get started
If your emails keep landing in spam folders or bouncing back without explanation, the problem might be hiding behind something technical: your email authentication protocols. At first glance, email authentication might seem like just another IT task, but it significantly influences how mailbox providers view your emails—whether they trust them enough to deliver them straight to inboxes or dump them into spam.
By properly setting up and maintaining email authentication protocols, you reassure email providers that your messages are legitimate, improving deliverability, boosting open rates, and ultimately driving better marketing results. Here's exactly how it works—and why marketers can’t afford to ignore it.
Email authentication protocols are technical safeguards designed to verify that your messages truly come from your domain—think of them as digital IDs for your emails. These protocols, such as SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance), help email providers like Gmail or Outlook distinguish between trustworthy senders and potential spammers.
You might wonder: Why should marketers, focused on creativity and messaging, care about these seemingly dry technical details?
Without properly configured email authentication protocols, even your best-crafted campaigns risk being filtered straight into spam folders, effectively invisible to your audience. Implementing these protocols correctly doesn’t just protect your brand—it actively improves email deliverability rates, strengthens subscriber trust, and amplifies the ROI of every message you send.
Understanding and correctly leveraging email authentication isn’t about becoming a technical expert; it's about ensuring your messages reach their intended destination, boosting your overall marketing success and credibility in the inbox.
When your emails leave your server, they face a quick judgment from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook. These providers instantly decide whether your email deserves a comfortable spot in the inbox or gets tossed into the spam folder—based largely on your email authentication protocols.
Think of it like boarding a flight: You wouldn't show up at the airport without your ID and boarding pass, right? Emails without proper authentication are similar—they attempt to "board" inboxes without verifying their identity, raising red flags that make providers suspicious.
Properly configured authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC essentially serve as identification, clearly communicating to ISPs that your emails are trustworthy. ISPs reward senders who take this extra step, increasing the likelihood of inbox placement and better engagement from subscribers.
Setting up your email authentication protocols isn't exactly the most thrilling part of email marketing, but it’s one of the most important. Let’s quickly break down the essentials—SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—without the technical jargon, so you can see exactly why they matter and how they help your emails reach inboxes reliably.
SPF tells email servers which mail servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain. Think of SPF as the bouncer at a club—only letting in guests with names clearly on the list.
For instance, if you use Mailchimp or SendGrid to send emails, setting up an SPF record clearly states that those providers are authorized. Without SPF, unauthorized senders could impersonate your domain, causing providers to reject legitimate emails and hurting your deliverability.
DKIM adds a digital signature to your outgoing emails, proving the email hasn't been altered during transmission. Consider DKIM as sealing your email in a tamper-proof envelope: once sent, recipients can easily verify authenticity.
One big advantage is improved sender credibility with ISPs, which helps inbox placement. A common DKIM mistake, however, is failing to rotate encryption keys regularly, making your authentication vulnerable over time. To maintain trust, always keep your DKIM keys fresh and secure.
DMARC ties SPF and DKIM together and instructs email servers precisely how to handle emails that fail authentication checks. But it goes even further—it provides detailed analytics about who’s sending emails on your behalf, authorized or not.
This protocol matters significantly because it enhances deliverability and actively protects your subscribers from phishing attempts. With DMARC, you’re not just improving your inbox placement—you're actively defending your domain’s reputation and gaining deep visibility into your email ecosystem.
Email authentication setup might seem technical at first glance, but these quick, straightforward steps make it easy to secure your email reputation and enhance deliverability rates:
By carefully implementing these essential email authentication protocols, you're taking critical steps toward improving email deliverability, maintaining trust with email providers, and protecting your subscribers from potential scams.
Are you unintentionally sabotaging your email campaigns by neglecting proper email authentication? Could minor setup mistakes quietly push your emails straight into spam folders and cost you valuable subscribers?
Many marketers don’t realize how easily common missteps—such as misconfigured SPF records, outdated or incorrectly configured DKIM signatures, or completely missing DMARC policies—can severely impact deliverability. A misconfigured SPF record, for instance, signals confusion to email servers about who can legitimately send on your behalf, increasing the chances of being flagged as spam. Similarly, outdated DKIM keys weaken your protection, allowing spammers to exploit vulnerabilities and damage your sender reputation.
Perhaps the most overlooked issue is failing to set up DMARC entirely, leaving your domain vulnerable and without any actionable data to respond effectively. These seemingly small oversights can rapidly spiral into major deliverability problems—yet they’re entirely avoidable with just a bit of proactive attention to your email authentication protocols.
You’ve probably set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—but is there anything else you need to consider to boost your email deliverability even further?
Beyond the foundational trio, there's another noteworthy player gaining traction: BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). BIMI goes one step further than traditional protocols by allowing brands to display their official logo directly in subscribers’ inboxes, enhancing trust and brand recognition at a glance.
It depends on your goals and your existing deliverability strength. If your emails are already landing consistently in inboxes and engagement rates are high, BIMI can significantly amplify your brand’s visibility and subscriber trust. Showing a verified brand logo in the inbox can set your emails apart, encouraging subscribers to open them confidently.
However, marketers still struggling to implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC consistently may not see immediate value from BIMI. BIMI relies on these basic protocols being perfectly configured before it can effectively deliver its benefits.
In short, advanced protocols like BIMI aren’t essential for everyone, but if your primary authentication methods are solidly established, going the extra mile with BIMI can offer tangible advantages, boosting subscriber engagement and further reinforcing your email reputation.
