Optimizing Act-On Automation: Overcoming Deliverability and Segmentation Challenges to Protect ROI

Audio Overview

According to industry benchmarks from Return Path, a deliverability analyst firm, approximately 20% of permission-based, opt-in commercial emails fail to reach the recipient’s inbox. This gap means that even when an organization builds an active, engaged subscriber base, one out of every five messages may never be seen by its target audience. For mid-market companies relying on Act-On to coordinate their marketing programs, this undelivered mail represents a direct loss in Return on Investment (ROI).

When marketing campaigns begin to underperform, teams often look first to creative design, email copy, or subject lines. However, the root cause is frequently a technical or structural issue hidden deep within the marketing automation platform itself. Over time, active instances accumulate data clutter, outdated campaign assets, and misconfigured technical settings. To protect campaign ROI, organizations must actively address deliverability and data segmentation challenges.

Key Takeaways

• Address Deliverability Gaps: Roughly 20% of opt-in emails fail to reach the inbox, highlighting the critical importance of regular technical audits and correct domain settings.
• Master Technical Authentication: Properly configuring Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) records in Act-On ensures that campaigns bypass spam filters and maintain high sender reputation.
• Integrate Systems Safely: Act-On’s robust data model supports deep connections with multiple databases, but poor segmentation rules and dirty data can delay automation and disrupt customer experiences.
• Implement Structured Cleanup: Systems naturally accumulate outdated assets; regular reviews of the Media Library, automated templates, and folder organization are required to protect system efficiency and marketing Return on Investment (ROI).

Critical Technical Settings: Securing Deliverability with SPF and DKIM

To ensure that emails successfully reach the inbox, organizations must first verify that email service providers recognize their domain as a trusted sender. Mailbox gatekeepers look closely at specific domain configurations to verify the identity of the sender.

Setting up Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is the baseline requirement for maintaining domain reputation. SPF is a Domain Name System (DNS) record that lists the specific servers allowed to send emails on behalf of a domain. For Act-On users, this requires incorporating the platform’s specific sending domain into the organization’s existing SPF record. The standard syntax involves appending include:_spf.act-on.net before the final restriction mechanism (such as -all or ~all).

While SPF defines authorized servers, DKIM provides a cryptographic signature that verifies the email was indeed sent by the domain owner and was not altered in transit. Act-On requires a custom domain setup to configure a unique DKIM key. Without these dual layers of authentication; further supported by Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC); major email providers are highly likely to route automated campaigns straight to the junk folder.

Dynamic List Segmentation and Data Architecture

Even with flawless technical authentication, an automation platform is only as effective as the data that powers it. Act-On utilizes a distinct approach to managing databases, distinguishing between master marketing lists and dynamic segments.

Dynamic lists are queries built to segment databases in real time based on user behaviour, demographic data, or status updates. However, when dynamic lists rely on overly complex rules or nested criteria, they can place a heavy burden on the platform’s processing engine. This often leads to system delays, causing automated campaigns to trigger late or sync poorly with external databases.

As one of Act-On’s leading partners since 2015, Goose Digital has seen the range of organizations leveraging Act-On’s powerful automation platform to deliver successful marketing programs. A unique feature of Act-On is its multi-Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform capability, enabling several popular out-of-the-box CRM integrations and also allowing for custom Application Programming Interface (API) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) integration. Goose Digital has also leveraged Act-On’s strong data model to perform integrations with custom Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as for manufacturing or distribution, in order to unlock key data inside the ERP to drive personalization and automated outreach.

When ERP and CRM systems are fully synchronized with Act-On, dynamic lists can leverage precise transaction history, inventory levels, or customer life-cycle stages. However, if database hygiene is neglected, these dynamic lists can begin to pull in obsolete or unengaged contacts. Sending emails to unengaged contacts slowly degrades domain reputation and deliverability.

