> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.linkaiil.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Deliverability Troubleshooting > What to do when Link AI emails land in Spam, open rate is low, or bounce rate is high: SPF, DKIM, warmup, and domain reputation recovery. # Deliverability Troubleshooting Deliverability is the most frustrating topic in outbound. You send well-written messages to a tight ICP, and half land in Spam. This guide helps diagnose and fix. ## How to Spot a Problem 3 number-based indicators: | Metric | Healthy | Suspicious | Problem | | ------------------- | ---------- | ---------- | --------- | | **Open rate** (24h) | 40%+ | 25-40% | Under 25% | | **Bounce rate** | Under 3% | 3-7% | Over 7% | | **Spam complaints** | Under 0.1% | 0.1-0.3% | Over 0.3% | If one or more metrics is in "Problem" — take a step back. Don't send more messages until you understand why. ## Step-by-Step Diagnosis ### Step 1 — Check mail-tester This is the most important check. Send one email from Link AI to the mail-tester.com address, and open the report. You want to see: * **9/10 or 10/10** overall score * **SPF**: pass * **DKIM**: pass * **DMARC**: pass * **Sender reputation**: green * **Content score**: 100% If you're below 8 — you have a setup issue. Fix it before continuing. ### Step 2 — Check DNS Records At mxtoolbox.com: 1. **SPF Lookup** on your domain → ensure there's exactly one record, and that it includes the right server: * Google Workspace: `include:_spf.google.com` * Microsoft 365: `include:spf.protection.outlook.com` 2. **DKIM Lookup** → check the selector (usually `google._domainkey` or `selector1._domainkey`) 3. **DMARC Lookup** → make sure a policy exists (even `p=none` beats nothing) **Common mistake**: two SPF records on the same domain. This breaks authentication. You need one record that combines all includes. ### Step 3 — Check Sender Health in the Dashboard Settings → Senders → \[Your Sender] → **Health Check** You'll get a report with: * Domain reputation (Google Postmaster Tools score) * Recent bounce trend * Recent spam complaint trend * Warmup status If anything's red — start there. ## Fixes by Symptom ### "Open rate under 25%" Likely causes, most common first: 1. **Insufficient warmup** — if this is a new sender (under 30 days), restart warmup for another 21-30 days. Don't send big volume until it finishes. 2. **Subject line** — if the subject feels "spammy" (ALL CAPS, exclamation marks, words like "FREE", "URGENT"), it hurts deliverability. Let Link AI write subjects (default), don't force a specific subject. 3. **Volume scaled too fast** — if you went from 10/day to 100/day with no gradual ramp, providers flag you as suspicious. Drop to 30/day for 7 days, then 50, then 100. 4. **Domain reputation hit** — if you were at 95% open rate and now you're at 15%, something hit reputation. Send less and check Google Postmaster Tools. ### "Bounce rate over 7%" This is a lead quality issue, not a setup issue. 1. **Check ICP** — are you targeting companies that are still active? Sometimes enrichment returns dead companies. 2. **Check email validation** — Link AI validates emails, but sometimes stricter validation helps. If bounce rate is consistently high — contact us and we'll review. 3. **Don't keep sending** — bounce rate above 10% damages reputation within 48 hours. **Pause the campaign**, fix it, then resume. ### "Spam complaints over 0.3%" This is the most serious. Every complaint hits domain reputation. 1. **ICP too broad** — if you're sending to "anyone in sales", some will mark as spam. Tighten to a sharper ICP. 2. **Aggressive tone** — `consultative` or `casual` get fewer complaints than `direct` with certain audiences. 3. **Unclear unsubscribe** — Link AI adds a footer with opt-out automatically. If you removed it — bring it back. ### "Mails in Spam folder (not Inbox)" We can't see this from our reports — we see opens, not location. But if someone reports it: 1. Ask a trusted recipient (client, friend) to add you to contacts and mark "Not spam" 2. Make sure you're sending from a domain with DMARC `p=quarantine` or stronger 3. If 50%+ of mails are in Spam — **stop**, restart warmup for 14 days ## When to Build a Fresh Sender If domain reputation took a serious hit (most mails in Spam, high complaints), it's sometimes better to start fresh: 1. **Buy a new domain** — option: a domain "alias" like `linkaiil.io` if your primary is `linkaiil.com` 2. **Configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC fresh** — per [Sender Setup](/en/sender-setup) 3. **Connect to Link AI** and wait 30 days of warmup 4. **Start at low volume** — 20/day for 2 weeks, then 50 The old domain stays for your primary purpose (website, marketing). Outbound moves to the new domain. ## When to Contact Support Reach out if: * Metrics stay red for more than a week despite all the steps above * A technical OAuth or sync issue you can't resolve * Suspected bug in Link AI (sudden 0% open rate, sync broken) * A reporting question you don't know how to interpret The team is available via Dashboard → **Help → Contact Support**, or [mailer.linkaiil.com](https://mailer.linkaiil.com) → Support. ## What's Next * [Sender Setup](/en/sender-setup) — if you haven't configured SPF/DKIM/DMARC yet * [Your First Campaign](/en/first-campaign) — extended guide to building a healthy campaign Start with a clean sender and green deliverability tier from day one