There's a fair amount of confusion—and even a bit of misinformation—around email authentication protocols. Let's clear up some common myths, because believing them might just be holding back your email marketing success.
Wouldn't it be great if setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC automatically got you a VIP pass into every inbox? Unfortunately, that's not how it works. Authentication is crucial, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. Even perfectly authenticated emails can land in spam if your content or engagement rates raise red flags. Authentication helps your emails reach inboxes, but you still need compelling content and an engaged audience.
Imagine running a small, friendly coffee shop. You're confident your customers recognize your emails, so you assume authentication is unnecessary—after all, you're not Amazon, right? Wrong. No matter how small or local your business is, email authentication is essential. Spammers target businesses of all sizes, and providers don't distinguish between small shops and global brands when it comes to spam filtering. Proper authentication protects your credibility, regardless of your business’s size.
Plenty of marketers shy away from authentication, fearing technical headaches or high costs. But the truth is, that basic authentication protocols—SPF, DKIM, and even DMARC—are straightforward and often free to implement. Most email providers offer step-by-step instructions, and free resources are widely available online. While expert support is helpful for complex setups, basic authentication is well within reach, even for businesses on tight budgets.
In reality, email authentication protocols are accessible, practical, and necessary. Dispelling these myths makes it clear that authentication isn't an advanced luxury—it’s a fundamental part of effective email marketing.
You've set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—but how do you actually know if they're working effectively? Just setting up email authentication protocols isn't enough; monitoring their performance is equally essential. Without tracking, you're essentially flying blind, unsure if your efforts are truly paying off or if unseen problems are lurking behind the scenes.
To determine whether your email authentication is effectively boosting your deliverability, pay close attention to metrics such as your inbox placement rate—the percentage of emails reaching inboxes rather than spam. A high inbox placement rate is a strong sign your authentication efforts are paying off.
Next, monitor your bounce rates and spam complaints. Consistently high bounce rates or rising spam complaints indicate authentication issues or potential misconfigurations, negatively impacting your sender reputation.
Additionally, track your open and click-through rates closely. Improved authentication typically means increased trust from email providers, directly reflected in more subscribers opening and engaging with your emails. If these numbers stay stagnant or decline, revisit your authentication setup.
Luckily, several easy-to-use tools make monitoring your email authentication performance straightforward. Platforms like Google Postmaster and MXToolBox provide clear insights into your sender reputation, deliverability metrics, and potential issues with your SPF, DKIM, or DMARC configurations. Regularly checking these tools ensures your authentication remains effective, and your emails keep landing precisely where they belong—the inbox.
Mastering your email authentication protocols isn’t optional—it's crucial for consistently reaching subscribers' inboxes. Proper authentication directly improves your deliverability, boosts subscriber engagement, and protects your brand’s reputation from phishing or spoofing attempts.
To maximize these protocols, start by carefully implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Double-check your setup regularly to ensure records stay accurate and up-to-date. Make monitoring a habit—keep tabs on inbox placement, bounce rates, and subscriber engagement metrics, quickly addressing any sudden changes or problems.
Ultimately, maintaining healthy email authentication protocols ensures your emails remain trusted, visible, and impactful, maximizing every effort invested in your email marketing campaigns.
Founded by chef David Chang, Momofuku is a renowned culinary brand with a nation-wide presence, including restaurants and an online store with delicious goods. They ran into an issue with their email sending – high bounce rates and blocked sending.
With hundreds of thousands of people on their email lists eager to stay informed, and an impeccable reputation to uphold, Momofuku wanted to nip this problem in the bud quickly.
Up for coffee with a health kick, sans the jitters? Try Everyday Dose – a brand on a mission to provide coffee lovers with a healthy alternative packed with all kinds of goodies. The Founder, Jack Savage, learned through personal experience that we needed an option that doesn’t lead to a slew of possible side-effects. That’s how this mushroom-based blend with nootropics and collagen protein came to be, helping boost focus, energy, and reduce stress in one go.
The Everyday Dose team prides itself on excellent customer support, in addition to their delicious set of products. So when they spotted DNS propagation issues setting up their customer experience platform, they reached out to Senders to find the best way to sort it out.
Myrina.ai stands out as a trailblazer in empowering women entrepreneurs through technology and a supportive community.
Myrina.ai offers a cutting-edge range of AI-powered SaaS marketing and sales tools that cater specifically to female entrepreneurs and women-led businesses. Myrina.ai enables users to automate marketing and sales, while helping them scale their authentic selves while saving time and boosting conversions. Their Myrina’s Army community fosters a supportive platform that champions female entrepreneurs and their values, empowering them to conquer barriers and achieve their business goals. The company's dedication to providing not only top-notch technological solutions but also a platform for networking and mentorship underscores their commitment to fostering success among women in the entrepreneurial space.
Naturally, they wanted to make sure their email sending infrastructure was set up correctly to protect their reputation and successfully reach their recipients. Our deliverability team worked with the client’s team on:
Sometimes the sheer number of options of any product can be daunting – how on earth do you pick the right one? This is especially true with supplements, as we can find them just about anywhere, but we can rarely understand a third of the ingredients listed. Unlike most, Physician’s Choice provides supplements with pure, potent ingredients that work. No fillers or “proprietary” blends with unidentified ingredients. They do the research, so you don’t have to.
Integrity and transparency are part of their core values, so when their team ran into sending issues, they were referred to Senders.
+1 917 615 0975
