How to Improve Email Domain Configuration

[PR] Manila, Philippines — Spiralytics continues to advocate for result-driving efforts and provide all-encompassing digital marketing services for its clients.

In a recent blog post titled The Easiest Way to Improve Email Deliverability, Spiralytics discusses its issues with Google Workspace spam detection filtering more emails than necessary. 

When the team noticed this, concern for their clients quickly grew. They started doing audits for all their clients, regardless of provided services. The results were alarming enough for them to continue the audits for all their clients. 

There are two ways that Spiralytics found to help improve email configuration: Email Domain Validation and Email Domain Authentication.

Email Domain Validation

“Email domain validation verifies an email address, whether real or fake. The process goes beyond a simple syntax check. It delves into checking a domain’s mail exchange (MX) record, ” according to Spiralytics.

Domain validation ensures emails are not flagged as spam. Servers get blocked and tagged by spam filters when they receive several messages from an unverified domain. This prevents messages from passing through.

Spirlaytics makes it easier to help anyone who wants to test for problems in their domain. In the article, they introduce the Check MX Google Admin Toolbox. Here are some of the points the tool checks.

  1. The domain server must have at least two NS servers.
  2. The naked domain should be an A record and not CNAME.
  3. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) must allow Google servers to send mail on behalf of the domain used.
  4. MX lookup must fit in one UDP response packet.

Troubleshooting Email Domain Verification

It is inevitable for problems to arise in this process, especially for newbies or people without proper experience. Luckily, if a problem pops up, you can troubleshoot your mail exchange records. Here are a few ways to quickly fix common issues.

  • Check the MX records applied to your primary domain.
  1. Go on your administrator account and open the Google Admin console
  2. Find for GMail. You can do this by going to to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail
  3. Select and click “Setup”
  4. On the left, choose your primary domain.
  5. Under MX Records, check the records of your primary domain. Make sure to double-check Google’s host-specific instructions to be guided properly.
  6. Try adding a period at the end of your MX records if you are having problems with sending or receiving emails (example: aspmx.l.google.com).
  • Check your MX records using G Suite Toolbox Dig.
  1. Access Google’s MX lookup tool.
  2. Enter your domain name without the www. on the Name bo.
  3. Select and click MX to see your domain’s MX record report.
  4. Make sure for the correct and operational records. If not, follow Google’s host-specific instructions properly.
  • Experiment placement of @ sign. – Depending on your domain, such sign may be required in different information like the name, host, or alias column in your domain name system (DNS); otherwise, it may be best left blank as well.

Remember, you will have to wait at least 72 hours for the changes to be applied. As such, it is important to do all the necessary fixes together to see simultaneous implementations of the best application.

Email Domain Authentication

Email authentication prevents phishing scams, spoofing, and other instances where an email may look legitimate but is actually from a malicious third party. SPF, DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication (DMARC) are a few examples of email authentication systems.

Users can check their domain name system (DNS) record using MX Toolbox’s SuperTool. Possible solutions are available for any issues.

SPF

  • Verify the SPF record.
  • Check that emails pass SPF authentication.
  • Ensure the SPF record includes all email senders.
  • Review email sending practices.

DKIM

  • Verify that the DKIM is set up correctly.
  • Confirm that messages pass the authentication.
  • Check the email forwarding.
  • Get in touch with an admin for servers that reject DKIM-authenticated messages.
  • Inspect the domain provider’s TXT record character limits.
  • Review email sending practices.

DMARC

  • Verify that messages pass authentication.
  • Review the email sending practices.
  • Get more information using the Email Log Search.

Reaching Goals

For many clients, it can be frustrating to miss the chance to reach an audience, even with engaging content. Any email marketing Philippines-based specialists believe that the right email delivery system must be tied with the right campaign for the best results. Fortunately, they have found a way to configure email domains properly and avoid spoofing and phishing scams.

Spiralytics is an all-around digital marketing company that provides expert services on email marketing services from content, automation, and deliverability. 

About Spiralytics, Inc.

Spiralytics, Inc. is a rapidly growing digital marketing company in the Philippines and in the UK. The team has a wealth of experience using a data analytics and performance-based approach to digital marketing to help global brands and some of the biggest companies in the Philippines achieve some pretty spectacular results—like Zalora’s successful launch.

They work with companies of all shapes and sizes, from startups to $1B+ enterprises, in almost all industries. Any company that uses their website or app to drive new business hires Spiralytics to help accelerate their growth.