# How do inbox placement tests work?

> What a Warmerly placement test sends, where to run it, that each test uses one of your monthly placement tests, and how to read inbox, promotions and spam.

Source: https://warmerly.com/docs/help/placement-tests

A placement test answers one question: if this mailbox sends a message right now, does it land in the inbox, in promotions or in spam? Warmerly sends a short test message from your mailbox to a small set of other mailboxes, waits, then looks in each one to see which folder the message ended up in.

## Where to run one

1. Go to **Accounts** and click the mailbox.
2. Open the **Health** tab.
3. In the **Inbox placement** card, click **Run new test**.

The card shows the last time it was tested. A test takes roughly a minute: it sends the messages, waits about 30 seconds for delivery, then checks each receiving mailbox. A progress panel shows while it runs, and you can leave the page. The result is saved either way.

You can also ask Warmi to run one. Because a test sends real email and uses part of your allowance, Warmi always asks for a yes first and tells you how many tests you have left. The **Run new test** button in the dashboard runs straight away, so click it deliberately.

## What it costs

Each test you start uses **one of your monthly placement tests**. The allowance depends on your plan and resets on the 1st of the month. See [Plans & limits](https://warmerly.com/docs/plans-and-limits), and **Settings > Usage & limits** for how many you have used.

- A test that **fails to run** (for example the mailbox cannot send) is handed back and does not count.
- When you have used them all, you can wait for the reset, upgrade, or buy extra with credits from **Settings > Usage & limits**. Nothing is bought without you pressing a button that states the price.
- Warmerly may also run its own automatic tests in the background. Those do not use your allowance.

## What the test sends and to whom

The test sends one plain message with a subject starting **[Warmerly placement]** from your mailbox's own sending connection, so it is judged the way your real mail would be. It goes to up to four target mailboxes, picked as a mix of your mailbox's own provider and other providers when Warmerly has independent seed mailboxes available. When it does not, the test goes to Warmerly's own warmup mailboxes instead (see the note below). It is not sent to any of your leads.

The mailbox must be connected and active. A paused mailbox cannot run a test: resume it first.

## Reading the result

The card shows a score out of 100 and one dot per target mailbox, with a legend:

| Result | Counts as | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Inbox** | 100 | Landed in the primary inbox |
| **Promotions** | 60 | Filed under a promotions folder. Not a failure, not a win |
| **Spam** | 10 | Went to spam or junk |
| **Missing** | 0 | Never arrived. Often a sign of a stricter filter than a plain spam result |

The score is the average across the targets. A number beside the score shows the change since your previous test, but only when both tests were the same kind (see the next section). Promotions is rarely reported for Gmail because Gmail's tabs are not visible to Warmerly, so a missing Promotions count does not mean nothing landed there.

### "Take this one with a pinch of salt"

If the card shows this note, the test went to Warmerly's own warmup mailboxes instead of to independent Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo accounts. It tells you the message sent cleanly, but not how the big providers judge it. Those results are labelled **limited accuracy**, do not count toward your health score and are not compared against real-provider results. Treat them as a send check, not a verdict on your reputation.

## What to do with a bad result

One test is a snapshot of that mailbox, on that day, at those providers. One promotions result is not an emergency. The same mailbox landing in spam repeatedly is. Work down this list:

1. Open the domain health card on the same tab. Fix any failing SPF, DKIM or DMARC ([DNS checklist](https://warmerly.com/docs/guides/dns-records)).
2. Check for a [blocklist listing](https://warmerly.com/docs/help/blocklisted).
3. Check the mailbox has warmed up. A mailbox in its first two weeks will not place well.
4. Look at your copy. Run the subject and body through the [spam word checker](https://warmerly.com/spam-word-checker), and check for too many links or images, or a brand-new tracking domain. See the [deliverability checklist](https://warmerly.com/docs/guides/deliverability-checklist).
5. Wait a few days, keep warmup on, then test again.

## Common problems

**The test failed with "could not be sent".** The mailbox's mail server rejected the message. Check the connection ([Reconnect a mailbox](https://warmerly.com/docs/help/reconnect-mailbox)) and try again. It was not charged.

**"Warmerly could not use this mailbox's saved password."** Reconnect the mailbox.

**"This mailbox is not active".** Resume it, then run the test.

**There are no target mailboxes to test against right now.** Try again later.

**It says quota used up.** See [Plans & limits](https://warmerly.com/docs/plans-and-limits).

## Related

- [What do my mailbox's health score and status mean?](https://warmerly.com/docs/help/mailbox-health)
- [How warmup works](https://warmerly.com/docs/how-warmup-works)
- [Troubleshooting](https://warmerly.com/docs/troubleshooting#placement-tests)

## More in Deliverability

- [How do I read the domain health card?](https://warmerly.com/docs/help/domain-health-card): What the Health tab on a mailbox checks (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MX and blocklists), what pass, warn, fail and…
- [What if my domain or IP is on a blocklist?](https://warmerly.com/docs/help/blocklisted): What a blocklist listing means for cold email, how Warmerly checks for one, what a policy listing is, and…
- [Why did my sending slow down or pause?](https://warmerly.com/docs/help/sending-slowed-or-paused): How Warmerly protects your sender reputation: the volume ramp, the bounce-rate brake, automatic pauses,…