So that your e-mails with your own domain do not end up in spam, you need three DNS records: SPF says which servers may send for your domain, DKIM signs every mail, DMARC defines what recipients do with mails that fail both. All three are TXT records and set up in ten minutes.
Why mails without these records end up in spam
Large providers such as Gmail and Outlook check with every incoming mail whether the sender is allowed to use the domain at all. If SPF and DKIM are missing, the mail counts as unverified and is downgraded or rejected. Since 2024 the major providers require these records from everyone who sends mail regularly.
SPF: who may send
SPF is a TXT record on your domain that lists the permitted mail servers. For e-mail hosting at FameSystems you enter the FameSystems mail server; if you also use a newsletter service, its include is added. It ends with "-all", everything else is rejected.
| Record | Type | Example value |
|---|---|---|
| SPF | TXT on your-domain.de | v=spf1 include:your-provider-mail-server -all |
| DKIM | TXT on selector._domainkey.your-domain.de | v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=public key |
| DMARC | TXT on _dmarc.your-domain.de | v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:[email protected] |
DKIM: every mail signed
DKIM attaches a signature to every outgoing mail, which the recipient checks with the public key from your DNS. Your mail provider generates the key, you enter it as a TXT record under a selector. If the mail is changed en route, the check fails.
DMARC: what happens to forgeries
DMARC combines SPF and DKIM into a rule: "p=none" only observes, "p=quarantine" moves failed mails to spam, "p=reject" rejects them. Start with "none" and a report address, check the reports for a week and then switch to "quarantine". This way you find forgotten senders such as forms or shops before their mails get lost.
Testing and typical mistakes
- Send a mail to a Gmail account and check "Show original" in the header: SPF, DKIM and DMARC must show "PASS".
- Only one SPF record per domain. Two records make SPF invalid.
- A maximum of ten DNS lookups in SPF, every include counts.
- After every DNS change wait up to an hour before testing again.
E-mail hosting with your own domain
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