How to Run an Email Spam Test with GlockApps

How to Use Inbox Insight

Ensure your Emails reach the Inbox to Improve your Email Marketing Performance

Deliverability issues can be the difference between your email marketing success or failure. In order to achieve better inbox placement, our Inbox Insight tool will rate your email from 1-100 and show you exactly where your emails land in your recipient’s mailbox: Primary Inbox, Promotions Tab, or Spam Folder.

Anyone can use Inbox Insight, regardless of what email service provider you use. This tutorial will show you how you can test your email campaigns and find any deliverability issues before you hit Send:

1. How to Create an Inbox Spam Test

2. Deliverability Test Results

3. Resolving Test Errors

4. Automating Spam Tests

5. Useful Resources: How to Troubleshoot Email Deliverability Issues

How to Create an Inbox Spam Test in 7 Steps

1. Log in to your GlockApps account and click the Start New Test button in the Inbox Insight Tab.

email placement test

MailChimp Users: Connect your GlockApps account directly to MailChimp by following these steps.

2. Choose which spam filters and email service providers you want to use to test your email.

We recommend selecting all the available providers and spam filters so that you get a thorough insight into your email deliverability.

inbox placement test

You can also add a quick note on your test. This can help you differentiate the tests, in case you run several tests for the same email copy. After you do that, click Next.

email delivery test

Now you need to send your email to our industry-leading Seed List (a group of real mailboxes allocated all over the world managed by GlockApps).

3. Copy the ID string

The ID string is unique for every spam test. It helps our system link your spam test results back to your unique GlockApps report.

email reputation check

4. Open your email service provider, create or copy the message you want to test, and paste the ID string anywhere into your email’s content or headers.

test email deliverability

5. Copy or download the seed list. 

If your ESP allows you to create a new list or sending group, you can download the Seed List to create a new sending group. Thus, you will be able to use this list for multiple tests.

Be sure to choose a separator for the email addresses on the seed list based on the format supported by your email service provider (semicolon works in most cases).

check email deliverability

6. Upload the seed list as a new audience in your ESP or paste the seed list into the To field and send your email.

test email deliverability free

7. Go back to GlockApps, click View Report and wait for a few minutes for the report to generate.

email delivery test

In order to get the most accurate results, send your test email the exact same way you would email your recipients. It’s important to reproduce the same conditions (ESP, email software, email account, email content, etc.)

Deliverability Test Results

email deliverability test

Deliverability Tab

Your email message will undergo several checks during your deliverability test.

Under the Deliverability tab in your report, you will find information about:

  • Your email’s placement in 70 seed mailboxes
  • Your email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, rDNS, and HELO to IP)
  • Your sending IP’s’ Sender Score
  • Where your IP is blacklisted (if the message was sent from a pool of Shared IPs, each IP is tested against public blacklists)
  • Your email’s spam score for Google Spam Filter, Barracuda, and SpamAssassin

Click on each section of your test results to see an explanation of what each check means, its importance, and relevant recommendations.

You can also access your message headers by clicking on any test email address in the report.

email reputation check

Content Analysis Tab

If you go to the Content Analysis tab, you’ll see an analysis of your email’s copy and HTML.

email content checker

If you notice any HTML errors, you can use our template editor to fix the most common HTML issues.

email content tester

If the report shows links as invalid, verify the URLs manually by opening them in your browser. Sometimes, the machine cannot imitate human actions and reports an accidental error.

Action Steps Tab

GlockApps will also provide recommendations on how you can improve your test’s results under the Action Steps tab. We recommend you read them and take the suggested steps to improve your email deliverability.

email marketing tester

Options Menu

email spam test

At the top of the report, you can find a range of useful options:

  • Get Seed List – Allows you to see the test ID string and seed list you used for your test. If there are undelivered results in your report, retry sending your email with the ID to our seed list. If the message is delivered, the missing results will be added to the report.
  • Edit Note – Allows you to edit your test’s note. Notes can help you differentiate the tests if you test the same message multiple times.
  • View Email – Shows you your email message’s content.
  • Share Results – Opens your report in a new tab. You can share the report with anyone by using this public link.

Resolving Test Errors

There are two main reasons why you may not receive a deliverability report after clicking the View Report button. 

  • You forget to add the ID string to your test email. In this case, GlockApps cannot associate the email with the test. 
  • Your email system or email service provider did not send the message to the GlockApps seed list.

A failed test displays an empty report that says “Waiting for data…”

email spam checker

Delete or re-use the “Waiting for data” test in order to avoid losing your credit.

First, click on the “Waiting for data” header under Reports, then click Get Seed List, copy the ID string, and paste it into your message.

Resend the message to our seed list using your SMTP server or ESP (no credit will be deducted).

spam test
mail tester spam

Alternatively, you can delete the “Waiting for data” test, get your credit back, and create a new test in your account.

Automating Spam Tests

Use Automatic spam tests to monitor your inbox placement regularly and see exactly where your emails are being delivered each month. This is a great way to proactively keep track of your email deliverability across multiple campaigns without the manual work. 

Automatic spam tests work great with transactional emails because the copy doesn’t change often. Since your customers expect to receive these emails, ensuring excellent deliverability is a priority. 

Learn How to Create Automatic Tests

Useful Resources: How to Troubleshoot Email Deliverability

AUTHOR BIO

Julia Gulevich is an email marketing expert and customer support professional at GlockSoft LLC with more than 15 years of experience. Author of numerous blog posts, publications, and articles about email marketing and deliverability.