How to Check Whether Your Emails Are Earning Trust

Your emails can only work if they reach the inbox, and they only keep reaching it if mailbox providers and customers trust you. The Inbox Trust Ladder shows how a sender earns that trust, one rung at a time.

The four rungs

1. Authenticated. SPF, DKIM and DMARC are set up, and every marketing email has a one-click unsubscribe.
2. Recognized. The same from name, a steady cadence, a clean list and very low spam complaints.
3. Welcomed. People click and reply, contacts who never engage are suppressed, and replies get answered by a person.
4. Relied on. Customers look for your emails, save them, forward them and mention them unprompted.

How to use it

Check each statement as yes, partly or no. Your rung is the last one where every statement is a yes. Fix the first gap above it. Most brands that see revenue fall quietly have a gap on rung one or two, and no amount of copy work fixes that.

Part of Email Experience Design. Want the quick version? Run the free scan.