Email Deliverability Audit & Optimization Expert Only

I run all outbound messages through a custom SMTP server, yet too many land in spam and certain promotional sequences show the lowest open rates. I want a clear, data-backed explanation of why this is happening and a concrete path to reliable inbox placement.

The scope covers a full inspection of the delivery stack: authenticating SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, DNS propagation, mail-server and MTA settings, sending cadence, IP and domain reputation, blacklist status, and the raw headers produced by each message type. Once root causes of the spam placement are identified, the fixes should be applied and verified.

Deliverables
• Detailed audit report that maps every issue to its impact on deliverability and lists actionable fixes in priority order.
• Corrected and fully aligned SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, demonstrated with live tests.
• Tuned server configuration and sending practices that meet current best-practice guidelines.
• Reputation snapshot before and after remediation, covering key RBLs and tools such as Google Postmaster, Talos and MXToolbox.
• Final validation showing test emails reach the inbox (not the spam or promotions tab) at major providers.

Acceptance Criteria
1. Authentication checks (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) all return “pass / aligned”.
2. No critical listings on leading RBLs remain.
3. Test campaigns from the custom SMTP server arrive in the primary inbox of Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo accounts.

Include in the report which tools you used—DNS inspector, header analyzers, mail-tester, etc.—so I can replicate the results. A one-week turnaround is ideal as long as each remedy is properly explained.