{"id":123008,"date":"2026-02-27T11:22:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/?p=123008"},"modified":"2026-02-27T11:27:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:27:19","slug":"how-email-content-may-be-killing-your-deliverability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-email-content-may-be-killing-your-deliverability","title":{"rendered":"How\u00a0Email Content May be Killing\u00a0Your Deliverability\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t<div id=\"simple-text-block-block_f80ed960afe0ff22aad32b5e02ffed17\" class=\"block-simple-text-block alignfull \" style=\"background-color:\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n  \t<div class=\"row\">\n  \t\t<div class=\"col\">\n  \t\t\t<div class=\"copy\">\n  \t\t\t\t<table style=\"background-color: #f2f3f6;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"block-1\" style=\"padding: 20px;\">\n<h3>Key takeaways \u2728<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Your images might be hurting your deliverability<\/strong>. Images aren\u2019t the enemy\u2014but oversized files, image-only emails, and missing alt text can create a poor experience and raise red flags with mailbox providers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Broken or sketchy links instantly damage trust<\/strong>. Spam filters actively check your URLs, and broken links, unsecured pages, or generic shorteners can make your email look suspicious.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Relevance is the real inbox MVP<\/strong>. Even perfectly tested emails won\u2019t perform well if the content doesn\u2019t resonate with subscribers. And low engagement signals tell mailbox providers your messages don\u2019t belong in the inbox.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Mailbox providers (MBPs) are relentlessly raising the bar for email marketers. They\u2019re no longer just asking, \u201cIs this sender authenticated?\u201d Instead, the question has become, \u201cDoes this message deserve to be in this subscriber\u2019s inbox?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>AI-driven mailboxes and snippet digest views mean that email content optimization is back to the forefront of the conversation\u2014and this optimization plays a major role in a campaign\u2019s success or failure. If\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0nailed your authentication setup, consent processes,\u00a0and bulk sender rules,\u00a0but still see deliverability issues,\u00a0it may be time to\u00a0check\u00a0the email content itself.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, industry expert\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lbblair\/\">LoriBeth (LB) Blair<\/a> joined Guy Hanson and me on Validity\u2019s <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/senderscore.org\/podcasts\/email-after-hours\/your-email-content-is-killing-your-deliverability-and-how-to-fix-it-with-lb-blair\/\">Email After Hours<\/a> podcast for a deep dive into the\u00a0content issues she sees all too\u00a0often. In this blog post,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0recapping the episode by breaking down the top\u00a0four\u00a0ways your email content may be killing your deliverability.<\/p>\n<h3>Table of contents<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#optimize\">Images: optimize or pay the price<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#broken\">Links: broken = suspicious<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#rendering\">Rendering: If it looks broken, it\u2019s risky<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#relevance\">Relevance: the ultimate filter<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#test\">Test before you send<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let&#8217;s dive in!<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"optimize\">1. Images: Optimize or\u00a0pay the\u00a0price<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Images\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0automatically send your emails to the spam folder, but poorly optimized ones can hurt your email program\u2019s inbox performance\u00a0and engagement rates. As LB put it on the podcast: \u201cIf putting an image in your email causes it to go to spam, that is not your only problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The issue\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0the inclusion of images.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0how\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0built and displayed.<\/p>\n<p>MBPs are under increasing pressure to manage computing and storage resources. Oversized images and heavy GIFs create unnecessary strain and a poor user experience, particularly on mobile.<\/p>\n<p>How should marketers be\u00a0optimizing\u00a0images in their emails?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Compress images\u00a0to reduce file size<\/strong>.\u00a0Large images increase storage and processing demands for\u00a0MBPs, and slow load times for subscribers.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid image-only emails<\/strong>.\u00a0Filters\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0easily interpret image-only\u00a0content\u00a0and\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/ultimate-guide-accessible-emails\">screen readers<\/a>\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0access it without proper text.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Maintain a healthy text-to-image balance<\/strong>.\u00a0Text gives filters context and helps classify your message accurately. It also protects the experience if images\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0load, improving both accessibility and engagement.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Ensure images load quickly<\/strong>. Fast-loading emails feel professional and capture attention quickly, while slow ones get ignored. Low engagement negatively impacts sender reputation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Another critical note for images in emails:\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0forget about the\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/accessible-email-made-easy-introducing-accessibility-checks-in-litmus\">alt text<\/a>. Descriptive alt text\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0just about ensuring\u00a0accessibility\u2014it can\u00a0influence\u00a0deliverability. When images are blocked (which happens by default when emails land in the spam folder), alt text becomes part of the visible message. In this scenario, the subscriber\u2019s ability to digest the alt text\u00a0becomes essential, especially if you want them to rescue you from the spam folder.<\/p>\n<p>LB recommends a simple approach\u00a0to writing alt text: describe what you see. \u201cLook at the image and say aloud what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marketers should ask themselves: \u201cIf someone couldn\u2019t see the image, would they still understand the message?