Running Test Deliverability is straightforward; the value comes from interpreting the results and taking the right diagnostic action. The workflow below covers the standard sequence for an email deliverability investigation.
- Run Test Deliverability with the right recipient
From Setup, navigate to Test Deliverability under Email. Enter the recipient email address (typically the admin's own work email for initial testing, or the specific user reporting the problem if investigating a complaint). Click Send. Within a few minutes, the recipient should receive emails representing each of the four email service categories. Check the inbox for the test emails and note which ones arrived.
- Compare results against expected behavior
Confirm which categories arrived. If all four arrived in the inbox, basic email delivery is working. If some are missing, the gap indicates a category-specific issue or a deliverability setting that needs adjustment. If all four arrived in spam, the issue is inbox placement rather than delivery. Document the results in the support ticket or runbook before moving to the next diagnostic step.
- Investigate based on the result pattern
Based on the Test Deliverability result, follow the appropriate diagnostic path. No emails arrived suggests checking Email Deliverability settings and Email Logs for outbound activity. Some emails missing suggests checking specific automation paths or permission set assignments. Spam folder placement suggests checking SPF, DKIM, DMARC alignment on the sending domain. Each path has its own follow-up steps, but Test Deliverability narrows the search dramatically.
- Re-test after configuration changes
After any configuration change (Email Deliverability setting, DKIM key, allowlist update), re-run Test Deliverability to confirm the change had the expected effect. Iterating between configuration change and Test Deliverability is the standard tight loop for email troubleshooting. Document each change and the result so the support ticket has a clear audit trail. Once the test reports clean delivery, validate with the actual automation that was producing the problem to confirm end-to-end.
- Sandbox Email Deliverability resets to System Email Only after refresh. Test Deliverability catches this immediately if included in the post-refresh checklist.
- Test Deliverability does not test Send through External Email Services. Orgs using external email services need separate verification through those services.
- Tests arriving in spam are not delivery failures; they are placement issues. The root cause is sender reputation or authentication, not Salesforce configuration.
- Some corporate email systems quarantine Salesforce test emails by default. Whitelisting the Salesforce sending domain in the recipient's mail system may be required for valid tests.
- Test Deliverability sends one email per category. For automation-specific testing, supplement with actual sample runs through the production automation.