Knowledge Base

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Explained

What this is

These three systems work together to prove that emails from your domain are legitimate. Setting them up correctly keeps your emails out of spam folders and protects your domain from being spoofed.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

What it does: Tells receiving mail servers which servers are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain.

Setup: SPF is automatically added to your domain's DNS when you create a website. No action needed.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

What it does: Adds a digital signature to your outgoing emails, proving they haven't been tampered with in transit.

How to enable DKIM:

1. Go to Websites → click your website → Domains tab → click your domain.
2. Scroll to the Email authentication section.
3. Toggle DKIM to On.
4. If your DNS is hosted with TrustEdge, validation happens automatically.
5. If your DNS is hosted elsewhere (like GoDaddy or Cloudflare), follow the on-screen instructions to add the DKIM TXT record at your DNS provider.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)

What it does: Tells receiving servers what to do when SPF or DKIM checks fail (reject, quarantine, or accept) and where to send reports.

How to add DMARC:

1. Go to your domain's DNS records.
2. Add a new TXT record:
3. Name: _dmarc
4. Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com
5. Save.

Important: Always enable DKIM before setting up DMARC.

Testing your email setup

Visit mail-tester.com — send a test email to the address they provide, and you'll get a score with specific recommendations.

Related articles

• Email troubleshooting
• Managing your DNS zone