Sending setup and deliverability
Choose a sender address and pass Larvabot's MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC checks so your outreach lands in the inbox, not spam.
Outreach only works if it reaches the inbox. Each project sends from its own address, and Larvabot checks that the domain behind it is set up properly before you start.
#Choose a sender
On the project's Setup tab, under Sending:
- Your name signs every email. Use your real name.
- Send from should be an address on the project's own domain, like
hello@yourproject.com. Emails fromyourname@gmail.comaboutyourproject.comlook like spam, and Gmail won't let SMTP services send as your Gmail address anyway.
The actual sending goes through the SMTP account in Settings (for example Brevo), which must be allowed to send for that domain.
#The email setup check
As soon as a sender is saved, Email setup check looks up four DNS records for its domain (over DNS-over-HTTPS, so it works from anywhere) and shows a green tick, a warning or a cross, with the fix underneath.
| Check | What it means | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| MX | The domain can receive mail. Without it, replies bounce. | Turn on Cloudflare Email Routing and forward to your inbox |
| SPF | Lists which services may send for your domain. | One TXT record like v=spf1 include:spf.brevo.com ~all |
| DKIM | Signs each email so receivers know it's really from you. | Authenticate the domain in your SMTP service and add the records it gives you |
| DMARC | Tells receivers what to do with mail that fails SPF/DKIM. | TXT at _dmarc: v=DMARC1; p=none; to start |
Only one SPF record
If you use several services (say Brevo for outreach and Google Workspace for normal mail), merge them into a single record: v=spf1 include:spf.brevo.com include:_spf.google.com ~all. Two separate SPF records count as invalid, and the check will say so.
#A typical free setup
- DNS on Cloudflare. Move your domain's DNS to Cloudflare (free). Cloudflare setup
- Receiving. Turn on Email Routing and forward
hello@yourdomainto your Gmail. That gives you the MX record. - Sending. Add the domain in Brevo under Senders, domains & IPs → Domains and add the DKIM and DMARC records it shows. Brevo setup
- SPF. Add Brevo's include to your SPF record (Cloudflare Email Routing adds its own; merge them).
- Reading replies. Connect Gmail over IMAP with an app password so Larvabot sees replies and bounces. Gmail setup
- Check. Reload the project's Setup tab. All four should be green (DMARC may be a warning until you add it).
#When emails go out
Approved emails are sent on weekdays inside the send window from Settings → Sending (SMTP), written as UTC hours like 7-16 (the default). Each run sends at most two, and each email campaign has its own Emails per day limit. Reviewing and sending
Why UTC?
The server doesn't know your time zone, and most of your recipients aren't in it anyway. Work out which UTC hours are business hours for the people you're writing to. 7-16 covers European mornings through US East Coast lunchtime.
#What every email includes
- Your name and the project name and domain in the signature
- A one-line opt-out: If this isn't a fit, just reply "no" and I won't follow up.
- A
List-Unsubscribeheader, so mail apps can show their own unsubscribe button - Follow-ups threaded under the first email with
Re:subjects - A copy saved in your inbox's Sent folder when IMAP is connected