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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.

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Email Checklist FAQ
Why use a checklist before sending government emails?
A pre-send checklist catches compliance violations, deliverability blockers, and formatting errors that cost money and reputation when missed. Government emails face heightened scrutiny — 1 in 6 marketing emails never reaches the inbox, but compliance failures trigger permanent rejection starting November 2025 (Google, 2025). Running through the 8-Dimension Email Quality Framework ensures your message lands, renders correctly on mobile, includes a clear call-to-action, and meets structural compliance requirements. Skipping this step risks your sender reputation and wastes budget on emails that never deliver.
What are the 8 dimensions in the Email Quality Framework?
The 8-Dimension Email Quality Framework evaluates Deliverability, Mobile Render, CTA Clarity, Personalization Depth, Visual Hierarchy, Copy Effectiveness, Brand Consistency, and Structural Compliance. Deliverability checks SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to ensure inbox placement. Mobile Render verifies the email displays correctly on phones and tablets. CTA Clarity scores how obvious your call-to-action is. Personalization Depth measures name use, segmentation, and dynamic content. Visual Hierarchy assesses layout readability. Copy Effectiveness evaluates tone, length, and persuasiveness. Brand Consistency confirms logos, colors, and voice alignment. Structural Compliance verifies list-unsubscribe headers, authentication, and regulatory language. Each dimension gets a 0-10 score contributing to your overall Email Quality Score.
How does AlpacaRelay automate this checklist?
AlpacaRelay runs the 7-Step Expertise Chain — a proprietary process that applies all 28 checklist items automatically to every email before send. Step 1 scans authentication and deliverability records. Step 2 renders on 15 device types. Step 3 audits CTA prominence and click-ability. Step 4 analyzes personalization tokens and segmentation tags. Step 5 evaluates layout and contrast ratios. Step 6 scores copy tone and length. Step 7 verifies brand assets and compliance language. What would take your team 30-45 minutes per email runs in seconds, with real-time Email Quality Score feedback. You never manually check the same item twice — the system enforces every dimension every send.
What happens if I skip the checklist?
Skipping deliverability checks costs approximately 400 to 800 dollars per month in lost inbox placement for a 10,000-person list, since 1 in 6 emails fails to reach the inbox (Validity, 2025). Ignoring mobile render wastes clicks — misaligned content on phones reduces engagement by 35 percent. Weak CTA Clarity tanks conversion; personalized CTAs convert 202 percent better than generic ones, so vague buttons mean 50 to 150 dollars monthly in lost conversions (HubSpot, 2025). Structural Compliance violations result in permanent sender reputation damage and regulatory fines for government agencies. Visual Hierarchy failures reduce scannability, cutting engagement by 20 to 30 percent. Non-personalized copy underperforms by 29 percent in open rate and 41 percent in click-through rate (Litmus, 2025). Skipping one dimension costs 100 to 400 dollars per send cycle; skipping all eight compounds to 1000 to 3000 dollars monthly in lost revenue and reputation.
How should government emails differ from commercial marketing emails?
Government emails must prioritize Structural Compliance and brand authority over aggressive selling. Subject lines should avoid urgency triggers that prompt phishing reports. Compliance language — unsubscribe options, sender identity, retention policies — must be visible above the fold, not buried in footers. Authentication is non-negotiable; government domains face heightened spoofing scrutiny. Personalization in government emails works differently: use agency name and official title, not casual first-name basis. The 8-Dimension Framework still applies, but Structural Compliance and Brand Consistency typically score as your highest priorities. Mobile Render remains critical since citizens access government emails on phones at high rates. Visual Hierarchy should emphasize official seals and verified sender information rather than promotional imagery. Your Email Quality Score should target 85 or higher, with Structural Compliance at 9.5 minimum.
How do I know if my email quality score is good?
An Email Quality Score above 85 is competitive; government agencies typically aim for 90 or higher. Scores below 75 indicate risk: you likely have uncorrected deliverability, compliance, or rendering issues. The EQS breaks down by dimension, so a score of 92 overall but Deliverability at 7.2 tells you to audit SPF and DKIM records. Compare your score to peers in government communications using AlpacaRelay benchmarks — if your Mobile Render is 8.1 and the government average is 9.3, that gap costs engagement points. Re-check scores after design or copy changes; the system rescores in real-time, so you catch regressions before sending to 50,000 citizens. Consistent scores above 88 indicate your template and process are locked in — focus shifts to list quality and send timing rather than email structure.

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.

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