How to setup MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC & Forwarding ⏩

Hi there 👋

If you're using your own domain for your email, you need to set up some DNS records.

Now before we talk about how you should set them up, let's talk about what they are and why you need them.​

What are MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records? 🤔

1. MX records: Put simply, MX records tell the internet where to deliver your emails. Without them, you won't receive any emails. :(
2. SPF record: The SPF record tells the internet which domains are allowed to send an email on your behalf.
3. DKIM record: Think of DKIM as a signature that gets added to every email so that it's easy to prove the origin of the email and prevent spoofing.
4. DMARC record: DMARC essentially tells the world that you want your email to be authenticated. This is how you let people know that the email was sent from a legitimate source.

👉 Put simply, you need all four of the above records for your email account to function well. As a matter of fact, email providers like Google (GSuite) may scrutinize your account if you don't have those set up.

Using GoDaddy as a domain name provider? Here are some specific guides:

• SPF, DMARC and DKIM: Google Workspace accounts
• SPF, DMARC and DKIM: Zoho Workspace accounts
• SPF, DMARC and DKIM: Microsoft/Office 365 accounts

In general or if you're using any other domain name providers you can use the resources below to set it up.

Set up MX records

Setting up the MX record is critical - you should refer to your email provider's official guide for the latest information.

• Google workspace: link
• Office 365: link
• Zoho: link

Set up SPF

• Google/GSuite SPF guide: link
• Office 365 SPF guide: link
• Zoho SPF guide: link

You can check if your SPF is set up properly using this tool.

Set up DKIM

Again, assuming you are using Google Workspace you can follow this guide to set up DKIM.

• Google/GSuite DKIM guide: link
• Office 365 DKIM guide: link
• Zoho DKIM guide: link

PS: Make sure to use your service provider recommended DKIM Selector:​Zoho - "zoho"Google/Gsuite - "google"Office 365 - "microsoft"Other service providers - "default"​

You can check if your DKIM is set up properly using this tool.

Set up DMARC

Important: Configure DKIM and SPF before configuring DMARC. DKIM and SPF should be authenticating messages for at least 48 hours before turning on DMARC.

Assuming you are using Google Workspace you can follow this guide to set up DMARC.

You may also choose to use a third-party DMARC provider like that from Postmark [link].

You can check if your DMARC is set up properly using this tool.

Optional: Set up Forwarding

Also, you want to forward the new domains to your main domain. This can be done in the settings of your domain provider. If you are using GoDaddy, you can follow this guide.