How to audit cold email tool settings for deliverability?

You've set up your cold email tool, configured the domains, and campaigns are running. But over time, configuration drift happens. A sending limit gets changed, a DKIM key expires, or an unsubscribe setting gets misconfigured. This is why a regular audit catches problems before they tank your deliverability.

Authentication audit. Start with the foundation. For each sending domain, verify that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are live and correct. Don't just assume they're still valid. DKIM keys need to be 2048-bit minimum (smaller keys get rejected by modern ISPs). Check your tool's records against what you actually have in DNS. If your tool doesn't validate records automatically, use a free checker to spot errors or expirations.

Sending configuration audit. This is where many people slip up. Review your per-mailbox daily limits (should be under 50 messages per mailbox per day for new domains). Check throttling and delay settings. Verify that business hour configurations actually match your time zone, not some default. I've seen people sending at 3 a.m. in their recipients' time zone because they didn't check this.

List management audit. Suppression lists work only if they're actually working. Test that bounce handling removes addresses automatically. Check how fast unsubscribe requests process (should be hours, not days). Verify your CRM sync is current and not stalled.

Warmup and tracking audit. If you're using warmup, confirm each mailbox has finished warmup before blending in real campaigns. Check that tracking domains are configured separately from your sending domain (mixing them damages reputation). Test link and pixel tracking across Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail to make sure nothing's broken.

Monitoring audit. Set up Google Postmaster Tools access for each domain. Enable blocklist monitoring (we have a free blocklist checker you can use). Configure alerts so you catch problems when they emerge, not weeks later.

Pick a cadence. Run this audit monthly if you're actively sending, or quarterly if you're stable. The goal is catching drift before it becomes damage.