My email goes to spam or is rejected: SPF, DKIM and DMARC

Does your email end up in the recipient's spam folder, or is it rejected? Then first check three DNS records for your domain: SPF, DKIM and DMARC. With these, the receiving server can verify that the email really comes from you.

• DKIM is on by default. If you manage your DNS elsewhere, you copy the key over yourself.
• SPF ends with -all.
• DMARC is set to at least p=quarantine, preferably p=reject.

DKIM: on by default

DKIM puts a digital signature on every email you send. On our webhosting, DKIM is on by default. If you use our nameservers, you don't need to do anything.

Do you manage your DNS elsewhere?

Is your domain's DNS with another party, for example your registrar or Cloudflare? Then that party doesn't know your DKIM key. You copy it over yourself:

1. Log in to DirectAdmin via the link in your welcome email, or go to my.planetnode.net, open your webhosting product and click the login button.
2. Go to DNS Management and choose your domain.
3. Find the TXT record with _domainkey in its name.
4. Copy the name and the full value of that record.
5. At your own DNS provider, create a TXT record with the same name and value.

Copy the SPF record over at the same time. Using Cloudflare? Then see I manage my DNS at Cloudflare: which records and SSL setting do I need?

SPF: end with -all

The SPF record is a TXT record on your domain that starts with v=spf1. It lists the servers that may send email on behalf of your domain. Make sure it ends with -all and not with ~all. With -all you state that other servers may not send email on your behalf.

DMARC: at least quarantine

DMARC tells the recipient what to do with email that fails the SPF or DKIM check. You create it as a TXT record named _dmarc:

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine

• p=quarantine: suspicious email goes to the spam folder. This is the minimum.
• p=reject: suspicious email is rejected. This is what we recommend.

You can start with quarantine and switch to reject once your email arrives properly.

Reverse DNS isn't possible on webhosting

On webhosting you share the server's IP address with other customers. That's why you can't set your own reverse DNS.

A good reputation takes time

Mail providers build up a reputation for your domain. Is your domain new, or have you only just started sending email from it? Then it can take a while before your email arrives properly, even when all records are correct.

Sending limit: 500 emails per day

You can send 500 emails per day per hosting package, across all mailboxes in that package. If you go over that, sending stops until the next day.

Need help?

Does your email still not arrive after these steps? Open a ticket with your domain name and, if you have it, the error message you got back.