What does the audit include?

A comprehensive audit typically includes SPF/DKIM/DMARC verification, IP and domain reputation checks, blacklist scans, bounce and complaint analysis, sample message review, and prioritized remediation recommendations.

Can audit results be used in court?

Audit findings are supporting technical evidence but admissibility depends on context and chain of custody; maintain original logs and document collection steps to preserve evidentiary value.

Is eSigning the report legally valid?

Electronic signatures are legally binding under the ESIGN Act and UETA when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are met (15 U.S.C. §7001); ensure consumer disclosures where applicable.

How soon will we see improvements?

Some fixes (DNS alignment) can show results in days; reputation recovery and placement improvements commonly require 30–90 days depending on volume and mailbox provider feedback.

Do audits address compliance obligations?

Audits identify compliance gaps (CAN-SPAM, privacy laws, HIPAA handling) but do not replace legal review; involve compliance or counsel for regulatory-specific actions.

What if we lack DNS access?

Provide the DNS administrator contact in the form; without DNS access remediation may be delayed, so document ownership and escalation paths in the report.

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Deliverability Audit Report

Deliverability Audit Report

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DELIVERABILITY AUDIT REPORT

Parties and Report Identification

Client Name: Contact Person:

Client Address

Auditor Name: Auditor Firm:

Report Date

WHEREAS

WHEREAS, Client Name: seeks an independent deliverability assessment of its transactional and marketing email streams; and

WHEREAS, Auditor Name: possesses the technical expertise to perform deliverability testing, authentication verification, and remedial recommendations; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree that Auditor will perform the services described below and Client will compensate Auditor in accordance with the Payment Terms set forth herein.

Scope of Work

Auditor shall perform a deliverability audit including authentication checks, sender reputation analysis, seed-list inbox placement testing, content and template review, suppression and list hygiene assessment, complaint and bounce analysis, and remediation recommendations. The parties understand that this Report is limited to the systems and data specified below and any additional systems are out of scope unless agreed in writing.

Detailed Scope Description

Methodology and Tests Performed

Auditor performed the following tests and reviews. Check each test performed and provide any associated notes in Findings and Evidence sections.

Technical Authentication & Reputation SPF record validation DKIM signing and key strength review DMARC policy and reporting assessment IP and sending domain reputation checks Public blacklist and blocklist checks

Deliverability & Content Seed-list inbox placement testing Content, subject line, and template analysis List hygiene and suppression practices ISP feedback loop and complaint rate review

Executive Summary

Findings (Detailed)

Finding 1 Title Finding 1 Details Severity (Finding 1) Finding 2 Title Finding 2 Details Severity (Finding 2) Finding 3 Title Finding 3 Details

Key Metrics

Deliverability Rate Inbox Placement Rate Hard Bounce Rate Spam Complaint Rate

Recommendations and Remediation Plan

Recommended Start Date Recommended Completion Date

Payment Terms

Client shall pay Auditor the fees set forth below in consideration for the audit and any agreed remediation assistance. Fees due shall be invoiced in accordance with the schedule below.

Total Fee Payment Schedule Late Payment Fee

Term and Termination

This Agreement commences on the Start Date and continues until completion of the Scope of Work unless earlier terminated as provided below.

Start Date End Date (if applicable) Termination Notice Period

Confidentiality

Each party shall treat as Confidential Information all non-public information disclosed by the other party in connection with the audit. Confidential Information shall not be disclosed except to employees, consultants, or service providers with a need to know and who are bound by obligations of confidentiality at least as protective as those herein. Confidentiality obligations shall survive termination of this Agreement for a period of .

Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state or jurisdiction specified below without regard to conflict of law principles.

Governing Law Jurisdiction

Entire Agreement

This document, together with any attachments and any written amendments signed by both parties, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior negotiations, representations, and agreements, whether written or oral.

Acceptance of Findings and Action Plan

Client acknowledges receipt of this Deliverability Audit Report and agrees to review and consider the remediation plan. Client indicates acceptance and authorization to proceed with remediation services (if requested) by checking the box below and signing.

