What to do if you have deliverability issues during BFCM

So, you started blasting. That’s what a lot of brands’ email strategy boils down to during BFCM.

A few years ago, we thought it was smart to pause all sends (including flows) before Black Friday, only to open the floodgates once our sale started. The result? A sky-high bounce rate on that very first email.

The sudden increase in send volume is the #1 culprit behind BFCM email deliverability issues. There’s no hard-and-fast rule for what’s “too much,” but any big spike in volume is a red flag for inbox providers. They’ll throttle your sends until they’re confident you’re a legitimate sender.

Right alongside that is sending to cold or completely unengaged subscribers and not managing frequency. Most brands want to email their entire list, multiple times per day, during BFCM. But without a solid exclusion strategy, those unengaged contacts can quickly tank your engagement and reputation.

All of this can make things go south fast.

Why deliverability issues spike during BFCM

Our Klaviyo deliverability tips: monitor constantly (yes, even on weekends), and have a backup plan in place. Monitoring is the easy part. The backup plan? That’s where things get real.

Here’s what’s worked for us when deliverability issues hit mid-BFCM.

Immediate fixes and triage steps

• Don’t be afraid to adjust your BFCM sending strategy. If you didn’t ramp up ahead of time, pull back your send volume to normal levels, then gradually ramp back up over a few days. That breathing room lets you troubleshoot the issue.

• Click rate dropped but other metrics are stable? Switch to plain-text emails for your next few sends. Keep them simple: one link, minimal copy. Something like: “Hey, we have a sale, it’s X% off. Click here.”

• Still seeing issues? Broaden your exclusions. You’re probably still hitting highly unengaged recipients. Exclude anyone who:

  • Soft bounced recently

  • Hasn’t clicked in 12+ months

  • Cancelled an order within 30–60 days of BFCM

  • Already purchased during your sale

  • Is active in a flow (especially Black Friday-specific ones) [here is a post on how to do that]

Preventive steps before BFCM

• Gradually ramp up sending volume 2–4 weeks ahead of Black Friday.

• Don’t pause flows or campaigns completely before BFCM.

• Keep a steady send cadence to maintain sender reputation.

• Clean your lists regularly.

• Use SMS or push as backup channels for urgent or critical messages.

Quick recap checklist

Prep:

• Ramp up volume gradually, no sudden spikes.
• Keep flows active before BFCM.
• Maintain consistent sending volume.

Monitor:

• Watch bounce and click rates closely (even off-hours).
• If deliverability tanks, pause, segment, and scale back volume.

Backup Plans:

• Have text-only versions ready.
• Exclude unengaged contacts, soft bounces, and recent buyers.