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The Academy · Beginner to Advanced

The Complete Email Deliverability Course

Free 12-module email deliverability course covering SPF, DKIM, DMARC, inbox placement, sender reputation, and 2026 compliance, with interactive quizzes.

Start lesson 1See all 37 lessons
12
Modules
37
Lessons
6h
Estimated

Curriculum

12 modules, 37 lessons

Follow them in order or jump to the one you need. Each lesson is its own page, with the next one waiting at the end.

Module 014 lessons

Email Infrastructure Fundamentals

How email actually works, from SMTP to bounce handling.

  1. 01How Email Actually WorksVideoEmail travels: MUA → MSA → MTA → MTA → MDA → MUA
  2. 02MX Records & DNS RoutingVideoLower MX priority number = higher preference
  3. 03Essential Email HeadersVideoReturn-Path is checked by SPF; From is checked by DMARC
  4. 04Bounce Handling & Feedback LoopsVideoRemove hard bounces immediately and never retry them
Module 024 lessons

Email Authentication Protocols

Master SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and BIMI, the pillars of email security.

  1. 05SPF: Sender Policy FrameworkVideoSPF has a 10 DNS lookup limit, and exceeding it breaks authentication
  2. 06DKIM: DomainKeys Identified MailVideoUse 2048-bit RSA keys, the current production standard
  3. 07DMARC: Tying It All TogetherVideoDMARC requires alignment between authentication and the From domain
  4. 08BIMI: Brand IndicatorsVideoBIMI requires DMARC quarantine or reject policy
Module 034 lessons

IP & Domain Reputation

Understand how providers judge your sending reputation.

  1. 09Shared vs. Dedicated IPsVideoShared IPs need no warmup but risk 'bad roommates'
  2. 10IP Warming FrameworkVideoStart small with most engaged subscribers
  3. 11Domain vs. IP ReputationVideoGmail prioritizes domain reputation over IP
  4. 12Monitoring Tools & BlocklistsVideoGoogle Postmaster Tools V2 uses binary Pass/Fail, not reputation grades
Module 043 lessons

Inbox Placement & Spam Filtering

How Gmail, Microsoft, and Yahoo decide what reaches the inbox.

  1. 13How Gmail Filters EmailVideoReplies are the single most powerful positive signal
  2. 14Microsoft & Yahoo FilteringVideoMicrosoft weighs IP reputation more heavily than Gmail does
  3. 15What Actually Determines Inbox PlacementVideoSender reputation is the #1 factor across all providers
Module 053 lessons

List Hygiene & Management

Build and maintain a healthy, engaged email list.

  1. 16Permission-Based MarketingVideoDOI eliminates typos and bots but has 20-30% drop-off
  2. 17Spam Trap Types & AvoidanceVideoPristine traps = immediate blocklisting
  3. 18Sunset Policies & Re-engagementVideoRemove subscribers with 180+ days of inactivity
Module 063 lessons

Sending Practices & Optimization

Segment, throttle, and optimize your email sends.

  1. 19Engagement-Based SegmentationVideoSegment by engagement recency, not just demographics
  2. 20Subdomain SeparationVideoSeparate transactional and marketing email on different subdomains
  3. 21Throttling & Rate LimitingVideo421 codes mean 'slow down', so respect them
Module 072 lessons

Email Content Best Practices

Craft emails that pass filters and engage readers.

  1. 22HTML Email CodingVideoUse table-based layouts, not flexbox or grid
  2. 23Link Hygiene & UnsubscribeVideoNever use generic URL shorteners; they trigger spam filters
Module 082 lessons

Compliance & Legal Frameworks

Navigate CAN-SPAM, GDPR, CASL, and global email laws.

  1. 24CAN-SPAM, GDPR & CASLVideoCAN-SPAM is opt-out; GDPR/CASL require opt-in consent
  2. 25Consent Records & Global ComplianceVideoStore timestamps, IPs, and exact consent language
Module 093 lessons

Monitoring & Analytics

Measure what matters: delivery rate vs. inbox placement.

  1. 26Delivery Rate vs. Inbox PlacementVideoDelivery rate ≠ inbox placement rate
  2. 27Apple Mail Privacy Protection ImpactVideoApple MPP inflates open rates by pre-fetching pixels
  3. 28Google Postmaster Tools & Microsoft SNDSVideoGPT V2 uses binary Pass/Fail; reputation grades are retired
Module 103 lessons

Troubleshooting Deliverability

Diagnose and fix common delivery problems step by step.

  1. 29Step-by-Step DiagnosisVideoFollow a systematic 7-step diagnosis sequence
  2. 30Critical SMTP Error CodesVideo4xx = temporary (retry), 5xx = permanent (remove)
  3. 31Blocklist Recovery & Auth DebuggingVideoAlways fix root cause before requesting delisting
Module 113 lessons

Advanced Protocols

ARC, MTA-STS, DANE, TLS-RPT, and SRS explained.

  1. 32ARC: Authenticated Received ChainVideoARC preserves authentication through forwarding chains
  2. 33MTA-STS & TLS-RPTVideoMTA-STS prevents STARTTLS stripping attacks
  3. 34DANE & SRSVideoDANE is the gold standard but requires DNSSEC
Module 123 lessons

The 2025-2026 Transformation

The enforcement timeline and what bulk senders must do now.

  1. 35The Timeline That Changed EverythingVideoAll three major providers now actively reject non-compliant bulk mail
  2. 36Bulk Sender RequirementsVideo5,000+ messages/day = permanently categorized as bulk sender
  3. 37The New Deliverability ParadigmVideoAuthentication is now the gate every sender has to pass
Beat · paid monitoring

A heartbeat for your email.

Beat runs every check on this site on a schedule: 41 checks, 50 blacklists and real inbox placement. The moment something breaks, it tells you what broke, why it matters, and the exact fix.

Choose a Beat planSee what Beat watches
example.comWatching
  • SPFpass
  • DKIMpass
  • DMARCp=none
  • Blacklists0 / 50

Illustrative. Your domain, every few hours.

Also from us:Pulse: your own sending infrastructureConsulting: $65/hr, no retainer