Receiving servers (Gmail, Outlook and the rest) ask one question about every message: did this really come from the domain it claims? Three DNS records answer it.
- SPF
- A list of the servers allowed to send mail for your domain. Mail from anywhere else looks suspicious.
- DKIM
- A signature added to each message, checked against a public key in your DNS. It proves the message was not altered on the way.
- DMARC
- Your instruction for a message that fails both: let it through and report (p=none), send it to spam (p=quarantine) or refuse it (p=reject).
What we set up
On the Business plan, for a domain we hold, we add your mail records (MX, SPF, and DMARC starting at p=none), then the DKIM key Zoho issues for your domain. Once DKIM passes, we raise DMARC to p=quarantine. We start soft on purpose: quarantining before DKIM exists would send your own first emails to spam.
Why mail can still land in spam
- A new domain has no reputation yet: the first weeks are the most fragile. Send normal mail to people who expect it.
- Another service sending as you (a newsletter tool, a booking system, an online shop) must be added to SPF and DKIM too. Tell us before you start using one.
- Content and the recipient's own filters still count: many links, attachments or bulk sending to people who never asked for it.
No one can promise the inbox. These records remove the most common reason for landing in spam; they do not control another company's filters.
Still stuck? Write to us: a person reads every message.