DKIM, DMARC, SPF Explained & Email Authentication
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Last updated
Last updated
As a Shopify merchant or Uppush user, you want your emails to be delivered successfully to your customers' inboxes and avoid ending up in the spam folder. To help with this, there are three important email authentication methods: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Here's a simple explanation of each:
What is SPF? SPF is like a guest list for your email domain. It tells the world which email servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain (like uppush.app). When someone receives an email from you, their email provider checks the SPF record to make sure the email came from an authorized server.
Why is SPF important? Without SPF, anyone could send emails pretending to be from your domain, which can lead to spam or phishing attacks. SPF helps protect your reputation and makes sure your emails are trusted and delivered to your customers.
How does it work? You need to set up an SPF record in your domain's DNS (Domain Name System). It lists the servers that are allowed to send emails for your domain. Shopify or Uppush will guide you on setting this up.
What is DKIM? DKIM adds a digital signature to every email you send. This signature is like a seal of approval from your domain. It ensures that the email hasn’t been tampered with during delivery.
Why is DKIM important? DKIM is important because it verifies the authenticity of your emails. Without DKIM, someone could modify your email or pretend to send an email from your address. DKIM helps protect your brand by ensuring the content of your emails remains intact.
How does it work? When you send an email, your email provider (like Shopify or Uppush) adds a special code to the email header. The recipient’s server can check this code against your DKIM record to confirm that the email is genuine.
What is DMARC? DMARC combines both SPF and DKIM to give you control over how your emails are handled if they fail either of these checks. It also provides reports to let you know if someone is trying to send fraudulent emails using your domain.
Why is DMARC important? DMARC helps you protect your domain from being used in phishing scams. It ensures that only valid emails that pass SPF and DKIM checks get delivered to your customers. DMARC also gives you visibility into any suspicious activity, helping you improve your email security over time.
How does it work? You set up a DMARC record in your DNS that tells email providers what to do if an email fails SPF or DKIM checks. For example, you can tell them to reject the email or mark it as spam. You also get reports on any failed attempts, so you can monitor if anyone is trying to abuse your domain.
SPF ensures that only trusted servers can send emails from your domain.
DKIM ensures that your emails aren’t altered during delivery and are trustworthy.
DMARC ties everything together, controlling how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks and giving you insights into email security issues.
Together, these three tools help you maintain a positive email reputation, prevent fraud, and ensure your customers are receiving legitimate emails from your Shopify store or Uppush notifications.
By setting them up correctly, you ensure your emails are delivered successfully and your customers can trust your messages. This is critical for maintaining customer relationships and growing your business.
