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Authentication Score
What These Three Records Do
| Record | What it does | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| SPF | Lists which mail servers are allowed to send email for your domain | TXT record on the domain itself |
| DKIM | Adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing mail, proving it wasn't altered in transit | TXT record at selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com |
| DMARC | Tells receiving servers what to do when SPF/DKIM checks fail, and where to send reports | TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com |
Why This Matters for Deliverability
Mail providers like Gmail and Outlook use these records to decide whether an email is likely to be legitimate. A domain missing all three looks the same to a spam filter as one being actively spoofed by a scammer — both get treated with suspicion. Setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC correctly is one of the most effective things you can do to keep your email out of the spam folder.