Module 1 · Strategy · Lesson 1 of 3 · 8 min
List health
Why an unhealthy list quietly caps every send you'll ever make, and the monthly hygiene routine that fixes it.
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Lesson
Deliverability is downstream of list health. Gmail, Yahoo, and Microsoft in 2026 punish senders whose lists include lots of unengaged addresses, spam traps, or invalid emails — even if the *content* is legitimate.
Monthly hygiene: (1) suppress anyone who hasn't opened in 180 days, (2) remove hard bounces immediately, (3) verify new signups with double opt-in.
Yes, this shrinks your list. It also lifts open rates 20–40% overnight, which improves inbox placement, which recovers the deliverability you're currently losing.
Key takeaways
- ✓Deliverability = list health.
- ✓180-day inactive → suppress.
- ✓Double opt-in every new signup.
- ✓Smaller engaged list > larger dead list.
Exercises
- 1Suppress everyone who hasn't opened in 180 days this week. Note open rate before and after next send.