AlpacaRelay logo
AlpacaRelay
Checklists
Email Email

Pre-Send Checklist

Email Email Checklist: Pre-Send Quality Assurance

28 checks across the 8-Dimension Email Quality Framework — each with a revenue impact estimate. Skipping these checks costs the average sender ~$2,000-4,000/month in lost revenue. Run through this before every email email send, or let AlpacaRelay's 7-step expertise chain run all 28 checks automatically. Based on AlpacaRelay's analysis of 10,000+ email templates across 25 industries.

28 checks8 dimensions

Deliverability

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records configured

Missing authentication sends ~15-30% of emails to spam — for a 5,000-subscriber list, that is ~$400-800/month in lost revenue. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

From address matches authenticated domain

Mismatched sender domains trigger spam filters, costing ~$200-400/month in missed inbox placement. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

No spam trigger words in subject line

Spam trigger words reduce deliverability by 10-20%, worth ~$300-600/month for an active list. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically and suggests replacements — you do not need to remember.

Email size under 102KB

Gmail clips emails over 102KB, hiding your CTA — this check improves CTR by 8-12%, worth ~$250-500/month. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Mobile Render

Single-column layout on screens under 600px

61% of emails are opened on mobile (Litmus, 2025). Broken mobile layouts lose ~$500-1,000/month in mobile conversions. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

CTA button at least 44x44px tap target

Undersized tap targets reduce mobile CTR by 15-25%, costing ~$300-600/month. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically against WCAG 2.1 and Apple HIG — you do not need to remember.

Font size 14px or larger on mobile

Missing this costs ~$150-300/month — small text forces zooming, increasing bounce by 12%. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Images have width constraints

Unconstrained images break mobile layout and increase bounce rate by 18%, worth ~$200-400/month in lost engagement. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

CTA Clarity

Primary CTA visible without scrolling

Above-the-fold CTAs see 371% more clicks (Wordstream, 2024). Missing this costs ~$600-1,200/month in lost conversions. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

CTA text is action-oriented (verb + benefit)

Specific CTAs ('Start your free trial') outperform vague ones ('Click here') by 42%, worth ~$400-800/month. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically and suggests rewrites — you do not need to remember.

Only one primary CTA per email

Multiple CTAs reduce CTR by 17% (Campaign Monitor, 2024), costing ~$300-500/month. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

CTA color has sufficient contrast

This check improves CTR by 5-10% for accessibility compliance, worth ~$150-300/month. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically against WCAG 4.5:1 ratio — you do not need to remember.

Personalization Depth

Subscriber name in greeting with fallback

Personalized greetings improve open rates by 10-14%, worth ~$300-500/month. Missing the fallback causes blank greetings that increase unsubscribes. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Content references how they signed up

Signup-source acknowledgment reduces unsubscribe rate by 20-30%, protecting ~$200-400/month in list value. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Subject line includes name or context

Personalized subject lines see 26% higher open rates (Experian, 2013), worth ~$500-900/month for a 5K list. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Visual Hierarchy

Clear visual flow: headline, body, CTA

Proper visual flow improves CTR by 20-35%, worth ~$400-700/month. Without it, readers skip the CTA entirely. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Adequate whitespace between sections

Whitespace increases reading comprehension by ~20% (Chaparro et al., 2004), improving conversion by 8-15%, worth ~$200-400/month. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Images support the message

Decorative filler images add weight and can trigger spam filters — missing this costs ~$150-300/month in deliverability and engagement. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Copy Effectiveness

Subject line 50 characters or fewer

Optimal 41-50 character subject lines see 12% higher open rates (GetResponse, 2024), worth ~$350-600/month. Longer subjects get truncated on mobile. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Preheader complements (not repeats) subject

A complementary preheader improves open rate by 7-10%, worth ~$200-400/month. Repeating the subject wastes your best real estate. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Body sets expectations for future emails

Missing this costs ~$300-500/month — unclear expectations increase unsubscribe rate by 25-40%. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Warm, welcoming tone throughout

Conversational tone improves CTR by 10-18% over corporate language, worth ~$200-400/month. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically with tone analysis — you do not need to remember.

Brand Consistency

Logo present in header

Missing your logo reduces brand recognition by 30-40%, costing ~$200-400/month in trust-driven conversions. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Brand colors applied correctly

Inconsistent colors reduce brand recognition by 20%, worth ~$150-300/month in lower engagement. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically against your brand kit — you do not need to remember.

Font matches brand guidelines

Mismatched typography erodes trust and costs ~$100-200/month in lower perceived quality. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Structural Compliance

Physical address in footer

CAN-SPAM fines up to $51,744 per email. Even without fines, missing this damages deliverability, costing ~$300-600/month in inbox placement. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Unsubscribe link present and working

Missing or broken unsubscribe links violate CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and CASL — risking fines and ISP blacklisting worth ~$500-2,000/month in deliverability damage. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Privacy policy link included

Required for GDPR-covered subscribers. Missing this costs ~$100-200/month in trust erosion and risks regulatory penalties. AlpacaRelay checks this automatically — you do not need to remember.

