Email Deliverability issues can silently sabotage your business communications. Have you ever sent a perfectly worded email to a client, supplier, or potential partner and never heard back? You followed up politely a few days later, but still nothing. You start to wonder if they’re ignoring you, but there’s a good chance they never even saw your email.
No, it’s not always spam filters being overly sensitive; it could be that your domain is missing a few small but important records called SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These technical-sounding terms quietly decide whether your emails land in an inbox or get rejected completely, directly affecting email deliverability.
Let’s unpack what they are, why they matter for your business reputation, and how a managed service provider (MSP) can set them up so your important communication actually gets through, improving email deliverability.
The Hidden Problem Behind Missing Emails
Every day, email servers around the world process billions of messages. To protect users from spam and scams, most email systems now check whether incoming messages can be trusted. If your domain is missing proper authentication, your messages might fail those checks. That means your carefully written email to a new client could be silently dropped or flagged as spam before anyone ever sees it, harming your email deliverability.
This problem isn’t limited to marketing emails; it affects everyday communication, such as:
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Sending a quote or invoice
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Following up with a lead
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Emailing a supplier about a shipment
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Requesting a collaboration or partnership
If your business relies on email for communication, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are quietly affecting email deliverability.
What SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Actually Do
These three records work together to tell the world that your emails are legitimate and not forged, which is critical for maintaining email deliverability.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
SPF is like a list of approved senders for your domain. It tells other mail servers which systems are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain. Without it, spam filters might assume someone is pretending to be your business, harming email deliverability.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM adds a digital signature to your outgoing emails. It enables receiving mail servers to verify that the message hasn’t been altered since it was sent. It’s another signal that your emails are trustworthy, protecting email deliverability.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)
DMARC ties everything together. It tells other mail servers what to do if SPF or DKIM checks fail. It also gives you reports about who’s sending emails using your domain, which can help detect impersonation or fraud, further supporting email deliverability.
Why Many Businesses Don’t Have These Set Up
You’d be surprised how many businesses don’t have these records configured correctly. It’s not because owners don’t care about email deliverability; it’s because these records live in the technical side of your domain settings, often in your DNS. They’re easy to overlook during setup and rarely mentioned unless there’s a problem.
Once properly configured, these records protect your reputation, improve email deliverability, and prevent scammers from spoofing your email address.
How an MSP Can Help
As a managed service provider, we can quickly check whether your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are set up correctly. It’s usually straightforward once you know where to look, but getting the configuration right makes all the difference for email deliverability.
We typically:
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Audit your domain to see if SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are active and valid
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Identify gaps or errors in your current configuration
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Set up or fix records for the email platform you use
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Monitor and adjust your DMARC policy as needed
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Provide reports so you can see who’s trying to send mail using your domain
Once it’s done, your legitimate business emails will have a much better chance of reaching inboxes instead of disappearing into spam folders, ensuring optimal email deliverability.
Get Your IT Checked and Working Properly
If you’re unsure whether your emails are reaching inboxes, we can help. Our team can run a quick scan to see if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are set up correctly. A proper configuration safeguards email deliverability and ensures your IT supports your business rather than slowing it down.