Definition
Email deliverability
Email deliverability is the share of the emails you send that actually reach the inbox, rather than the spam folder or a bounce.
Deliverability sits upstream of every other email metric. An email that lands in spam cannot be opened, so a poor inbox-placement rate quietly caps your Open rate and Click-through rate (CTR) no matter how good the message is. It is governed by your sender reputation, proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records on your sending domain), a clean list, and low complaint and bounce rates. To inspect your domain’s public DNS, use the free MX, SPF and DMARC checker on PeopleSearch.im, a people-search site from the same owner as TableMagic; DKIM and inbox placement need separate checks.
This is where the economics of email are won or lost for a restaurant. Email returns $10-$50 per $1, but only on the messages that arrive. The fastest way to wreck deliverability is to mail people who never asked: buying a list or skipping Opt-in drives spam complaints that mailbox providers use to route your future mail straight to junk, including the receipts and confirmations guests actually want.
Marketing platforms (Klaviyo, Marsello) handle authentication, suppress addresses that bounce or complain, and track engagement so you can prune dead contacts before they hurt you. The operator's job is discipline: mail only consenting guests, honor every unsubscribe, and remove long-inactive addresses. See email and SMS marketing.
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Related terms
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