Are your emails going to spam?

Have you noticed an uptick in email delivery problems?

To make sure your emails always reach your customers, and don’t end up in their spam folders, there are some new settings that need to be added to your domain.

What changed that caused more emails to go to spam?

Beginning in February 2024, email providers like Google and Yahoo, and services like MailChimp, implemented new requirements aimed at filtering out malicious users and spam. Complying with these standards is essential for ensuring your email is delivered to its recipient, and means your emails are compatible with modern email security practices, reducing the risk of delivery issues. These new settings will do two main things:

1. Prevent cybercriminals from sending fake emails that look like they’re from your business.
2. Help email systems recognize your emails as genuine, so they are more likely to go straight to your customers' inboxes.

What new records are needed?

Your domain needs the following records to comply with these new requirements:

SPF: It verifies sender legitimacy by listing approved senders for your domain. It tells email systems which servers are allowed to send emails for you. For example, Google Workspace, MailChimp, your CRM software.
DKIM: This adds a unique signature to your emails, it proves they haven’t been tampered with, and that the email really came from you.
DMARC: This tells email systems what to do if they get a suspicious email from your domain (usually quarantine as spam).

What information is needed to create these records?

The SPF record needs to list any server that’s allowed to send emails on your behalf. That means any application that sends emails using your email address as the “from” address, needs to be added to the SPF record. In addition to your email provider, this could be MailChimp, or another email marketing application, a CRM, or a billing system. Those systems should have the information needed to update your SPF record appropriately.

The DKIM record information can be found through your email provider. Google Workspace provides this under Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Authenticate email.

The DMARC record tells the recipient server what to do with suspicious emails; mostly they are the same, but customized with your domain name, and  tell the server to quarantine suspicious emails as spam.

Why should you bother with these domain updates?

Once these settings are in place, your emails will have a much better chance of being delivered properly and securely, through:

• Better Email Deliverability: More of your emails will reach your customers' inboxes.
• Increased Security: It will be harder for spammers to misuse your domain.
• Protected Reputation: Your emails will be recognized as trustworthy, which helps maintain your business's good reputation.

Protect your email from being a source of spam, or confused with spam

By making these changes, you’ll ensure that your email communications are reliable, secure, and compliant with industry standards.