Client accepts findings and authorizes Auditor to proceed with remediation as agreed in a separate statement of work

Client:

By:

Date:

Auditor:

By:

Date:

What a Deliverability Audit Report Is

A Deliverability Audit Report is a technical and operational review of an email program that identifies why messages fail to reach recipients' inboxes. It examines sender infrastructure (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), IP and domain reputation, list hygiene, message content and headers, sending cadence, bounce and complaint metrics, and third-party feedback loops. The report summarizes findings, assigns severity levels, and provides prioritized remediation steps and configuration changes to improve inbox placement and reduce blocking or filtering across major mailbox providers.

Why a Deliverability Audit Matters

A report clarifies root causes of delivery failures and provides actionable fixes to restore inbox placement, protect sender reputation, and reduce complaint and bounce rates.

Typical Teams That Use This Report

Organizations use deliverability audits to diagnose email delivery problems and guide remediation across technical and operational teams.

Marketing operations teams troubleshooting campaign delivery and open-rate declines.
IT and security teams validating authentication, DNS records, and provider configurations.
Compliance and legal teams ensuring messaging meets CAN-SPAM and privacy obligations.

Use the report to align technical fixes, sender policy changes, and governance steps across stakeholders.

Who Can Sign or Approve the Report

IT Manager

Typically the primary approver for infrastructure changes; responsible for DNS, MTA configuration, and implementing DKIM/SPF/DMARC updates. Reviews technical remediation recommendations and coordinates with hosting or email service providers for implementation and monitoring.

Marketing Director

Authorizes operational changes that affect campaign practices, subscriber lists, and content strategy. Ensures remediation aligns with customer communication policies and reviews consent and unsubscribe workflows for regulatory compliance.

Core Sections of a Professional Deliverability Audit Report

A thorough report organizes findings by technical checks, reputation signals, content and policy review, and prioritized remediations so teams can act quickly and measure improvement.

Executive Summary

Concise overview of key findings, impact on deliverability, and top three remediation priorities for nontechnical stakeholders and decision makers.

Authentication Checks

Detailed SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration analysis with recommended DNS records, alignment fixes, and DMARC policy guidance to improve trust with mailbox providers.

Reputation Analysis

IP and domain reputation review using blacklist checks, complaint rates, and provider placement trends to identify reputational risks and mitigation steps.

List Hygiene & Data

Assessment of subscription source quality, bounce handling, suppression lists, and segmentation practices that affect deliverability and complaint rates.

Content & Header Review

Examination of message headers, subject lines, URLs, and payload that trigger filtering, plus recommendations for template and link hygiene improvements.

Action Plan & Metrics

Prioritized remediation tasks, owners, estimated timelines, and target KPIs for inbox placement, bounce reduction, and complaint mitigation.

Essential Data to Include in the Report

Sender Domain: Primary domain used for sending

Sending IPs: All dedicated and shared IPs

SPF Record: Current SPF TXT value

DKIM Selector: Active DKIM selectors

DMARC Policy: DMARC record and aggregate reports

Bounce Rates: 30-day bounce percentage

Step-by-Step: Completing the Deliverability Audit

Follow a structured sequence: gather sending data, run technical checks, analyze reputation signals, review sample messages, and produce prioritized recommendations.

01

Gather Data: Collect DNS, sending logs, and campaign metrics.
02

Run Checks: Test SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and blacklist status.
03

Analyze: Review bounce, complaint, and placement trends.
04

Report: Generate findings and remediation plan.

How to Configure the Audit Workflow Online

Set up an audit process that centralizes data collection, assigns owners, and automates repeatable checks for ongoing monitoring.

Field	Configuration
Data Upload	Accepts logs, CSV lists, and sample messages
Authentication Tests	Automated SPF/DKIM/DMARC scanning
Owner Assignment	Assign remediation tasks to team roles
Reporting Frequency	One-time or scheduled recurring audits

Typical Routing and Submission Paths

Deliverability audits move from data collection to technical testing, review, remediation assignment, and follow-up verification.

