Configuring mail domain authentication in ispmanager. Email marketer's guide for administrators

A DKIM record in the following format will be automatically created:

v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=public keycode>

The v=DKIM1 part indicates that the entry is of type DKIM version 1.

In the k=rsa part, k is the key type. The k value is always rsa.

Part p specifies the public key that is generated by OpenDKIM.

Example of a public key:

MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQDwZ5t5LK5S5ybh9Y+5p0dLFL+8ZvPmDm6HfnU6n/S+q3rU6lX9QatmJPOaWxQ8+I7MDe/A1zTupTJWJ/8gyl7+X9YJfxsE+yPrTlC1ksAFwzW8nnLLbZ/D9XHDKmsbVdIu8pF+BK7dUEzkpUz/u6Ux8RvAkKMZDTPbg6Qtk63QIDAQAB

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) — is a DNS record that specifies how email providers should handle emails that failed SPF or DKIM validation.

To configure a DMARC record:

1. In ispmanager navigate to Mail → Mail domains.
2. Click Edit for the selected domain..
3. Check the box next to Enable DMARC for domain.
   

   Enabling DMARC

Ispmanager automatically generates DMARC records in the following format: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:youremail@example.com; adkim=r; aspf=r; pct=100; sp=none

Part p notes the policy for handling the email if the email fails authentication. There are three policy types:

• None — emails are delivered to the recipient, but you receive reports on authenticated and unauthenticated emails.
• Reject — unauthenticated emails are rejected by the recipient's server. Emails are not delivered, but you receive “undelivered” reports.
• Quarantine — unauthenticated e-mails are moved to the "Spam" folder.

The Google Workspace Admin Help recommends starting with none if you have not sent emails from the domain yet. It is recommended that you do not set reject or quarantine until you understand how emails are being validated on the recipients' servers. You can track this by receiving reports to the address specified in rua. Learn more about the DMARC record in the Google Workspace Admin Help.

rDNS, или обратная DNS-запись is a DNS record that maps an IP address to a domain name. This check also helps combat spam and phishing, as attackers may have difficulty setting up correct rDNS records for their IP addresses.

To configure a rDNS record:

1. From ispmanager Main menu navigate to Domain names (DNS) - select a domain - Manage DNS records.

2. For a domain, click Create Record and select PTR (reverse record) as the record type.

3. In the Name field, specify the IP in reverse order and add the suffix in-addr.arpa. For example, if your IP is 10.20.30.40, in the Name field you need to write: 40.30.20.10.in-addr.arpa

In the Domain field, specify the domain name for which you are configuring the PTR record.

After configuring DNS and email authentication settings, it's important to monitor email deliverability and troubleshoot any issues that arise.

You can monitor emails from email providers and use tools such as Mail Tester, GlockApps or MXtoolbox to monitor the deliverability of your emails. These tools can help you identify the following issues:

• failed email authentication;
• poor sender reputation;
• content that triggers spam filters;
• blacklisted domain or IP.

You can also see if the technical settings are correct in the header of the test email. In Gmail, click "Show original" on the email you have sent.

It is better to perform such checks for emails sent from multiple sources: manually through a mail provider, from mailing services (ESP), and from an SMTP server.

Very often developers face the following difficulties:

1. Untimely updating of email authentication records when changing IP or mail provider. When changing the IP or mail provider, it is important to update the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records to reflect the changes.
2. Incorrect configuration of the SPF record, for example, the use of incorrect syntax or the inclusion of incorrect IP addresses. It is important to make sure that your SPF record is configured correctly: with correct syntax; includes authorized IP addresses of your mail servers.
3. Incorrect DMARC configuration. It is important to configure DMARC policies correctly so that messages are not marked as spam. You can check the DMARC record using the Google MX Check Tool..

If you have problems with the delivery of letters, use ispmanager to solve them. The panel contains logs of Exim and Dovecot mail servers to help determine the cause of the problem and take action to fix it.

But setting up your email domain correctly is not the only requirement for high deliverability and spam-free mailing. It is important to constantly check the database for invalid email addresses, send emails only to contacts who have explicitly subscribed through a double opt-in subscription, and monitor the content of the emails.

Wishing you 100% deliverability!