Twelve deliverability best practices for cold email, from domain setup to send timing.

Keep your business domain separate from prospecting. Salesgear itself sends from different domains depending on target audience size.

Stick to neutral TLDs — .com, .io, .tech, .us. Avoid ones like .fun or .deal, which read as less credible.

These authentication methods prove to ISPs you're authorized to send from your domain — essential for avoiding spam folders. See SPF setup (Google), DKIM setup (Google), DMARC setup (Google), or SPF/DMARC (Microsoft).

Check whether your domain is blacklisted and assess your IP reputation before you scale sending.

Start slow — for hyper-personalized emails, limit to 5–10/day in week one, then increase gradually based on volume.

A branded domain for tracking links improves both deliverability and recipient trust.

Aim for 36–50 characters — long enough to convey your message, short enough to avoid getting cut off in inboxes like Gmail.

Larger emails get truncated by providers like Gmail, which can trigger closer spam-filter scrutiny.

Certain phrases get flagged by email providers as fraudulent or malicious — avoid them where you can:

One link is ideal, two at most — more increases the odds of landing in Promotions or Spam.

Base send times on the recipient's timezone. Tuesday and Thursday mornings (9–11am) tend to perform best; avoid weekends, late nights, holidays, and the 6pm–5am window.

Aim for 8–10 steps with a 2–4 day gap between each, and mix in LinkedIn or calls alongside email.