\u201d If not,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0missing opportunities to meet accessibility best practices,\u00a0establish\u00a0clarity, and\u00a0promote\u00a0critical engagement that can potentially\u00a0impact\u00a0inbox placement.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"container pt-3 pb-5 px-1\">\n\t<div class=\"row blog-cta-green rounded-5 p-4\">\n\t\t<div class=\"mx-auto col-12\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row d-flex align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-lg-6 col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"bold fs-4\">Design tools anyone can use<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Build emails from scratch with our HTML email builder or drag-and-drop your way to the emails of your dreams. <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/email-builder\" class=\"bold\">Learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"button-blue arrow\"><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/pricing-litmus\" class=\"text-white text-decoration-none\">Book a demo<\/a><\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6 d-none d-lg-block\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/hp_build.svg\" width=\"210\" height=\"130\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!--row-->\n\t\t<\/div><!--col-12-->\n\t<\/div><!--row-->\n<\/div><!--container-->\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n<h2 id=\"broken\">2. Links: broken links are\u00a0suspicious<\/h2>\n<p>Broken links\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0just an embarrassing marketing oops\u2014they\u2019re\u00a0a cybersecurity red flag. Spam filters actively check links. If a URL leads to a 404\u00a0error page or behaves unpredictably, it raises trust concerns. Historically, malicious actors have sent emails with \u201cclean\u201d links and later swapped them for harmful content\u2014which means filters are cautious by design.<\/p>\n<p>Marketers should ensure they:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Test every link before sending.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Leverage HTTPS-secured URLs.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Avoid public link shorteners, like tiny.url or bit.ly.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Brand their tracking domain (e.g., link.yourdomain.com)\u2014when your link domain aligns with your sending domain, you reinforce trust and reduce filtering complexity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0linking to a PDF? Avoid auto-download behavior, especially in\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/b2b-email-marketing\">B2B environments<\/a> with strict security filters. A two-click experience (landing page first, then download) is safer and signals legitimacy. In email marketing,\u00a0always\u00a0build trust and reputation\u00a0through transparency and predictability.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"rendering\">3. Rendering: If it looks broken, it&#8217;s risky<\/h2>\n<p>You can follow every infrastructure and segmentation best practice in the book and still lose if your email\u00a0renders\u00a0poorly. Today\u2019s subscribers check email in multiple viewing environments\u2014on mobile devices, desktops, tablets, and increasingly,\u00a0in\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-to-dark-mode-for-email-marketers\">dark mode<\/a>. If your message\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0responsive, includes confusing or poorly placed calls-to-action,\u00a0or becomes unreadable in dark mode, subscribers will feel a sense of doubt.<\/p>\n<p>Doubt harms engagement, and low engagement hurts reputation. As Guy Hanson shared during the episode: \u201cThe most successful email programs are going to be the ones that start making trust\u00a0visible, shifting\u00a0from simply reaching the inbox to proving you belong there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That trust extends to design and rendering. With\u00a0roughly half\u00a0of mobile users now using dark mode,\u00a0failing to optimize\u00a0for it\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0just a visual oversight\u2014it\u2019s\u00a0a subscriber experience issue.<\/p>\n<p>Marketers should confirm that their emails:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Look good with images on and off.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Render properly in dark mode.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Include clear, visible CTAs (yes, even above the fold).<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Include quick-loading images.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>LB was spot-on with her assessment and these rendering checks:\u00a0\u201cWe all have to account for attention spans in the age of TikTok, which are short\u2014perilously short.\u201d\u00a0Emails should be digestible and clickable,\u00a0even at a quick glance or at first impression.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"container pt-3 pb-5 px-1\">\n\t<div class=\"row blog-cta-green rounded-5 p-4\">\n\t\t<div class=\"mx-auto col-12\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row d-flex align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-lg-6 col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"bold fs-4\">Perfect emails, every time<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Preview in 100+ email clients. Run automated QA checks. Ensure accessibility. All in one place: Litmus Testing and QA.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"button-blue arrow\"><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/email-testing\" class=\"text-white text-decoration-none\">Test with ease<\/a><\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6 d-none d-lg-block\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/blog-cta-email-guardian-07292024.svg\" width=\"210\" height=\"180\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!--row-->\n\t\t<\/div><!--col-12-->\n\t<\/div><!--row-->\n<\/div><!--container-->\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n<h2 id=\"relevance\">4. Relevance: the ultimate filter<\/h2>\n<p>Optimizing\u00a0every image, securing every link,\u00a0and perfecting your rendering are crucial\u2014but relevance is still king. More than ever,\u00a0MBPs\u00a0are evaluating engagement signals at the\u00a0individual user\u00a0level. If a subscriber ignores,\u00a0deletes, or\u00a0fails\u00a0to\u00a0engage with your content, that behavior\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.validity.com\/blog\/how-major-providers-like-google-microsoft-and-apple-sort-your-inbox\/\">informs filtering decisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Deliverability is no longer\u00a0just\u00a0about\u00a0technical\u00a0compliance.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0about\u00a0sustaining\u00a0proof that your messages matter to your subscribers.