Why Email Authentication Matters
Without authentication, anyone on the internet can send an email claiming to be from
ceo@yourdomain.com. Email protocols originally had no built-in sender verification. Today, three key standards work together to secure your domain's email deliverability.
1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
SPF allows a domain owner to publish a list of IP addresses or subnets that are authorized to send email on the domain's behalf in a DNS TXT record.
Test your SPF with our SPF Validator.2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM adds a cryptographic digital signature to outgoing emails, ensuring that the message was not altered in transit.
3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)
DMARC ties SPF and DKIM together. It instructs recipient mail servers what to do if an email fails authentication:
p=none: Monitor and report only.
p=quarantine: Deliver suspicious messages to spam/junk folders.
p=reject: Block unauthorized messages completely.Validate your policy using our free
DMARC Validator.
