Whenever you send an email from your business, numerous automated processes work in the background to authenticate it.

Email service providers such as Gmail and Microsoft use advanced algorithms to determine the authenticity of each email.

Their primary aim is to weed out spam and phishing attempts, which are emails that seem to be from legitimate sources but actually lead recipients to malicious sites to capture sensitive information.

Three key methods are employed to authenticate emails:

1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Think of SPF as a VIP list for sending emails. The email system checks this list when you send a message. If your address is listed, your email is delivered. If not, you could be flagged as an imposter, and your email may be blocked.

2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM is akin to a distinct stamp or signature on your emails. When the recipient gets the email, they check for this stamp. If it’s there, it assures them that the email is indeed from you and hasn’t been tampered with during transit.

3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): DMARC sets the rules for handling emails that either don’t have the DKIM stamp or aren’t on the SPF list. It tells the email system whether to reject, quarantine, or deliver these emails but with a caution to the recipient to verify their authenticity.

Since February 2024, major email services like Gmail and Yahoo have made it mandatory for businesses to implement DKIM and DMARC, ensuring emails are properly delivered.

Many businesses, possibly hundreds of thousands, are not configured correctly and are unaware that their emails are being blocked.

Ensure your business isn’t among them. We can swiftly and securely check your email setup with no need for system access. If there’s a problem, we’ll help you fix it.