<\/p>\n<p>Marketers should ask themselves:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Is this email\u00a0timely?<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Is personalization meaningful\u2014and\u00a0not just a merge tag?<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Is the offer providing value?<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Is the next step obvious?<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Does the subject line effectively state relevance and generate interest?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If subscribers\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0engaging or interested, filters eventually notice. For Gmail in particular, users are prompted to unsubscribe from brands they\u00a0fail to\u00a0open emails from in the last 30 days:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-123011 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/unsubscribe-in-the-inbox-1024x537.png\" alt=\"Example of email unsubscribes in the inbox\" width=\"1024\" height=\"537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/unsubscribe-in-the-inbox-1024x537.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/unsubscribe-in-the-inbox-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/unsubscribe-in-the-inbox-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/unsubscribe-in-the-inbox.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\n<p>Optimize your subject lines so they:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u00b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u00b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Fit within a standard character limit on mobile (35-40 characters).<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u00b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u00b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Front load the primary offer, value point or incentive.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u00b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u00b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Reflect known subscriber interests.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\u00b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u00b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Match the content inside.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In today\u2019s email marketing world,\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.validity.com\/blog\/the-dangers-of-misleading-subject-lines\/\">misleading subject lines<\/a>\u00a0not only degrade trust\u2014they\u00a0can\u00a0lead to costly legal ramifications. Simply\u00a0put:\u00a0sell it like it is in email subject lines!<\/p>\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n<h2 id=\"test\" aria-level=\"2\">Test\u00a0before\u00a0you\u00a0send<\/h2>\n<p>Most content-related\u00a0issues\u00a0can be caught by thorough\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/email-testing-and-qa\">testing<\/a> before a send goes live. Before launching a campaign, you should:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Validate all links.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Check rendering across devices and in dark mode.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Review image sizes.<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Confirm accessibility elements (like alt text).<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Send inbox seed tests before deployment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Content missteps (like broken links, oversized images, or\u00a0rendering\u00a0issues) can undo months of strong sending practices. Content testing\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0optional;\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a pivotal part of the deliverability process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The\u00a0bottom\u00a0line:\u00a0marketers and email programs that prioritize optimized, trustworthy, accessible, and relevant content will stand out in crowded mailboxes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Want a fun deep dive for your ears?<\/p>\n<p>Check out our fabulous <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/senderscore.org\/podcasts\/email-after-hours\/your-email-content-is-killing-your-deliverability-and-how-to-fix-it-with-lb-blair\/\">Email After Hours podcast<\/a> episode featuring LB Blair. You can <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/6a2xdCpOsRSnGuRPwdAC15?si=af2b113a88154ab5\">listen to the episode on Spotify\u00a0<\/a>for all the nitty-gritty on how your email content may be killing your deliverability.<\/p>\n  \t\t\t<\/div>\n  \t\t<\/div>\n  \t<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LB Blair guest-starred on Validity\u2019s Email After Hours podcast! This episode recap outlines their discussion about the four ways email content can hurt deliverability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":123010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[10371,45,9363],"blog_category":[10302,10306],"class_list":["post-123008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-copywriting","tag-deliverability","tag-email-marketing-strategy","blog_category-email-deliverability","blog_category-email-marketing-strategy"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How\u00a0Email Content May be Killing\u00a0Your Deliverability\u00a0 - Litmus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"LB Blair guest-starred on Validity\u2019s Email After Hours podcast! This episode recap outlines the four ways email content can hurt deliverability.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-email-content-may-be-killing-your-deliverability\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How\u00a0Email Content May be Killing\u00a0Your Deliverability\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"LB Blair guest-starred on Validity\u2019s Email After Hours podcast! This episode recap outlines the four ways email content can hurt deliverability.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-email-content-may-be-killing-your-deliverability\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Litmus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/litmusapp\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-27T16:22:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-27T16:27:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/How-Email-Content-May-be-Killing-Your-Deliverability-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1380\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"725\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@litmusapp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@litmusapp\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How\u00a0Email Content May be Killing\u00a0Your Deliverability\u00a0 - Litmus","description":"LB Blair guest-starred on Validity\u2019s Email After Hours podcast! 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