Setting Up SPF, DKIM, AND DMARC Records

You’ve meticulously planned your email marketing strategy, but you experience issues with emails that perpetually land in spam folders.

No sales representative or marketer wants to deal with this. Bounces and a high spam complaint rate can harm a sender’s reputation, and email deliverability. They can even cause the sender to be barred by ISPs, you should avoid them at all costs.

The wrong setting of DMARC, DKIM, and SPF record checker is one of the causes of your emails being labeled as spam. You need to be aware of a few technical aspects in order to fix the issue. Between 2020 and 2021, the total number of DKIM record observed tripled; the number of 1,024-bit keys nearly doubled, while the number of 2,048-bit keys rose by 4.5 times.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What Does SPF, DKIM, & DMARC Stand For?
• DMARC Protocol Aligns Mechanisms For SPF & DKIM
• Setting Up SPF, DKIM, AND DMARC Records
• The Bottom Line
• FAQ’s

What Does SPF, DKIM, & DMARC Stand For?

SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. It is a security measure that helps prevent email spoofing by verifying that incoming messages are coming from an authorized server. SPF checks the sender’s IP address against a list of authorized IP addresses for the domain from which the message claims to originate.

DKIM stands for DomainKeys Identified Mail. It is another email authentication method that adds a digital signature to the message header, which verifies that the message was not altered in transit and that it came from the claimed domain.

DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. It is an email authentication protocol that uses both SPF and DKIM to provide a more comprehensive approach to email authentication. DMARC policy provides instructions for how to handle messages that fail DKIM or SPF checks and allows domain owners to receive reports on email activity related to their domain.

DMARC Protocol Aligns Mechanisms For SPF & DKIM

Yes, that is correct. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) aligns SPF and DKIM mechanisms to provide a robust approach to email authentication.

DMARC requires both SPF and DKIM to pass in order for an email message to be considered authentic. It provides a policy that specifies how the receiver should handle an email message if it fails SPF or DKIM checks. The DMARC policy can be set to either “none,” “quarantine,” or “reject.” It depends on the level of confidence the domain owner has in the email authentication process.

By aligning SPF lookup and DKIM mechanisms, DMARC provides a more comprehensive approach to email authentication, which helps prevent email spoofing and phishing attacks.

Setting Up SPF, DKIM, AND DMARC Records

Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records involves adding DNS records to your domain’s DNS settings. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up each of these records:

Setting up SPF record:

The SPF record identifies which IP addresses are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. Here’s how to set it up and generate SPF record:

1. Log in to your domain registrar or DNS provider and go to your DNS settings.
2. Add a new TXT record and enter your domain name as the host or name field. For example, if your domain is “example.com”, enter “@”, which refers to the root domain.
3. In the value field, enter the SPF record validator, which is a string that starts with “v=spf1”. You can then add a list of IP addresses, and domain names, or include statements that specify which servers are authorized to send an email to your domain.

Setting up DKIM record:

The DKIM record adds a digital signature to your email messages, which verifies that they are coming from an authorized server. Here’s how to set it up the DKIM record checker:

1. Generate a DKIM key pair. You can do this using an online tool or an email service provider that supports DKIM record validator.
2. Log in to your domain registrar or DNS provider and go to your DNS settings.
3. Add a new TXT record and enter the selector and domain as the host or name field. 
4. In the value field, paste the DKIM public key that you generated in step 1. It should look something like this: “v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=ABCD…”.
5. Save the record and wait for it to propagate to your DNS servers.

Setting up DMARC record:

The DMARC service & record specifies how your domain handles emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Log in to your domain registrar or DNS provider and go to your DNS settings.
2. Add a new TXT record and enter “_dmarc” as the host or name field. For example, if your domain is “example.com”, enter “_dmarc.example.com”.
3. In the value field, enter your DMARC policy. This policy tells receiving servers what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks. Here’s an example policy: “v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]; ruf=mailto:[email protected]; fo=1”.
4. The “p” parameter specifies the policy action, which can be set to “none”, “quarantine”, or “reject”.
5. The “rua” parameter specifies where to send aggregate reports, which provide information on how emails are being handled by receiving servers.
6. The “ruf” parameter specifies where to send forensic reports, which provide detailed information on individual emails that fail DMARC solutions & checks.
7. The “fo” parameter specifies how to handle failed DMARC checks. A value of “1” tells receiving servers to treat failed checks as “hard” failures, which means that the email should be rejected.

Once you have set up these records, you should monitor your email delivery and DMARC tool & reports to ensure that they are working as expected. You can use online tools or email service provider dashboards to monitor these reports.

The Bottom Line

Setting up SPF, DMARC, and DKIM records is an essential step in protecting your domain from email spoofing. 

SPF records specify which servers are authorized to send emails to your domain. While DKIM records add a digital signature to your email messages to verify their authenticity. DMARC security records align these mechanisms and provide a policy specifying how to handle emails failing SPF or DKIM checks.

By implementing these records, you can reduce the risk of your emails being marked as spam or phishing attempts. It’s important to monitor your email delivery and DMARC services & reports regularly. It ensures that your records are working correctly and identifies any issues that may arise. 

Understanding how to employ these three techniques will surely help you increase the number of emails delivered. Use GoDMARC to protect yourself from dangers like email spoofing. To comprehend the GODMARC policies, you must review the DMARC pricing options.

FAQ’s

Q1 What is the purpose of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records?

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC security work together to authenticate and verify the identity of email senders. It prevents email spoofing, and phishing attacks, and improves email deliverability.

Q2 Do I need to set up all three records?

While it is not mandatory to set up all three records, implement all three for maximum protection against email spoofing.

Q3 Can I set up SPF, DMARC, and DKIM records on my own?

Yes, you can set up these records on your own by accessing your domain’s DNS settings. However, it may be helpful to consult with your email service provider or IT department for assistance.

Q4 How long does it take for SPF, DMARC, and DKIM records to take effect?

It can take up to 24-48 hours for these records to propagate and take effect. During this time, some email messages may still fail authentication checks.

check the status of your records and identify any issues.