Domain authentication is a must as part of Email Marketing because it can affect email deliverability. Here you will learn about what SPF and DKIM are, and how these two things greatly influence and play an important role in the email delivery process. SPF and DKIM can save your emails from Spam, spoofing, and Phishing. Before we get into SPF and DKIM, let's first understand what domain authentication is.
Definition of Domain Authentication
Domain authentication is a way to verify that the emails sent are in accordance with the owner. For example, we have the domain mtarget.co. By performing domain authentication, emails we send with the mtarget.co domain can be received by email clients and not end up in the spam folder.
Is it important to perform domain authentication? Of course. If you are a business sending emails for corporate purposes or perhaps sending transactional emails, it is very important to use SPF and DKIM. These protocols will not only protect your business from fraudsters attempting to deceive using your domain, but SPF and DKIM ultimately help protect your customer relationships and brand reputation.
So how do you perform domain authentication? By configuring SPF and DKIM.
Definition of Sender Policy Framework (SPF)
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an authentication mechanism so that the receiving server can recognize the email sender through its DNS server. So, if someone sends an email by falsifying your data, the email will be rejected by the receiving server because it is not recognized.
How SPF Works
Essentially, SPF establishes a method for receiving email servers to verify that incoming email from a domain is sent from a host authorized by the domain administrator. The following three steps explain how SPF works:
The domain administrator grants access to the email server authorized to send email from that domain. This access is called SPF, and it is listed as part of the domain's overall DNS data.
When the email server receives an incoming email, the email server then compares the sender's IP address with the official IP address registered as SPF.
The receiving email server then decides whether to accept, reject, or mark the email message.
Definition of DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is a method to verify that the message content can be trusted and is from a clear sender through the sender's public or private key. Its function is to detect sender identity fraud and prevent malicious emails such as spam.
How DKIM Works
Simply put, DKIM adds a tag in the email message header. This tag serves as validation to be encrypted through a public cryptographic key (e.g., mt1.domainkey) by DNS data.
The domain owner publishes a cryptographic key. This is specifically formatted as TXT data in the domain's overall DNS data.
After the message is sent by the outgoing email server, the server creates and attaches a unique DKIM signature to the message header.
The DKIM key is then used by the incoming email server to detect and decrypt the tag and compare it with the new version. If the values match, the message is proven authentic, allowing the email to be delivered.
Configuring SPF and DKIM
In MTARGET, SPF and DKIM need to be configured so that the MTARGET system gets permission to send emails with your user domain. So, when sending emails, the receiving server can clearly know your identity.
For a complete tutorial on domain authentication, you can read here. If you are still having trouble configuring SPF and DKIM, our team is ready to help. Ask for assistance via live chat, which is active 24 hours.