Cold Email Pre-Send Checklist: 12 Checks Before You Launch a B2B Campaign

Cold Email Pre-Send Checklist: 12 Checks Before You Launch a B2B Campaign

Technical points follow Google's sender guidelines read on 28 October 2026. Legal points need advice for each country: see the linked guide.

What should I check before sending a cold email campaign?

Run the twelve checks below in order. If any of the first six fails, do not send: they decide whether your messages reach an inbox at all.

Which checks cover the technical setup?

1. A sending domain you control, separate from your main company domain if you can.
2. SPF and DKIM published and passing for every tool that sends as that domain.
3. A DMARC record published (a policy of "none" is accepted by Google for bulk senders), with a mailbox for the reports.
4. From domain aligned with the SPF or DKIM domain.
5. A test message sent to a mailbox where you can read the headers, showing SPF, DKIM and DMARC as pass.
6. Valid forward and reverse DNS for the sending server if you run your own.

For the details see SPF, DKIM and DMARC: A Setup Checklist.

Which checks cover the list and the legal basis?

7. Every address has a known source and date, and no bought lists of unknown origin.
8. Addresses verified, and bounces removed from the list.
9. A written legal basis for each country, checked with a lawyer: Is B2B Cold Email Legal in Europe?

Which checks cover the message and the opt-out?

10. A short message to a relevant role, with one question, your real name and company, and a working opt-out in every message. Google asks bulk senders for one-click unsubscribe and a visible link.
11. Opt-outs go into a suppression list that all your tools read.

Which check covers volume and monitoring?

12. A plan to start small, increase gradually, and watch bounces, replies and spam complaints daily. Google asks bulk senders to keep the spam rate below 0.30% and recommends staying below 0.10%. Stop and fix the cause if complaints or bounces jump.

What should I do after the first week?

Review the numbers, remove bounced and complaining addresses, and change one thing at a time (subject, audience or offer) so you know what worked.