Hey there—hope your emails are landing where they should.
Because this week, we’re diving into one of the most overlooked—but most powerful—tools in your deliverability toolbox: Google Postmaster Tools.
If you're sending to Gmail and you're not watching Postmaster Tools... you're flying blind.
Gmail doesn’t guess when deciding if your email hits inbox or spam—it looks at reputation. And Postmaster Tools is where that reputation lives.
📈 Why Domain & IP Reputation Actually Matter
Your inbox placement isn’t magic—it’s math.
Gmail grades your traffic based on:
Domain Reputation – how clean and consistent your overall sends are
IP Reputation – especially important if you’re on a shared IP
Spam Complaint Rate – Gmail might tolerate up to 0.3%, but anything over 0.1% puts you on thin ice
Inbox placement isn’t a right—it’s a reward. And your reputation decides if you get it. Keep your complaint rate well below 0.1% for optimal inboxing.
🔧 How to Set Up Google Postmaster (If You Haven’t Already)
Don’t overthink it—takes 5 minutes:
Head to postmaster.google.com
Add your sending domain (not your IP)
Google gives you a DNS TXT record—add it to your domain’s DNS
Once verified, you’ll start seeing data in ~24–48 hours (assuming you're actively sending to Gmail)
⚠️ Heads up: If you don’t have SPF/DKIM properly set up, you won’t see anything.
Fix that first.
🔍 What You Should Be Monitoring
Here’s what actually matters in GPT:
GPT Feeback Loop Stats
Domain Reputation → Ranges from Bad to High. You want to live in Medium or High.
IP Reputation → Same scale. If it’s tanking, start digging.
Spam Rate → Keep it under 0.1%. Any higher and you’re flirting with spam filters.
Authentication → Make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are showing as PASS.
Feedback Loop → This is your early warning system for rising complaints.
Encryption → TLS delivery success rates—problems here are rare but worth noting.
💡 Operator Tips
✅ Check it daily—add it to your inbox health check routine.
✅ If domain or IP rep drops suddenly, something’s off. Check list quality, complaint spikes, or sloppy sends.
✅ Segment Gmail users separately if their metrics are misbehaving.
✅ Warming up a new IP or domain? GPT is your signal dashboard. Don’t fly blind.
🚨 Bottom Line
Postmaster doesn’t guarantee inboxing—but it shows you what Gmail thinks of you.
And in email… perception is everything.
👀 Monitor.
🔎 Investigate.
📈 Improve.
🔁 Repeat.
BEFORE YOU GO
Don’t Let Bad Deliverability Tank Your Email Results
If your emails aren’t landing in the inbox, they’re not doing their job. I’ve seen too many brands struggle with deliverability issues without knowing why.
The truth is, a few key optimizations can make all the difference in getting your emails seen, opened, and clicked.
✅ Final Thought
If you’re putting time, money, and strategy into your email program—and not watching GPT—you're flying without instruments.
This is one of the few free tools that gives you Gmail’s perspective on your email operation. Use it, learn from it, and let it guide smarter decisions.
Keep those emails sharp. Keep that reputation clean.
See you in the inbox,
Chris Miquel
PS: Want help interpreting your Postmaster data or troubleshooting a reputation dip?
Reply to this email. I’ll help you spot the leaks and patch them fast.
