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Common Campaign Mistakes

Even a great email will fail if the technical foundation is shaky. Most campaign failures aren’t due to bad writing, but due to technical oversights that trigger spam filters or break the user experience.

Avoid these common pitfalls to ensure your Send Onyx campaigns run smoothly.

1. Sending Without Full DNS Verification

This is the #1 mistake new users make. If your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records aren’t showing a green “Verified” status in your settings, you are essentially sending “anonymous” mail.

  • The Result: Gmail and Outlook will either reject the email entirely or put it straight into the Junk folder.
  • The Fix: Always wait for DNS propagation and check your Sender Settings before hitting send.
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The “Broken Link” Trap: If your Tracking Domain isn’t properly verified, your links might not work or will trigger “Deceptive Site” warnings in Chrome. Never send a campaign while your tracking domain status is pending.

2. Missing or Broken Unsubscribe Links

If your email doesn’t have a working unsubscribe link, you are violating the law and ISP policies.

  • Mistake: Forgetting to include the [unsubscribe_link] tag or accidentally breaking the HTML code around it.
  • Best Practice: Always send a Test Email to yourself and actually click the unsubscribe link to make sure it leads to the confirmation page.

3. Poor Formatting and “Copy-Paste” Junk

Copying text directly from Microsoft Word or Google Docs often brings hidden “junk” code into your email editor. This hidden code can break your layout on mobile devices.

  • The Fix: Use the “Paste as Plain Text” option or clear the formatting once you paste your content into the Onyx editor.
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The “Mobile Check”: 60% of your users will read your email on a phone. A common mistake is using images that are too wide or fonts that are too small. Always send a test to your own phone before the final broadcast.

4. Subject Line “Spam Trigger” Words

Using all caps, excessive exclamation marks (!!!), or words like “CASH,” “FREE,” or “ACT NOW” in your subject line will immediately increase your spam score.

  • Instead: Use curiosity-driven or value-based subject lines that sound like they were written by a human, not a bot.

5. Ignoring the “From” Name

Sending an email from “noreply@yourdomain.com” is a missed opportunity. People relate to people.

  • Mistake: Using a generic company email address.
  • Fix: Use a personal name + company (e.g., “Nikola | Send Onyx”). This significantly increases the “human” factor and open rates.

Summary: Technical perfection is the ticket to the inbox. Before you launch, go through the checklist: DNS green? Links working? Unsubscribe present? No “Word” junk code?

On this page

  • 1. Sending Without Full DNS Verification
  • 2. Missing or Broken Unsubscribe Links
  • 3. Poor Formatting and "Copy-Paste" Junk
  • 4. Subject Line "Spam Trigger" Words
  • 5. Ignoring the "From" Name