Printable Checklist: Standalone Email vs WordPress Plugin

Tick items as you implement them. You can also print / save as PDF.

Deliverability foundations

SPF published for the sending domain (includes all senders) DKIM signing enabled (prefer 2048-bit keys) DMARC published (start p=none, then tighten) DMARC alignment verified (From aligns with SPF/DKIM) List-Unsubscribe headers implemented (one-click capable) Visible unsubscribe link in the email body Bounce handling + suppression list Complaint tracking (where available)

Scalable sending & reliability

Queue-based sending (no “send all in one request” loops) Worker/background runner (not dependent on page loads) Retry policy with backoff + max attempts Provider throttling rules (per domain/provider) Warm-up plan for new domains/streams Monitoring for bounces/complaints/unsubs

Security & compliance

API keys stored securely (rotatable, least privilege) Admin-only sending + audit logs Consent logged (timestamp, IP, consent text) Unsubscribe honored quickly (automated)

WordPress performance protection

WordPress is not running bulk send loops Forms send lightweight events to the standalone system WordPress database not storing giant email logs/queues Transactional vs marketing streams separated

References: Google Gmail sender guidelines, Yahoo sender requirements, WP-Cron docs, and cPanel send limit controls.