What Happens When You Send a Test Email?
Understanding the email testing process and analysis
Table of Contents
What Happens When You Send a Test Email?
When you send a test email using our email testing tool, the system performs comprehensive analysis across multiple factors to evaluate how your email will be handled by spam filters and ISPs.
The testing process simulates how real email providers will evaluate your emails, providing insights into potential deliverability issues before you send to your full list. This helps you identify and fix problems that could cause emails to be filtered or blocked.
Test results include detailed scores, identified issues, and actionable recommendations to improve deliverability. You can then address issues and re-test to verify improvements.
The Testing Process
1. Email Submission
You submit your email (as a file, source code, or by sending to a test address) to the testing tool.
2. Initial Analysis
The tool parses your email, extracting headers, content, HTML, links, and other elements for analysis.
3. Multi-Factor Evaluation
The tool evaluates multiple factors simultaneously:
- Spam score calculation
- Authentication verification
- Content analysis
- HTML validation
- Technical checks
- Blacklist status
4. Report Generation
The tool generates a comprehensive report with scores, identified issues, and recommendations.
5. Review and Action
You review results, fix identified issues, and can re-test to verify improvements.
Spam Score Analysis
One of the primary checks is spam score analysis. The tool evaluates your email against spam filter algorithms to predict how likely it is to be filtered.
How Spam Scores Are Calculated
Our SpamAssassin test uses the SpamAssassin algorithm to assign points for various factors:
- Spam trigger words and phrases
- HTML structure and validity
- Link patterns and ratios
- Image-to-text ratios
- Authentication status
- Sender reputation signals
- Content patterns
Score Interpretation
- 0-3: Excellent - Very low spam probability
- 3-5: Good - Low spam probability
- 5-7: Moderate - May be filtered
- 7+: High - Likely to be filtered
The report identifies specific issues contributing to the score, helping you fix problems to improve deliverability.
Authentication Verification
The test verifies that your email authentication records are properly configured and working correctly.
SPF Verification
Checks if your SPF records authorize the sending servers and are correctly formatted. Missing or incorrect SPF significantly increases spam scores.
DKIM Verification
Verifies DKIM signatures are valid and properly configured. Failed DKIM checks hurt deliverability.
DMARC Verification
Checks your DMARC policy is properly set up. DMARC protects your domain and improves deliverability.
Use our comprehensive authentication checker to verify all three protocols are working correctly.
Content Analysis
The test analyzes email content for various factors that could trigger spam filters.
Spam Word Detection
Scans for words and phrases commonly associated with spam. Use our spam words checker to identify problematic content before testing.
HTML Validation
Checks HTML code for errors, invalid syntax, and compatibility issues. Validate with our HTML validator.
Link Analysis
Analyzes link patterns, ratios, and suspicious URLs that might trigger filters.
Structure Analysis
Checks text-to-image ratios, header structure, and overall email formatting.
Technical Checks
The test validates various technical aspects of your email infrastructure.
DNS Configuration
Verifies MX records and DNS configuration are correct.
Email Headers
Validates email headers are properly formatted and contain required information.
Blacklist Status
Checks if your domain or IP appears on email blacklists. Monitor your blacklist status regularly.
Reverse DNS
Verifies reverse DNS is properly configured, which is important for reputation.
Understanding Test Results
Test results provide comprehensive insights into your email's deliverability prospects:
Overall Score
A summary score indicating overall deliverability prospects. Lower scores indicate better deliverability.
Detailed Breakdown
Results break down scores by category (authentication, content, technical, etc.), helping you identify specific areas to improve.
Identified Issues
The report lists specific issues found, such as missing authentication, spam trigger words, HTML errors, or blacklist presence.
Recommendations
Actionable recommendations to fix identified issues and improve deliverability.
Inbox Placement Predictions
Predictions of how emails will be placed across different email providers and inbox types.
Next Steps
After reviewing results, fix identified issues and re-test to verify improvements. Use our email testing tool regularly to maintain optimal deliverability.