The Cost of System Clutter: Cleaning the Media Library and Organizing Folders

As companies grow, their marketing automation systems naturally gather digital debris. Old campaigns, temporary landing pages, and retired web forms can remain live in the background, consuming resources and creating confusion.

In Act-On, this clutter typically manifests in two main areas:

• The Media Library: Over time, the platform’s Media Library becomes filled with duplicate graphics, outdated product brochures, and legacy files. These orphaned media files make it difficult for current team members to locate the correct assets, often leading to formatting errors and broken links in active campaigns.
• System Folders and Naming Conventions: A lack of strict folder structures makes finding assets highly inefficient. When marketing campaigns are built without consistent naming conventions, it becomes challenging to distinguish between an active Automated Program and a legacy sequence that should have been deactivated years ago.

When systems are poorly organized, active Automated Programs may continue to process contacts and send out outdated communications without the marketing team realizing it. Consequently, this leads to an inconsistent customer experience and increases the risk of spam complaints.

The Automation Platform Revive: A Systematic Recovery Plan

To help marketing departments regain control of their environments, Goose Digital developed the Automation Platform Revive service. This service provides a comprehensive audit of a company’s Act-On instance, identifying underlying technical, structural, and campaign-level issues.

The cornerstone of this framework is a detailed 35-point checklist, which mirrors a standard Quick Start implementation setup. The audit evaluates several critical areas:

• Core Technical Settings: Verifying SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to ensure optimal inbox placement.
• Deliverability Configuration: Reviewing bounce rates, unsubscribe handling, and domain reputation metrics.
• Unused and Active Assets: Locating active web forms, old landing pages, and orphaned media files that need to be archived or shut down.
• Program and List Architecture: Examining dynamic list filters, identifying logic conflicts, and confirming that list sync times with CRM and ERP platforms are functioning correctly.
• Advanced Features: Identifying gaps where organizations are failing to use available tools, such as lead scoring cards, attribution reporting, or complex automated email sequences.

Through this review, the Automation Platform Revive framework systematically cleans and reorganizes Act-On environments. Reorganizing system folders, applying logical naming conventions, and deactivating legacy campaign triggers allows companies to restore operational speed and maintain high deliverability standards.

Summary of Key Takeaways and Next Steps

Achieving a high return on a marketing technology investment requires continuous maintenance and technical precision. When deliverability rates drop or database structures decay, automated campaigns lose their effectiveness.

To optimize an Act-On setup, organizations should follow these core next steps:

1. Audit Technical Authentication: Ensure SPF and DKIM records are correctly published and aligned in the DNS.
2. Clean Dynamic Lists: Simplify segmentation rules and sunset unengaged contacts to protect domain reputation.
3. Establish Folder Hygiene: Reorganize the Media Library and system folders to eliminate old assets and retired programs.
4. Perform a Platform Revive: Regularly analyze the entire automation environment to find hidden inefficiencies and unlock advanced features like lead scoring and revenue attribution.

Goose Digital brings deep cross-platform knowledge and practical experience, having completed over 200 platform revives across major systems like Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Salesforce Account Engagement (formerly Pardot), HubSpot Marketing Hub, and Act-On. By systematically addressing database structures and technical configurations, Goose Digital helps organizations turn complicated marketing setups into clean, high-performing engines that generate measurable pipeline growth.

Ready to optimize your Act-On platform and maximize your marketing ROI?

Contact us to schedule an expert platform review and learn how our Automation Platform Revive can elevate your marketing programs.

Sources

• Validity: An Analysis of Worldwide Inbox and Spam Placement Rates
• Alchemer: Survey Invitations To Improve Your Email Deliverability Rate
• Act-On Software: Email Deliverability Best Practices: The Best Guide Ever
• PowerDMARC: How to Set Up SPF for Act-on?
• Red Sift: Act-on SPF and DKIM set up
• Mailtrap: Return Path Email Explained

Content Integrity

This article was generated with the assistance of AI and edited by a human team member.