How to improve email deliverability?
What inboxes reward (content signals)
- Clarity + specificity: real people, real details (order #, dates, names).
- Low spaminess: plain language, minimal hype, no tricks.
- Consistency: the links, brand, and “From” identity match.
Do this (content only)
- Write honest subjects (≤45–55 chars) + useful preheaders (complement, don’t repeat).
- Open with context in line 1: who you are + why they’re getting this.
- Include unique facts: order number, product, ship date/timezone, amount/deposit—filters love specifics.
- Use your own domain in links (e.g., links.essential-apps.com/...), and keep link text honest (“View order”, not “Click here!!!”).
- One clear CTA max. Multiple CTAs look promotional and spammy.
- Trim the word count: say it in ~80–180 words for transactional notices.
- Ask for a light-weight interaction (reply, confirm, view order) — engagement helps placement.
Avoid (these tank placement)
- Clickbait subjects: “URGENT!!!”, “RE: your account” (when it isn’t), “LAST CHANCE!!!”
- ALL CAPS, $$$, emojis spammed, excess punctuation!!!
- “Free,” “100% guaranteed,” “risk-free,” “act now,” “winner,” etc. (especially in subject).
- URL shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl) and mismatched link text vs destination.
- Image-only emails or giant hero images (>150–200KB each) with little text.
- Walls of boilerplate, legalese up top, or tracking gibberish in the first lines.
- Using noreply@ (hurts engagement) or telling users not to reply.
- Mixing promo copy into transactional emails (can reclassify to Promotions/Spam).
Subject & preheader examples (transactional for Preorder)
Good
- Subject: Your preorder #{{order}} — ships by {{date}}
- Preheader: We’ve reserved {{product}}. Deposit received: {{amount}}.
- Subject: Preorder confirmed: {{product}} ({{variant}})
Preheader: Estimated ship: {{date}} {{timezone}}. View details.
Avoid
- IMPORTANT MESSAGE OPEN NOW
- Last chance for your preorder!!!
Body copy template (transactional)
Hi {{first_name}},
Thanks for your preorder #{{order}}.
Item: {{product}} {{variant}}
Ships by: {{date}} {{timezone}}
Paid today: {{deposit_amount}} • Balance: {{balance_amount}} at shipping
You can review your order any time: {{order_status_link}}
If anything looks off, just reply to this email and we’ll help.
— Your Store Naem
Footer (transactional):
You’re receiving this because you placed a preorder at {{store}}. {{company_name}}, {{address}}.
Body copy template (promo/update)
Hi {{first_name}},
Quick update on {{product}}: we’re still on track to ship by {{date}} {{timezone}}.
Need to change your size or address? Reply to this email and we’ll update it.
— Essential Apps Support
Unsubscribe from updates: {{unsubscribe_link}}
Quick pre-send checklist
- First 2 lines make sense alone (that’s what Gmail/Outlook preview).
- 1–3 links, all to your domain; no shorteners.
- ≤1 small image, with alt text; email still clear with images off.
- Plain-text version present, links expanded (no tracking gibberish in view).
- Subject/preheader not duplicated; no ALL CAPS or hype words.
For promos: unsubscribe is visible; for transactional: explain why they got it.