Data Intake: Upload logs and subscriber lists securely.
Automated Testing: Run DNS and blacklist scans.
Analyst Review: Technician examines findings and context.
Remediation: Apply fixes and monitor results.

Delivery and Sharing Requirements for the Report

Choose secure channels that preserve report integrity, audit trails, and any required confidentiality controls before sharing.

Secure Email: Encrypted email or SFTP for sensitive logs
Document Management: Store in access-controlled repositories
eSignature: Use compliant eSignature with audit trail

Typical Timelines and Turnaround Expectations

Timelines vary by scope; small audits can complete quickly, while enterprise reviews that require DNS changes and reputation recovery take longer.

Request Acknowledgment:

1–3 business days to confirm scope

Data Collection Window:

3–7 business days to gather logs and samples

Initial Analysis:

2–5 business days for technical checks

Remediation Plan:

Delivered within 5–10 business days

Follow-up Review:

30–90 days to measure placement improvements

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming a single issue is the cause; delivery problems are usually multi-factor and require combined fixes.
Failing to publish or align DKIM/SPF/DMARC correctly, which can cause mailbox providers to distrust messages.
Using shared IP pools without monitoring reputation, which exposes senders to other tenants' poor practices.
Neglecting list hygiene and re-engagement, which raises complaint and bounce rates and damages reputation.

Risks of an Incomplete or Incorrect Audit

Reputation Damage: Long-term inbox loss

Blacklisting: IP or domain blocking

Compliance Risk: CAN-SPAM or privacy violations

Revenue Loss: Reduced campaign ROI

Data Exposure: Improper log handling

Delayed Recovery: Extended remediation timelines

eSignature Vendor Comparison for Report Approvals and Signing

This table compares common eSignature vendors for signing and approving deliverability audit reports; signNow is listed first and shown with representative starting pricing and feature notes.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	Yes, 7-day free trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Real-World Examples of Report Use

Organizations use deliverability audits to recover inbox placement and formalize sender governance across teams.

Optica Ventures LLC

After open rates dropped, Optica commissioned an audit to locate root causes and misconfigurations.

The audit identified misaligned DKIM selectors and a warm-up gap.
The remediation prioritized DKIM alignment, staged IP warm-up, and list suppression; within six weeks Optica saw measurable inbox placement gains and fewer complaints.

Martin Properties

A property management firm experienced frequent bounces on tenant notices and lease renewals.

Analysis showed shared IP reputation issues and outdated unsubscribe handling.
Implementing a dedicated IP, strict bounce handling, and revised unsubscribe links improved delivery for transactional messages and reduced manual follow-up work.

FAQs and Troubleshooting

Answers to common questions about scope, legal validity, and technical follow-up steps for deliverability audits.

Need help? Contact support

What does the audit include?
A comprehensive audit typically includes SPF/DKIM/DMARC verification, IP and domain reputation checks, blacklist scans, bounce and complaint analysis, sample message review, and prioritized remediation recommendations.
Can audit results be used in court?
Audit findings are supporting technical evidence but admissibility depends on context and chain of custody; maintain original logs and document collection steps to preserve evidentiary value.
Is eSigning the report legally valid?
Electronic signatures are legally binding under the ESIGN Act and UETA when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are met (15 U.S.C. §7001); ensure consumer disclosures where applicable.
How soon will we see improvements?
Some fixes (DNS alignment) can show results in days; reputation recovery and placement improvements commonly require 30–90 days depending on volume and mailbox provider feedback.
Do audits address compliance obligations?
Audits identify compliance gaps (CAN-SPAM, privacy laws, HIPAA handling) but do not replace legal review; involve compliance or counsel for regulatory-specific actions.
What if we lack DNS access?
Provide the DNS administrator contact in the form; without DNS access remediation may be delayed, so document ownership and escalation paths in the report.

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