🔹 DNS Records for Email
DNS records control how your emails are sent, received, and trusted by other mail servers. Proper DNS setup helps avoid spam, improve delivery, and protect your domain.
1️⃣ MX Records Explained
MX (Mail Exchange) records tell the internet where emails for your domain should be delivered.
Example MX record:
-
Host:
@ -
Mail server:
mail.yourdomain.com -
Priority:
10
📌 Important points:
-
Without MX records, emails will NOT be received
-
Lower priority number = higher preference
-
Always point MX to your hosting mail server
2️⃣ SPF Record (Sender Policy Framework)
SPF verifies who is allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain.
Purpose:
-
Prevents email spoofing
-
Reduces spam flagging
Example SPF record (TXT):
📌 Add SPF as a TXT record in DNS
📌 Only ONE SPF record should exist per domain
3️⃣ DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM adds a digital signature to outgoing emails.
Benefits:
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Confirms email integrity
-
Improves inbox delivery
-
Required by Gmail & Outlook
How DKIM works:
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Plesk generates a DKIM key
-
DNS stores the public key
-
Receiving servers validate emails
📌 Enable DKIM inside Plesk → Mail Settings
4️⃣ DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)
DMARC tells mail providers how to handle failed SPF/DKIM emails.
Basic DMARC record:
Policy options:
-
none→ Monitor only -
quarantine→ Send to spam -
reject→ Block emails
📌 Start with p=none for safety
5️⃣ Preventing Email Spam Issues
To avoid emails landing in spam:
✅ Configure MX, SPF, DKIM & DMARC correctly
✅ Use business email instead of free email senders
✅ Avoid spam words & excessive links
✅ Send emails gradually (warm-up new domains)
✅ Keep email passwords secure
📌 Missing SPF/DKIM is the #1 cause of spam issues.
