email-best-practices · diff
git:20260218.048cbae to v1.0.2
26 added, 16 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: email-best-practices
description: Use when building email features, emails going to spam, high bounce rates, setting up SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication, implementing email capture, ensuring compliance (CAN-SPAM, GDPR, CASL), handling webhooks, retry logic, or deciding transactional vs marketing.
+ license: MIT
+ metadata:
+ author: Resend
+ version: "1.0.2"
+ homepage: https://resend.com/agent-skills
+ source: https://github.com/resend/email-best-practices
+ openclaw:
+ links:
+ repository: https://github.com/resend/email-best-practices
+ documentation: https://resend.com/docs/email-best-practices-skill
---
# Email Best Practices
Guidance for building deliverable, compliant, user-friendly emails.
## Architecture Overview
```
[User] → [Email Form] → [Validation] → [Double Opt-In]
↓
[Consent Recorded]
↓
[Suppression Check] ←──────────────[Ready to Send]
↓
[Idempotent Send + Retry] ──────→ [Email API]
↓
[Webhook Events]
↓
┌────────┬────────┬─────────────┐
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Delivered Bounced Complained Opened/Clicked
↓ ↓
[Suppression List Updated]
↓
[List Hygiene Jobs]
```
## Quick Reference
- | Need to... | See |
- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
- | Set up SPF/DKIM/DMARC, fix spam issues | [Deliverability](./resources/deliverability.md) |
- | Build password reset, OTP, confirmations | [Transactional Emails](./resources/transactional-emails.md) |
- | Plan which emails your app needs | [Transactional Email Catalog](./resources/transactional-email-catalog.md) |
- | Build newsletter signup, validate emails | [Email Capture](./resources/email-capture.md) |
- | Send newsletters, promotions | [Marketing Emails](./resources/marketing-emails.md) |
- | Ensure CAN-SPAM/GDPR/CASL compliance | [Compliance](./resources/compliance.md) |
- | Decide transactional vs marketing | [Email Types](./resources/email-types.md) |
- | Handle retries, idempotency, errors | [Sending Reliability](./resources/sending-reliability.md) |
- | Process delivery events, set up webhooks | [Webhooks & Events](./resources/webhooks-events.md) |
- | Manage bounces, complaints, suppression | [List Management](./resources/list-management.md) |
+ | Need to... | See |
+ |------------|-----|
+ | Set up SPF/DKIM/DMARC, fix spam issues | [Deliverability](./references/deliverability.md) |
+ | Build password reset, OTP, confirmations | [Transactional Emails](./references/transactional-emails.md) |
+ | Plan which emails your app needs | [Transactional Email Catalog](./references/transactional-email-catalog.md) |
+ | Build newsletter signup, validate emails | [Email Capture](./references/email-capture.md) |
+ | Send newsletters, promotions | [Marketing Emails](./references/marketing-emails.md) |
+ | Ensure CAN-SPAM/GDPR/CASL compliance | [Compliance](./references/compliance.md) |
+ | Decide transactional vs marketing | [Email Types](./references/email-types.md) |
+ | Handle retries, idempotency, errors | [Sending Reliability](./references/sending-reliability.md) |
+ | Process delivery events, set up webhooks | [Webhooks & Events](./references/webhooks-events.md) |
+ | Manage bounces, complaints, suppression | [List Management](./references/list-management.md) |
## Start Here
**New app?**
- Start with the [Catalog](./resources/transactional-email-catalog.md) to plan which emails your app needs (password reset, verification, etc.), then set up [Deliverability](./resources/deliverability.md) (DNS authentication) before sending your first email.
+ Start with the [Catalog](./references/transactional-email-catalog.md) to plan which emails your app needs (password reset, verification, etc.), then set up [Deliverability](./references/deliverability.md) (DNS authentication) before sending your first email.
**Spam issues?**
- Check [Deliverability](./resources/deliverability.md) first—authentication problems are the most common cause. Gmail/Yahoo reject unauthenticated emails.
+ Check [Deliverability](./references/deliverability.md) first—authentication problems are the most common cause. Gmail/Yahoo reject unauthenticated emails.
**Marketing emails?**
- Follow this path: [Email Capture](./resources/email-capture.md) (collect consent) → [Compliance](./resources/compliance.md) (legal requirements) → [Marketing Emails](./resources/marketing-emails.md) (best practices).
+ Follow this path: [Email Capture](./references/email-capture.md) (collect consent) → [Compliance](./references/compliance.md) (legal requirements) → [Marketing Emails](./references/marketing-emails.md) (best practices).
**Production-ready sending?**
- Add reliability: [Sending Reliability](./resources/sending-reliability.md) (retry + idempotency) → [Webhooks & Events](./resources/webhooks-events.md) (track delivery) → [List Management](./resources/list-management.md) (handle bounces).
+ Add reliability: [Sending Reliability](./references/sending-reliability.md) (retry + idempotency) → [Webhooks & Events](./references/webhooks-events.md) (track delivery) → [List Management](./references/list-management.md) (handle bounces).