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Improve email deliverability with DKIM and SPF records

Improve email deliverability with DKIM and SPF records

Connect Dubsado with your custom domain email to reduce emails going to spam.
Charis Barg avatar
Written by Charis Barg
Updated over a week ago

Updated Jan 13, 2023

When you're emailing important documents to your clients, reduce the chances of those emails ending up in spam by setting up DKIM and SPF.

In this article:

What are DKIM and SPF records?

Internet spammers will sometimes send emails through a domain that belongs to someone else. DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Sender Policy Framework (SPF) are security protocols that help authenticate outgoing emails. Setting up DKIM and SPF records in your custom domain helps your email provider recognize that emails sent through Dubsado are legitimate.

Set up DKIM

You only need to set up DKIM if you connected a custom domain email to Dubsado using SMTP. If you connected your email using Google or Microsoft, you won’t see the DKIM option in Settings >> Emails.

Step 1: Generate a key in Dubsado

dkim domain name generate a key

  1. Go to Settings >> Emails.

  2. Under Email Deliverability, expand DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM).

  3. Select a key size. Check with your domain host to see which size is supported. 2048 is more secure.

  4. Click Generate.

  5. Write down the generated key to use in step 2.

Step 2: Create a DKIM record in your domain manager

  1. Login to your domain provider’s DNS settings page.

  2. Locate where to add a DNS record.

  3. Under the Type field, type TXT.

  4. Under the Host (or Name) field, type in the TXT record name from Dubsado.

  5. Under the Value (or Data) field, type in the TXT record value from Dubsado.

  6. Save your changes.

Step 3: Verify your DKIM record in Dubsado

  1. Go back to Settings >> Emails.

  2. Below where you copied the TXT record name and value, click Verify.

  3. If you receive an error message, it may take time for the system to recognize any changes. Please wait up to 48 hours before attempting to verify the changes again.

Rotate DKIM keys

It's a good security practice to rotate your DKIM keys every 6 months.

rotate key action record name

  1. Go to Settings >> Emails.

  2. Under Email Deliverability, expand DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM).

  3. Click the rotate icon on your generated key.

  4. Follow the same process to create a DKIM record in your domain manager with the new key that appears.

  5. Verify the key in Dubsado.

  6. Once the new key is verified, delete the old DKIM TXT record key from your domain provider’s DNS settings page.

Set up SPF

In Settings >> Emails, connect a custom domain email address to Dubsado with Google or Microsoft.

After connecting an email address, Dubsado automatically checks your SPF record status under Email Deliverability >> Sender Policy Framework (SPF). There are three types of statuses that may appear:

No verification needed

you're all set no verification needed

You have successfully verified your email domain. No further action is needed.

Your SPF record could not be verified

we could not find an spf record on your domain. please reach out to your email host to learn more about creating a txt record in your dns settings

Your domain provider does not have an SPF record on file. You must create a new SPF record with your domain provider.

  1. Login to your domain provider’s DNS settings page.

  2. Locate where to add a DNS record.

  3. Type in the following information:

Type

TXT

Host (or Name)

@

If using Wix, leave the host field blank instead of @

Value (or Data)

If your email host is not listed, please contact your specific email host to obtain the SPF value

Google: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

Microsoft: v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all

GoDaddy: v=spf1 include:secureserver.net ~all

Zoho: v=spf1 include:zoho.com ~all or v=spf1 include:one.zoho.com ~all

TTL

Google: 1 hour

Microsoft: Default

GoDaddy: Default

Zoho: 12 hours

⛔ Heads up! The above information is subject to change. For the most current information, please visit your domain or email host’s help center.

After any updates, click Verify under Settings >> Emails to remove the error message. If no changes occur, it may take time for the system to recognize the changes. Please wait up to 48 hours before attempting to verify the changes again.

Invalid SPF record

there was an error with your spf record. please reach out to your email host for the correct record

The existing SPF record on file with your domain provider has an error. Please reach out to your email and domain host for further assistance.

FAQ

I set these records up and my emails to clients are still going to spam.

Spam filters change frequently. Check out our article on email deliverability for additional tips on keeping your emails out of spam.

What's the difference between my email host and my domain host?

When you have a custom domain for your website (yourdomain.com), that domain requires a host. Your email host is the email provider for your domain (hello@yourdomain.com).

Your email host might be the same as your domain host, but it might also be different. For example, your domain might be hosted by Cloudflare, while your email is hosted through Google.

Your email host will provide the SPF record value that you need to add to the DNS records with your domain host. If you need help, start by reaching out to the support for your domain host.

If I change domain hosts, do I need to update my DKIM and SPF records?

Yes. If you move your domain to a new host, you will need to repeat the setup process.

I don't feel comfortable making these changes in my domain. Can you help me?

Dubsado can’t provide support for setup questions specific to your domain or email host. Please contact your domain host for assistance!

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