Email pre-send checklist

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Brief and inputs

• The email campaign brief is complete and every linked document resolves.
• The parent marketing campaign brief lists email in its channels table.
• Copy is approved and came from the copy brief, not written in the platform.
• Design meets the email creative specs.

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Audience

• The segment matches the definition written in the brief.
• The contact count matches the estimate in the brief. A sharp difference means the query doesn’t say what you think it says.
• Every suppression in the brief is applied: customers, unsubscribes, hard bounces, and anyone in a competing send this week.
• Every contact has a recorded consent basis.
• The test recipients are excluded from the live send.

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Authentication and deliverability

• SPF, DKIM, and DMARC pass on the sending domain.
• The List-Unsubscribe header is present, one-click where supported.
• An unsubscribe link is in the body and it works.
• A physical postal address is in the footer.
• Send volume is within the normal range for this domain, or the domain has been warmed for it.
• An inbox placement or seed test has been run.

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Content

• Subject line matches the brief.
• Preview text is set, not falling back to the first line of the email.
• From name, from address, and reply-to match the brief.
• The reply-to address is monitored by someone.
• No placeholder text remains anywhere in the email.
• Personalization tokens resolve, and empty-field fallbacks read correctly.
• The offer and call-to-action wording match the landing page exactly.

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Links and tracking

• Every link has been clicked in a test email, including links inside images and buttons.
• Every link carries UTMs built to the standard.
• utm_content distinguishes this send from the others in its sequence.
• The conversion action matches a row in the event tracking plan by name.
• No link points to a staging or preview URL.

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Rendering

• Tested in at least one webmail client, one mobile app, and one desktop client.
• Checked in both light and dark mode. Logos and text remain legible against an inverted background.
• The email is not clipped. Total HTML size is under the threshold in the email creative specs.
• Images have alt text that reads sensibly when images are blocked.
• The email is readable with images off entirely.

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Naming

• Campaign or flow name matches the campaign naming conventions.
• Segment name matches the ad set / ad group / variant conventions.
• Send name matches the ad naming conventions.

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Send settings

• Send time and timezone match the brief.
• For a sequence: the trigger, the timing between sends, and the exit condition are all set.
• Scheduled date and time are correct, including year.

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Sign-off

• Approvals recorded, per the approval process, including any legal or brand review the work needed.
• The owner has confirmed the build against the brief.
• For a sequence, a review date is recorded in the brief.

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Related resources

• Launching an email campaign The process this checklist closes out.
• Email campaign brief What the build is checked against.
• Email creative specs Size thresholds, dark mode, and image handling.