How to Boost Email Deliverability and Keep Mails Out of Spam

A high deliverability rate is essential to ensure that your eCards actually arrive in your recipients’ inboxes – and not in their spam folders. Power eCard already uses modern standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, sending limits, bounce checks). Our spam score is usually around 9.4 out of 10 points. Still, there are additional measures you can take to further improve deliverability.

In this guide, we show you the most effective steps: from technical setup to list hygiene to content-related best practices.

Technical Basics

Sending Server & Standards at Power eCard

All emails are sent via AWS and are secured with established authentication and security protocols:

• SPF, DKIM, DMARC for verified sender authenticity
• Sending limits to avoid spam classification
• Automatic bounce handling for invalid addresses

Optional: If using your own domains plus whitelisting is not sufficient, you can connect your own SMTP server. This requires licensing and activation by our support team.

1. Validate Your Own Domain

By default, emails are sent from a generated sender address ([email protected]). By validating your own domain, you can send from a “real” sender address – which improves both brand perception and deliverability.

Benefits:

• Higher deliverability as spam filters can verify your domain’s authenticity
• More trust from recipients as familiar sender addresses are used
• Ability to customize sender addresses for each eCard template

How to:

• Go to Administration > Settings > E-Mail.
• Enter your domain under E-Mail Domain (without “www” or “@”, e.g., your-domain.com).
• Two CNAME records will be displayed. Add these to your domain management.
• Wait until activation (up to 48 hours).
• Click Validate domain.

After successful validation you can:

• Use your own sender addresses
• Customize sender addresses per eCard design
• Achieve higher deliverability and trustworthiness

More info:

2. Set Up a Subdomain for eCard Links

By default, eCards are opened via the power-ecard.io domain. For recipients, it looks much more professional if your own subdomain appears when opening the eCard (e.g., ecard.your-domain.com). This strengthens trust in the authenticity of the message and reinforces your brand identity.

Benefits:

• More professional appearance when opening the eCard
• Increased trust through consistent sender and link domains
• Stronger brand recognition in every eCard you send

Example: ecard.ihre-domain.de

How to:

• Create a subdomain in your domain management.
• Add a CNAME record pointing to YOUR_CUSTOMER_ID.power-ecard.io.
  • Do not use A-records
  • Changes may take up to 48 hours
  • Subdomain must not start with numbers or special characters
• In the Power eCard backend, go to Administration > Settings > General > Custom Domain and enter your subdomain.

More info:

List & Database Management

1. Remove Inactive Contacts

Check regularly which recipients have not opened or engaged with your emails over a longer period. Removing these inactive contacts ensures that your mailings reach only those who are truly interested.

Benefit: A clean list increases engagement, improves deliverability, and prevents mail providers from flagging your messages as spam.

2. Clean Up Bounce Addresses

Undeliverable email addresses (hard bounces) should be consistently removed, as every failed delivery harms your sender reputation.

Benefit: By cleaning bounces, you reduce the risk of your emails landing in spam folders and ensure that your messages reliably reach recipients.

How to:

• Go to Administration > Bounce Management. You’ll see all addresses that could not be delivered to, including bounce type (hard or soft).
  • Hard bounces are automatically blocked and cannot be deleted.
  • Soft bounces (e.g., full mailboxes) can be manually removed or deleted.

The fewer bounces, the higher your sending reputation remains.

More info:

3. Respect Unsubscribes (Opt-Out)

Always include an unsubscribe link in your mailings, so recipients can easily and transparently opt out of your list. Check unsubscribe lists regularly and respect them consistently.

Benefit: Respecting opt-outs prevents complaints and spam reports that could damage your sender reputation. At the same time, it shows recipients that you respect their preferences – building trust and increasing long-term list quality.

How to:

• Open your eCard and go to the E-Mail tab.
• Scroll to the footer and highlight the text you want to use as an unsubscribe link.
• Click the link icon in the editor and enter [unsubscribe] as the URL.
• Save.

More info:

Ensuring High-Quality Content

The content of your emails has a major impact on deliverability. Spam filters analyze not only technical configuration but also message content. A clear, professional tone and structure ensure that your emails land reliably in the inbox.

1. Avoid Spam Trigger Words

Terms like “free,” “win,” “100% safe,” or excessive use of exclamation marks and ALL CAPS are often flagged by spam filters.

Benefit: By avoiding common spam words, you reduce the risk of being blocked and increase the chances your emails are opened.

How to:

• Run your messages through a spam-check tool before sending.
• Avoid overly promotional or sensational wording.
• Use links and images sparingly, and never send “image-only” emails.

2. Use Clear Subject Lines & Consistent Sender Addresses

The subject line is the first thing recipients (and spam filters) see. Honest, precise subject lines build trust. At the same time, use consistent domains and sender names.

Benefit: Transparent subject lines increase open rates. Consistent sender addresses boost recognition and prevent spam classification from inconsistent senders.

How to:

• Keep subject lines short and clear (max. 50 characters).
• Avoid special characters or unnecessary capitalization.
• Always use a consistent sender address (e.g., your-domain.com) that recipients recognize.

3. Provide HTML & Text Versions

Many mail servers and spam filters check if a text version exists alongside the HTML version. Missing text versions can lower deliverability.

Benefit: By including a plain text version, your emails appear more trustworthy and also reach recipients who cannot view HTML emails (e.g., on mobile or behind strict security filters).

How to:

• Create a simple text version alongside your HTML template with the same content.
• Ensure both versions are consistent (no differences in wording).
• Test your mailings in different clients to confirm both versions display correctly.