Why Email Authentication is Crucial
What is Email (Domain) Authentication?
Email authentication (or email validation) is the process used to verify the source and legitimacy of an email message. For example, if info@abcdesigns.com is authenticated, the email message is likely to reach more inboxes than if it was UNauthenticated.
If you haven't authenticated your sending domain with DKIM, some email clients will flag your emails as coming from a different server. This can potentially cause them to be blocked, or lead subscribers to believe they're receiving spam.
Domain authentication is more strictly enforced by Google and Yahoo. Anyone sending through this platform should ensure the following:
- You are sending from a domain that belongs to you or your organization. If you do not have a domain you can use, we recommend purchasing one as soon as possible.
- You authenticate your domain using DKIM, SPF, and DMARC, the three methods discussed in this document.
- You are following best practices with obtaining permission and respecting unsubscribes.
Here is an Example
We recently had a client who sent their email campaign from an UNauthenticated email address*. Their campaign then received a 79% bounce rate, 425 deliveries bounced!
*We include authentication as part of our setup fee.
After we authenticated their email address their re-sent campaign received a 0.56% bounce rate, only 3 deliveries bounced!
How do you Authenticate?
There are three major methods used in email authentication, all based on DNS TXT records. They can usually be found in a cPanel:
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)
To meet industry requirements for the delivery of mail, both DKIM and DMARC are required. Including an SPF record is also strongly recommended as an additional deliverability benefit.
When we authenticate, we add the three TXT records (DKIM, SPF, and DMARC) to the DNS then wait 24 hours for all three to get the green light.
What Does Authentication Look Like?
Before Authentication
After Authentication
In Closing
If you're sending email using your own domain name, email authentication is vital. Think of it like a digital signature for your domain, put in place to protect your brand, identity, content, and reputation. It makes it harder for people to fake that they're sending emails from you or your brand, and more likely that your legitimate emails will reach your subscribers' inboxes.
Let us know if you have questions or want to get started and require authentication.
