Authentication Best Practices


Email authentication helps protect your brand, improve deliverability, and ensure your messages meet current sender requirements from major mailbox providers.

We recommend that if you do not currently have a DMARC policy on your sending domain, you begin with a policy of at least p=none. This allows you to monitor authentication without impacting delivery.

If you are using the ReachMail sending domain @send.reach-mail.com, please note that this domain already has a DMARC quarantine policy in place and is properly authenticated according to current sending guidelines.

What Type of Authentication Is Right for You?

The Domain Management Tool in ReachMail allows you to authenticate your email using your sending domain. Authenticating your domain helps you:

  • Build a stronger sender reputation
  • Improve inbox placement
  • Protect your brand identity
  • Meet authentication requirements from providers like Gmail and Yahoo

If You Own Your Domain

If you already send email from your own business domain, you should begin by adding your sending domain to the Domain Management Tool.

To properly authenticate your sending domain, you should add:

  • SPF
  • DKIM
  • DMARC

SPF and DKIM are required to authenticate your messages. DMARC is strongly recommended and may be required for larger volume senders.

Once these records are added to your DNS, ReachMail can authenticate your mail using your domain.

If Your IT Team or Organization Manages Your Domain

If your company’s IT team or another organization manages your domain, ask them about their process for updating DNS records.

Your IT team will need the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records generated within the Domain Management Tool in your ReachMail account.

You may also create a separate ReachMail user account specifically for your IT team so they can access the domain authentication details directly.

If needed, ReachMail Support can also help explain the authentication requirements to the team managing your DNS.

If You Own a Domain but Send From Gmail or Yahoo

Many small businesses own a business domain but still send email from free mailbox providers such as Gmail or Yahoo.

Mailbox providers such as Gmail and Yahoo use DMARC policies to prevent unauthorized marketing email from being sent using their domains.

Because of this, you should avoid sending marketing email directly from a Gmail or Yahoo address whenever possible.

Instead, check with your IT administrator or domain hosting provider to see if you can create a mailbox on your business domain specifically for marketing emails.

For example:

  • Instead of yourbusiness@gmail.com
  • Use something like newsletter@yourbusiness.com

This allows you to fully authenticate your email and build a sender reputation for your own brand.

If You Do Not Own a Domain or Cannot Modify DNS Records

If you do not own a domain, or you cannot modify the DNS records for your sending domain, ReachMail can authenticate messages on your behalf.

To meet current authentication requirements, ReachMail must authenticate messages using the domain found in the From Address.

For example, if you are sending from an address such as:

readingsalive@gmail.com

ReachMail may rewrite the From Address to something like:

readingsalive-gmail.com@send.reach-mail.com

Your subscribers will still see your Friendly From Name in their inbox, but the sending domain will be authenticated through ReachMail.

Please note that this is a shared sending domain and is not unique to your brand and carries the reputation of all those that use it.

Best Practice Recommendations

  • Use your own business domain whenever possible
  • Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to your sending domain
  • Start with a DMARC policy of p=none if you are new to DMARC
  • Avoid sending marketing email directly from Gmail or Yahoo addresses
  • Work with your IT team or domain provider to configure DNS records correctly
  • Use ReachMail’s authenticated sending domain if you cannot manage your own DNS

Proper authentication improves trust with mailbox providers and helps ensure your messages reach the inbox.

 

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