your open rates are still bad, look at your content and sending practices next.
Step 5: Keep Your Sending Practices Clean
You can set up whitelisting perfectly and still get filtered for acting like a spammer. Here’s what actually helps:
- Don’t buy lists. Ever. You’ll end up on blocklists.
- Avoid spammy keywords and ALL CAPS.
- Send in small, consistent batches. Huge spikes look suspicious.
- Clean your list regularly. Remove bounced emails and unengaged contacts.
- Personalize your emails. It’s obvious when you blast generic copy.
Tip: If Folderly flags high spam rates, pause and fix the root issue instead of blasting more.
Step 6: Monitor, Iterate, and Don’t Freak Out Over Small Fluctuations
Email deliverability is more like gardening than engineering. Even after whitelisting, things change:
- Folderly will email you if your domain gets blacklisted or your score drops.
- Use this info, but don’t chase perfection. Some emails will land in spam occasionally.
- If you see a sudden, massive drop, investigate immediately—check DNS settings, recent content changes, and sending volume.
What Not to Waste Time On
There’s a lot of silly advice floating around. Here’s what you can skip:
- “Asking every recipient to whitelist your address.” Not scalable or realistic.
- Changing your domain constantly. Just ruins your reputation.
- Over-optimizing subject lines thinking it’ll fix deliverability. It won’t if your domain isn’t properly authenticated.
- Gimmicky tools that promise instant inboxing. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Whitelisting your sending domain with Folderly isn’t rocket science, but it’s not a set-and-forget thing either. Focus on the basics: authenticate your domain, send real emails to real people, and use Folderly to keep tabs on your reputation. Don’t get paralyzed by tiny dips in your scores or obsess over every technical detail. Stick to the basics, fix issues as they crop up, and keep sending.
Email deliverability isn’t glamorous, but when it works, you’ll notice. Start with these steps, keep things simple, and tweak as you go.