Delivery rate vs. Deliverability rate: Why your emails might not be reaching anyone

You’ve hit send. Your platform shows a healthy 99% delivery rate. All good, right?

Not necessarily.

Here’s the issue: delivery rate and deliverability rate are not the same. And mixing them up could mean you are celebrating metrics that hide serious problems.

So let’s clear up the confusion once and for all.

What Is Delivery Rate?

The delivery rate tells you how many emails made it to the recipient’s server without bouncing. It is a basic technical check that says, “Yes, the server accepted your message.”

Formula:
(Emails Sent – Bounces) / Emails Sent x 100%

It is useful, but it does not tell you if the email ended up in the inbox or the spam folder. A message delivered to the spam folder still counts as "delivered." So while a 99% delivery rate looks great on paper, it does not guarantee visibility.

Think of it as your parcel being dropped off at the apartment block. That doesn’t mean it reached the right mailbox.

What Is Deliverability Rate?

Deliverability refers to the percentage of emails that actually reach the inbox. This is the number that really matters if your goal is customer engagement.

Unlike delivery rate, deliverability considers inbox placement. Did your message land in the primary inbox or get lost in spam? That difference can make or break your campaign.

Key factors affecting deliverability include:

• Your sender reputation
• Domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• Subscriber engagement levels
• Spam complaints
• Content quality and consistency

You could have a 99% delivery rate but only a 76% inbox placement rate. That means one in four customers might never even see your email.

Why This Difference Matters

When marketers only look at delivery rate, they assume everything is working fine. But poor inbox placement is a silent killer. You keep sending, engagement drops, and before you know it, you are marked as spam.

Here’s what goes wrong:

• You get a false sense of security from high delivery rates
• You miss issues that suppress revenue and engagement
• Your sender reputation takes a hit
• Your marketing team wastes time optimising content that never gets seen

How to Improve Deliverability (Not Just Delivery)

If you want more customers to actually read your emails, focus on inbox placement. Here are practical steps you can take:

1. Authenticate your sending domain
2. Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prove you are a trustworthy sender.
3. Clean your email list
4. Remove inactive subscribers and bounce-prone addresses. Fewer low-quality contacts improve your sender reputation.
5. Segment based on engagement
6. Send regularly to your most active users. Reduce frequency for cold segments. Focus on quality over quantity.
7. Monitor your sending reputation
   Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools or Validity to track your domain’s health.
8. Avoid spammy content
   Stay away from overused subject lines, excessive images, and misleading copy. Keep your emails relevant and clear.

How Dots & Dopamine Tracks Deliverability

We help brands look beyond the basics. Here is what we measure to keep email programs healthy and high performing:

• Inbox placement rate (not just delivery)
• Spam complaint rate trends
• Subscriber engagement levels
• Sender reputation monitoring
• Deliverability testing across providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo

It is not just about hitting send. It is about making sure your message lands in the right place and gets read.

Final Thoughts: If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Fix It

A 99% delivery rate is good, but it is just the starting point. If you are not tracking deliverability, you might be spending your budget on emails no one ever sees.

Getting email right takes more than just hitting inbox thresholds. It takes smart strategy, good list hygiene, and a close look at what really moves the needle.