Email Deliverability in Salesforce: Complete Guide

Best Practices

Salesforce handles email differently than dedicated email marketing platforms. Whether you're sending through Salesforce's native email capabilities, Marketing Cloud, or integrations with other email services, understanding how deliverability works in the Salesforce ecosystem helps ensure your messages reach recipients.

Salesforce Email Options

Native Salesforce Email

Salesforce CRM includes basic email functionality:

• Email templates and mass email
• Workflow email alerts
• Direct email from records
• Email-to-Salesforce for tracking

Native Salesforce email is suitable for transactional and internal communications but has limitations for marketing.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Marketing Cloud is Salesforce's dedicated email marketing platform:

• Full email marketing capabilities
• Advanced automation (Journey Builder)
• Dedicated sending infrastructure
• More sophisticated deliverability tools

For serious email marketing, Marketing Cloud offers more control over deliverability.

Pardot (Account Engagement)

B2B marketing automation:

• Marketing email within B2B context
• Lead nurturing capabilities
• Integrated with Salesforce CRM
• Shared or dedicated IP options

Third-Party Integrations

Many organizations use external ESPs integrated with Salesforce:

• Connect via Salesforce integrations
• Email sent through external provider
• CRM tracks engagement data
• Deliverability managed in external platform

Email Deliverability Settings in Salesforce

Accessing Deliverability Settings

In Salesforce Setup, search for "Deliverability" to find key settings:

Email Deliverability Access Level:

• No access: Email sending disabled
• System email only: Only system-generated emails
• All email: Both user and system emails

For full functionality, this should be set to "All email."

Email Security Settings

Configure email security:

• Enable compliance BCC emails: Copies of emails for compliance
• Email relay: Route outbound email through your servers
• Filter email to external domains: Control who can receive email

Send Through External Email Services

Options for using external email services:

• Google or Microsoft integration: Send through connected accounts
• Email relay: Route through your mail servers
• SMTP relay: Send via configured SMTP server

Each option has different authentication and deliverability implications.

Authentication in Salesforce

Default Salesforce Sending

By default, native Salesforce emails are sent from Salesforce's infrastructure:

• Salesforce handles SPF for their sending IPs
• Limited control over authentication
• Shared reputation with other Salesforce users

Custom From Addresses

When using custom From addresses:

• Emails appear from your domain
• But authentication may still reference Salesforce
• Can cause DMARC alignment issues

Email Relay for Authentication

For proper authentication with your domain:

1. Configure email relay in Salesforce
2. Route outbound email through your mail servers
3. Your servers handle SPF, DKIM, DMARC
4. Full control over authentication

This is the most robust approach for organizations with strict authentication requirements.

Marketing Cloud Authentication

Marketing Cloud offers more authentication control:

• SAP (Sender Authentication Package) for dedicated sending domain
• Configure SPF, DKIM for your domain
• DMARC alignment support
• Dedicated IPs available

Verify your SPF configuration includes appropriate entries for your sending method.

Common Salesforce Email Issues

Emails Going to Spam

If Salesforce emails land in spam:

Check authentication:

• Are you using email relay with proper authentication?
• Is SPF configured for Salesforce's IPs if not using relay?
• Check for DMARC issues

Review sending practices:

• Volume of email being sent
• Content of templates
• Recipient engagement patterns

Check infrastructure:

• Salesforce sending IP reputation
• Your relay server reputation
• Blacklist status

Bounce Handling

Salesforce handles bounces:

• Hard bounces mark contacts as "Email Opt Out"
• View bounce information in email logs
• Mass email has specific bounce tracking

Monitor bounce rates and clean lists accordingly.

Rate Limits

Salesforce has email sending limits:

Single email:

• 5,000 external recipients per day (org limit)

Mass email:

• Varies by edition
• Additional limits on Marketing Cloud

Plan sends to stay within limits and spread large campaigns appropriately.

Email Logs

Access email logs for troubleshooting:

1. Setup → Email → Email Logs
2. Request log (may take up to 24 hours)
3. Review delivery status
4. Check bounce reasons

Logs help diagnose specific delivery issues.

Marketing Cloud Deliverability

Sender Authentication Package (SAP)

For dedicated sending domain in Marketing Cloud:

1. Purchase SAP add-on
2. Configure DNS records provided
3. Verify authentication setup
4. Route email through authenticated domain

SAP provides full authentication control.

IP Warming

Marketing Cloud accounts may need IP warmup:

• New accounts start with shared IPs
• Dedicated IPs require warmup
• Gradually increase volume
• Monitor reputation during warmup

Deliverability Reports

Marketing Cloud includes deliverability reporting:

• Delivery rates by domain
• Bounce categorization
• Spam complaints
• Engagement metrics

Use these reports to identify and address issues.

Reputation Management

Tools for managing reputation:

• Suppression lists
• Bounce management
• Complaint handling
• List hygiene features

Best Practices for Salesforce Email

List Management

Maintain clean data:

• Use validation rules on email fields
• Regularly verify email addresses
• Remove hard bounces promptly
• Segment by engagement

Template Design

Create deliverable templates:

• Test templates before mass use
• Avoid spam trigger patterns
• Include required elements (unsubscribe, address)
• Test across email clients

Sending Practices

Send responsibly:

• Don't exceed rate limits
• Spread large sends over time
• Monitor engagement metrics
• Pause if issues arise

Monitoring

Track deliverability health:

• Review email logs regularly
• Monitor bounce and complaint rates
• Check engagement trends
• Address issues quickly

Integration Considerations

CRM and Email Platform Integration

When using external ESPs with Salesforce:

• Ensure data syncs correctly
• Track engagement back to Salesforce
• Manage preferences in one place
• Coordinate authentication

API Email Sending

Sending email via Salesforce API:

• Subject to same limits
• Use messaging APIs appropriately
• Monitor delivery rates
• Handle bounces programmatically

Multi-Cloud Coordination

Organizations using multiple Salesforce clouds:

• Coordinate sending across clouds
• Avoid conflicting authentication
• Manage preferences centrally
• Monitor total volume

When to Seek Help

Salesforce Support

Contact Salesforce for:

• Configuration questions
• Marketing Cloud setup
• SAP implementation
• Technical issues

Deliverability Specialists

Consider external help for:

• Complex authentication setup
• Reputation recovery
• Strategic deliverability planning
• Multi-platform coordination

Stop Worrying About Email Deliverability

The Email Deliverability Suite monitors your SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MX records and blacklist status daily. Get alerts when something breaks — before your emails stop arriving.