Understand the checks before you send
Learn what the warnings on the Review & send step mean, which ones stop sending, and what each deliverability check tells you.
The last step of a campaign is Review & send. Here MailGraf checks your campaign in four places. Some of them stop sending; others only give you information.
| Section | What it shows | Does it stop sending? |
|---|---|---|
| Almost ready | What the campaign still needs: sender, subject, preview text, audience, design, unsubscribe link | Yes. Fix next to each item takes you to the right step. |
| Before you can send | Account issues: trial ended, company details missing, no sending domain | Yes. The link on the line takes you to the screen where you fix it. |
| List bounce test | The estimated bounce rate of your audience | Yes, until the test finishes with a suitable result. If the rate is high, you can't send without cleaning the list; if it is borderline, you can go on with Accept the risk. |
| Deliverability checks | Settings that affect whether your email reaches the inbox | No, it only informs you. |
What the deliverability checks tell you
The card's header shows how many checks passed. Click Show to open the list.
- From name is ok: the name recipients see in their inbox is filled in.
- Sender address is verified: the sender address is verified in MailGraf.
- SPF and DKIM aligned: SPF and DKIM are DNS records that prove the email really comes from your domain. This line reads your sender verification, so it passes for a verified sender.
- DMARC record found: DMARC tells inboxes what to do with email that can't prove where it came from. If you see No DMARC record on this domain, add the record; see Add a sending domain.
- Unsubscribe link in the footer: required in every marketing email.
- List-Unsubscribe header added: this lets Gmail and other email apps show an Unsubscribe option at the top of the email. MailGraf adds it to every send.
- Plain-text alternative included: a text version for apps that read email without images. MailGraf builds it for you.
- All images have alt text: alt text is the short description read when an image doesn't load. If it's missing, select the image and add a description.
An HTML email shows two more lines: No embedded images and Under 100 KB. Images embedded in the code don't show in some email apps. Gmail clips emails over 100 KB, and the footer may not show.
Language note and spam test
If the email's text is written in a different language from the email language you chose, a note appears on the card. The unsubscribe page and GrafAI ideas follow the email language. Change it in Email language on the Setup step.
A Run a spam test line appears under the card; if your package doesn't include spam tests, the line shows a package badge and the test can't start. The test sends the final version of the email to a test inbox and scores it for spam filters, authentication, content, blacklists and links. The result usually arrives within a minute or two.
A good score is not a guarantee
Even when every check passes, no test can guarantee the inbox. Your audience matters most: a list of people who agreed to hear from you, know who you are and open your emails.
Frequently asked questions
Will my email send if a deliverability check fails?
Yes. That card only informs you and does not turn off the send button. What stops sending is the Almost ready list, the Before you can send card and the List bounce test.
What should I do if there is no DMARC record?
Add a DMARC record in your domain's DNS settings. Gmail and Yahoo expect a DMARC record from addresses that send a lot of email. The steps are in Add a sending domain.
Do I need to write a plain-text version?
No. MailGraf builds the plain-text version of your email and adds it to every send.
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