The key to inbox delivery: DNS records for email spam prevention

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  • The key to inbox delivery: DNS records for email spam prevention

Why are there DNS records?

In the world of email marketing, reaching the recipient's inbox is crucial to the success of your campaigns. Nothing is more frustrating than discovering that your carefully crafted emails end up in the spam folder. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent this, and one of the most important steps you can take is to set up your DNS records correctly.

What are DNS records?

DNS (Domain Name System) is like the telephone book of the Internet, in which domain names are translated into IP addresses. But it's more than just that. With the right DNS records, you can also strengthen the authenticity of your emails and help spam filters understand that you are sending legitimate messages. Let's take a look at the most important DNS records you need to set up to prevent your emails from being marked as spam.

SPF records

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is like an ID for your e -maildomain. By adding SPF records to your DNS configuration, you give email providers permission to verify that an email actually comes from an authorized server for your domain. This helps reduce spoofing and forging email addresses. Make sure your SPF record includes all servers authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain.

DKIM records

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to your outgoing emails. This signature can be verified by the receiving email server using a public key stored in your DNS records. Adding DKIM increases the credibility of your emails because it shows that they are not have been manipulated during transmission.

DMARC records

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a powerful policy that integrates SPF and DKIM. With DMARC you can specify what an email server should do if a received email does not match SPF or DKIM rules. By adding a DMARC record, you can specify whether the email should be delivered, quarantined, or rejected.

New Gmail protections for a more secure inbox with less spam

The importance of DNS records for email security and spam prevention was recently highlighted by Google in their latest update for Gmail. They have announced that from 2024 they will be increasing their efforts to improve email authentication and combat spam. By using technologies such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC, marketers can make their emails more noticeable in recipients' inboxes while increasing the security and reliability of their messages.

In short, properly configuring DNS records is a crucial step to prevent your emails from being marked as spam. By adding SPF, DKIM and DMARC to your DNS setup, and ensuring relevant and engaging content, you can increase the chances that your emails reach your recipients' inboxes and have the desired impact.

With the constant updates and improvements in email security, it is important to stay abreast of the latest developments and adjust your email practices accordingly. 

How can you set anti-spam records?

  • Step 1: Contact your email provider (e.g. Google, Microsoft, …) and mailing tools (e.g. MailChimp, MailBlue, Flexmail, HubSpot, …) and ask which SPF, DKIM and DMARC record should be set for their program.
  • Step 2: Contact your domain name administrator and forward the records you received in step 1. Don't know who your domain name holder is? Then you can always check this via DNS Belgium (enter your domain and see ‘Technical contact person').
  • Step 3: You can continue sending out emails and email campaigns according to your email strategy.

Other measures

Setting these DNS records correctly is an essential first step to improving the deliverability of your emails. But in addition to these technical measures, it is also important to optimize the content of your emails and ensure recipient involvement. Please keep the following tips in mind:

  • Keep your email list clean: Remove inactive subscribers and avoid sending emails to purchased or unauthorized lists.
  • Personalize your emails: Focus on relevant content and personalize messages based on the recipient's interests and behavior.
  • Test and measure: Experiment with different subject lines, content formats, and send times, and analyze the results to see what works best for your audience.

Remember, a well-thought-out email strategy goes beyond just technical configurations - it's all about building valuable relationships with your audience.