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DNS Checker(beta)

Email Tester

Test your email deliverability with a detailed spam score analysis. Check SPF, DKIM, DMARC, SpamAssassin, content quality, and IP reputation.

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“A perfect email means nothing if it lands in spam. Test before you send.”

Written by Ishan Karunaratne · Last reviewed:

What Is an Email Deliverability Tester?

An email deliverability tester analyzes your outgoing emails against the same criteria that spam filters use to decide whether to deliver your message to the inbox, send it to spam, or reject it entirely. Instead of guessing why your emails aren't reaching subscribers, you get a concrete score and specific issues to fix.

This tool checks your email against 15+ criteria across authentication, IP reputation, spam content analysis, and technical best practices. Unlike simple SPF/DKIM checkers, it receives your actual email via SMTP — the same way Gmail, Outlook, and other providers receive it — giving you the most accurate picture of how your emails are perceived.

Why Does Your Email Score Matter?

Authentication

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC prove your emails are legitimate. Missing authentication is the #1 cause of inbox placement failure.

Up to -4.0 points for failures

IP Reputation

If your sending IP is on a blacklist like Spamhaus, your emails will be rejected by most providers before content is even checked.

Up to -3.0 points for listings

Content & Spam

SpamAssassin and content analysis check for spam patterns, suspicious links, image-heavy layouts, and other red flags.

Up to -3.0 points combined

What Is Email Authentication?

Email authentication is a set of DNS-based protocols that verify the identity of email senders. Without proper authentication, your emails can be spoofed by anyone and most providers will either reject them or send them to spam.

  • •SPF — Specifies which IPs are authorized to send email for your domain. Receiving servers check if the sending IP matches your SPF record.
  • •DKIM — Adds a cryptographic signature to each email. Receivers verify the signature against your public key published in DNS.
  • •DMARC — Tells receivers what to do when SPF and DKIM fail (reject, quarantine, or report). Gmail and Yahoo require DMARC for bulk senders.

Use the SPF Checker, DKIM Checker, and DMARC Checker for in-depth analysis of each protocol.

What Are Common Issues That Lower Your Score?

  1. Missing DKIM signature (-1.5). The single most impactful missing authentication. Most ESPs (Mailchimp, SendGrid) handle this automatically, but custom mail servers often need manual DKIM setup.
  2. Blacklisted sending IP (-2.0+). Check your IP with our Blacklist Checker. Shared hosting IPs are often listed. Dedicated IPs or reputable ESPs avoid this.
  3. No DMARC record (-0.5). Even a basic v=DMARC1; p=none is better than nothing, but p=quarantine or p=reject is recommended.
  4. High SpamAssassin score (-0.75 to -1.5). Triggered by spam trigger words, excessive caps, image-only emails, or suspicious URL patterns.
  5. Missing List-Unsubscribe (-0.25). Gmail and Yahoo now require one-click unsubscribe (RFC 8058) for bulk senders.

Related tools you might need

Built and maintained alongside this tool. Free, no signup required.

MX record lookupInbound mail server mapping.SPF record validatorSender authorization rules.DKIM record checkCryptographic signature verification.DMARC policy checkEnforcement-level verification.

Frequently Asked Questions