Email authentication may sound like a complex topic, but it’s vital for keeping your email campaigns out of spam folders and in front of your audience. You put a lot of work into crafting the right message, so let’s make sure it actually reaches the inbox. This guide dives deep into the world of email authentication, offering clear, actionable steps for even the most technical email marketers. We’ll explore why it matters and how to set it up correctly, ensuring your messages land where they should.
What Is Email Authentication?
Email authentication is a way to prove that an email truly comes from the sender it claims to be from. It’s a set of technical methods and protocols. These methods verify that the email isn’t a forgery. Think of it like a passport for your emails. It gives your messages the needed credentials to be recognized as legitimate. This process helps email servers to tell the difference between authentic emails and spam. It also prevents bad actors from sending messages that impersonate you, a key step in protecting your brand.
Why Is Email Authentication Important?
Email authentication plays a crucial role in protecting your email program. It’s about more than just getting your messages delivered. It’s about building trust with your recipients, safeguarding your brand, and maintaining the integrity of your email channel. Let’s look at some reasons why email authentication matters:
Enhanced Deliverability
Email authentication is crucial for getting your emails to land in the inbox. When you use email authentication correctly, email providers have an easier time to confirm that your messages are legit. This results in fewer emails that get marked as spam. Email providers like Gmail and Yahoo consider authentication when deciding where to send emails. So, strong authentication increases your chances of reaching your audience.
Protection From Spoofing
Email spoofing is when someone sends email that has a “from” address that’s not theirs. Bad actors often use spoofing for phishing, scamming, and malware distribution. By authenticating your emails, you make it much harder for criminals to impersonate your brand. Authentication methods like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC verify the sender’s identity. This protects both your recipients and your brand’s image.
Increased Brand Reputation
Email authentication can help to build trust with your customers. When they receive an email from you, they need to be certain it came from you. When your emails are authenticated, it tells your customers that you take security seriously. This trust increases open and click rates, boosting engagement. High engagement means that email providers will also look more favorably upon your future sends.
Fewer Spam Complaints
Spam complaints can hurt your email deliverability. When recipients mark your messages as spam, email providers may start to send more of your emails to the junk folder, or, worse, block you altogether. Email authentication confirms that you’re a legitimate sender. This can help reduce the likelihood of spam complaints and improves your sender reputation.
How Does Email Authentication Work?
Email authentication methods work by using several checks and standards. These confirm the sender of an email and make sure the message has not been tampered with. These methods create a more secure and reliable system for sending email. Let’s look at some standard protocols:
Sender Policy Framework (SPF)
SPF is a way to verify the sending server’s address. It uses a DNS record for your domain to list the IP addresses authorized to send email for that domain. When an email is received, the receiving server checks the SPF record. This is to ensure the email comes from an approved IP address. If the IP address is not on the list, it can mean the email is a forgery. SPF helps protect from email spoofing. It makes it harder for bad actors to send mail from a domain they don’t own.
To set up SPF, you’ll need to add a TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings. This record will specify what servers have permission to send emails on your domain’s behalf. For example:
v=spf1 mx include:sendgrid.net ~all
This record says emails sent from the domain are valid if they come from the server specified in the “mx” record. It also includes SendGrid’s servers. The “~all” at the end of the record means emails from sources not listed will be marked as soft fails. A soft fail will not stop the delivery of the email, but it will mark it as a potential problem.
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)
DKIM uses a digital signature to verify an email message. When an email is sent, the sending server adds a unique DKIM signature. This signature is linked to your domain. The receiving server can use this signature to check that the email is valid and has not been tampered with. DKIM ensures the email’s content has not changed during its trip from sender to receiver. It also makes it harder to spoof a sender’s email address, boosting email deliverability.
Setting up DKIM involves creating a public/private key pair. The public key is added to your DNS record. The private key is stored securely on your sending server. Here is an example:
“`
v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQDnZ95N8h6bL91f4K8XyQ0/z/n590bWdI8J9vH0uN35/6k3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6z3y4f4/j3rW6
