Live Deliverability Audit — Walking Tree

Run this checklist on the call. Check each item, log findings, flag issues in real time.

Live Audit
Checks Completed
0
of 16 total
Passing
0
no action needed
Warnings
0
monitor or adjust
Critical
0
action required
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Domain Authentication
SPF · DKIM · DMARC ▾
Walking Tree Sending Domains — Check All 7
walkingtree.tech explorewalkingtree.tech connectwalkingtree.tech meetwalkingtree.tech teamwalkingtree.tech walkingtree.ai from walkingtree.tech ★ Primary
Run SPF/DKIM/DMARC check on each domain via MXToolbox. Flag any domain missing auth records.
SPF record is present and valid
Check via MXToolbox or Apollo Admin: record should include Apollo's sending IPs. Look for "include:sendgrid.net" or equivalent.
DKIM record configured for Apollo's sending domain
Apollo signs emails with its own DKIM key. Verify the selector and key are published in DNS. Missing DKIM = spam folder risk.
DMARC policy is set (p=quarantine or p=reject preferred)
p=none means unauthenticated mail passes. p=quarantine or reject protects your domain and improves inbox placement. Check pct value.
Custom tracking domain configured (link clicks / open tracking)
Using Apollo's default tracking domain flags your emails to spam filters. A custom subdomain (track.yourdomain.com) significantly improves deliverability.
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Mailbox Health
Connection · Limits · Warm-up ▾
All active mailboxes are connected and syncing
Check Apollo Admin for any mailboxes with INACTIVE_REASON populated. Disconnected mailboxes silently drop sends.
Daily sending limits are below safe thresholds
Safe limit: 50/day per mailbox for new domains. Established domains: up to 100-150/day. Over-sending triggers spam filters regardless of content quality.
Gmail quota not exceeded (GMAIL_QUOTA_EXCEEDED_AT empty)
Gmail enforces a 500 sends/day cap on GSuite accounts. If exceeded, sending halts silently. Check Apollo Admin for quota error flags.
New mailboxes have completed a warm-up period
Cold mailboxes should send 5-10/day for the first 2 weeks, ramping up to 50/day by week 4. Jumping straight to full volume = near-certain spam classification.
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Sending Volume & Patterns
Volume · Timing · Sequences ▾
Active sequence count is within a manageable range
Too many active sequences driving sends from the same mailboxes concentrates spam risk. Review total active sequences in Apollo dashboard.
Sending is spread across business hours (not bulk-fired)
Apollo's scheduling feature prevents burst sending. Verify sends are spread across the day with randomized delays. Bulk sends at 9am = spam signal.
Email content does not contain spam-trigger patterns
Check for: all-caps subject lines, excessive links, image-heavy emails, or phrases like "free", "limited time", "act now". Run sequences through a subject line tester.
Unsubscribe link is present in all sequence emails
Missing unsubscribe links violate CAN-SPAM and increase spam complaints. Apollo should add this automatically — verify it's active on all templates.
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Bounce & Complaint Rates
Thresholds · Root causes ▾
Hard bounce rate is below 2%
Hard bounce = permanent delivery failure. Above 2% signals list quality issues. Above 5% = serious deliverability degradation and potential mailbox suspension.
Spam complaint rate is below 0.1%
Google's threshold is 0.08%. Above 0.3% = immediate deliverability issues. High complaint rates are often a targeting problem — wrong personas or wrong message.
Bounced contacts are being suppressed and removed from active sequences
Apollo should auto-suppress bounced contacts. Verify suppression is active and that bounced contacts are not re-entering sequences through list imports.
Open rates are above 20% on primary sequences
Below 20% open rate signals inbox placement issues (landing in spam/promotions) or subject line problems. Cross-reference with click rates to isolate the issue.

Call Notes & Action Items