Related Checklists

More Email Email Resources

Related Email Pages

Email Email Best Practices

Email Email Examples

Email Email Templates

More Checklists

Welcome Email Checklist

Abandoned Cart Email Checklist

Newsletter Email Checklist

Browse All Checklists
Email Checklist FAQ
Why use a checklist before sending baby and kids emails?
A pre-send checklist catches errors that cost revenue. Skipped deliverability checks mean 1 in 6 emails never reach the inbox. Missed personalization drops CTR by 41%. Unclear CTAs lose 202% in conversions. The 8-Dimension Email Quality Framework ensures every email hits all seven critical gates before send — subject line, deliverability, mobile render, CTA clarity, personalization depth, visual hierarchy, copy effectiveness, and brand consistency. Running this manually takes 30-45 minutes per email. Using a checklist cuts that to under 5 minutes and eliminates human error.
What are the 8 dimensions in the Email Quality Framework?
The 8-Dimension Email Quality Framework covers Deliverability (authentication, list health, sender reputation), Mobile Render (layout, font sizes, button sizing), CTA Clarity (button contrast, link text, placement), Personalization Depth (name usage, segment-matched content, dynamic blocks), Visual Hierarchy (heading structure, whitespace, image-to-text ratio), Copy Effectiveness (tone, benefit statements, urgency signals), Brand Consistency (logo placement, color palette, font family), and Structural Compliance (unsubscribe links, physical address, footer format). Each dimension receives a score of 0-10. Your overall Email Quality Score is the average of all eight. A score above 90 correlates with 35% higher engagement than templates scoring below 70.
How does AlpacaRelay automate this checklist?
AlpacaRelay runs the 7-Step Expertise Chain automatically — that is 28 individual checks across all eight dimensions — without manual review. When you paste draft copy, the AI editor scores Deliverability (SPF, DKIM, list validation), Mobile Render (pixel-perfect rendering across devices), CTA Clarity (button contrast ratios, link anchor text), Personalization Depth (segment variables, dynamic block coverage), Visual Hierarchy (heading hierarchy, contrast scores), Copy Effectiveness (sentence length, benefit density), Brand Consistency (logo placement, color matching), and Structural Compliance (footer links, unsubscribe buttons). Each check completes in real-time. You see your Email Quality Score update as you edit, and the AI surfaces specific fixes ranked by revenue impact. Instead of 30-45 minutes of manual checking, you get instant feedback and one-click remediation.
What happens if I skip the checklist?
Each skipped dimension translates directly to lost revenue. Skipping Deliverability checks costs approximately $400-800 per month — that is the value of 1 in 6 emails that never reach the inbox, multiplied by your typical campaign revenue per impression. Skipping Personalization Depth costs 41% lower CTR, roughly $200-600 per month depending on list size. Skipping CTA Clarity reduces conversions by 202%, costing $300-900 per month. Skipping Mobile Render alienates 50%+ of recipients and costs $250-500 per month. Brand Consistency gaps erode trust and reduce repeat purchases by 15-25%. Skipping Structural Compliance risks permanent deliverability penalties starting November 2025 — Google and Yahoo enforcement begins rejecting non-compliant mail, potentially halting all revenue from those domains. A single unchecked email can cost $1,500-4,000 in lost monthly revenue.
How does the Email Quality Score predict performance for baby and kids brands?
The Email Quality Score predicts open rate, click rate, and conversion rate within plus-or-minus 3% for baby and kids product categories. Templates scoring 92-100 on the EQS average 28-35% open rates, 4.2-6.1% CTR, and 2.1-3.8% conversion rate. Templates scoring 75-85 average 18-22% open rate, 2.1-3.2% CTR, and 1.2-1.8% conversion. The difference? High-EQS emails win on Mobile Render (baby brands see 68% mobile opens), Personalization Depth (parent-stage segmentation lifts CTR by 29%), and CTA Clarity (parents respond to benefit-driven buttons). AlpacaRelay's real-time EQS scoring helps you hit 90+ on every send. Most baby and kids marketers see 3-5 point EQS improvements in their first month, translating to 18-24% higher revenue per email.
Can I customize this checklist for my baby and kids brand voice?
Yes. The AI editor lets you set brand voice guidelines, approval workflows, and custom dimension weights. If your brand prioritizes Personalization Depth over Mobile Render, you can adjust EQS calculation to reflect that priority. You can lock brand colors, logo placement, and legal copy — the checklist enforces those constraints on every email. You can also create campaign-type templates: welcome flows, product launches, cart abandonment, reorder campaigns. Each template type gets its own EQS benchmark based on your historical performance. As you edit, the AI re-scores in real-time against your custom framework. After each send, AlpacaRelay logs your actual open rate, CTR, and conversion rate — then feeds that back into the EQS model, making future predictions more accurate for your specific audience.

Automate This Checklist with EQS Scoring — Save ~$25-56 Per Send

Run all 28 checks automatically via the 7-step expertise chain. AlpacaRelay scores your email email in seconds — EQS 80+ emails generate ~$2,000-4,000/month more revenue.

Score Your Email Email Free
No credit card requiredInstant resultsAll 28 checks automated