Launching a campaign without a structured check is one of the most common ways outbound goes wrong fast. A broken personalisation token. A sequence step pointing to the wrong list. A subject line that accidentally references the wrong company name. These things are easy to miss and expensive to fix once they have already gone out to hundreds of contacts.
The QA approval gate is the process we run before every campaign launch to make sure none of that happens.
What the gate checks
Before any campaign goes live we run through a structured checklist that covers every layer of the campaign. Nothing passes without clearing every item on the list.
Copy review checks every email in every sequence for tone, accuracy, personalisation token functionality, and brand alignment. We read each email as if we are the recipient, not the sender. If something feels off it gets flagged and fixed before it moves forward.
List validation confirms that the contact list attached to the campaign has passed the full hygiene process. Verified emails, deduplication completed, suppression checks run. No campaign launches against a list that has not been fully cleaned.
Infrastructure check confirms that the sending domains and inboxes assigned to the campaign are correctly configured, fully warmed, and showing healthy deliverability signals. We check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records on every domain before the first send.
Sequence logic check verifies that the steps in the sequence are connected correctly, the timing between steps is set as intended, and the exit conditions are working as expected. A contact who replies should exit the sequence automatically. A contact who bounces should be removed immediately. We test both before launch.
Personalisation spot check pulls a sample of contacts from the active list and previews how the emails will render for each one. This catches any token errors, formatting issues, or cases where the personalisation data is missing or incorrect before they reach a real inbox.
CRM sync check confirms that the campaign is correctly connected to your CRM and that contacts, activity, and replies will be logged in the right place from the first send.
Who approves the campaign
After the internal QA check is complete the campaign goes to you for final sign-off. You review the sequence copy, the target list, and the campaign configuration before anything is activated.
This is your last opportunity to make changes before the campaign goes live. We encourage you to read every email as if you received it cold and flag anything that does not feel right. It is much easier to adjust at this stage than after the first sends have gone out.
We do not launch until we have explicit approval from you. Not implied approval. Not silence treated as agreement. A clear confirmation that everything looks right and you are happy to proceed.
What happens if something fails the check
Any item that fails the QA check pauses the launch until it is resolved. We do not launch a campaign with known issues and plan to fix them after the fact.
Depending on what failed, the fix might take a few hours or a few days. Copy that needs a rewrite takes longer than a misconfigured token. Infrastructure issues take longer than a list hygiene problem. We communicate the expected timeline clearly so you always know where things stand.
Why this step exists
The QA gate exists because the cost of a mistake in outbound is not just the mistake itself. It is the contacts who received the wrong email and will not reply now. It is the domain reputation that took a hit from a bad send. It is the time spent managing the fallout instead of the campaign.
One thorough check before launch is worth far more than the time it takes.
FAQ
How long does the QA process take?
For a standard campaign the full QA check takes one to two working days. More complex campaigns with multiple sequences, multiple ICPs, or custom integrations take a little longer. We build this into the launch timeline so it never comes as a surprise.
Can we make changes after the QA check but before launch?
Yes. If the review process surfaces something you want to change, we update it and run the relevant checks again before proceeding. The gate is not a one-way door.
What if we want to launch quickly and skip some of the checks?
We do not skip the gate. The checks exist to protect your contacts, your domains, and your results. Skipping them to move faster almost always creates a problem that takes longer to fix than the time saved at launch. We build the timeline to accommodate a proper QA process on every campaign.