What it is: SPF is an email authentication method designed to detect forging sender addresses during the delivery of the email. It works by allowing the domain owner to specify which mail servers are permitted to send email on behalf of their domain.
Why it's important: By setting up SPF records, you can help prevent spammers from sending emails that appear to be from your domain. This not only protects your domain's reputation but also reduces the chance of their emails being marked as spam by receivers.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
What it is: DKIM provides a way to validate a domain name identity that is associated with a message through cryptographic authentication. It allows the sender to attach a digital signature linked to their domain to each email message.
Why it's important: DKIM ensures the content of the emails remains untouched from the point it was sent until it is received. This helps in protecting against email spoofing and ensures that the emails you send are trusted by receiving email servers, improving deliverability.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)
What it is: DMARC is an email authentication, policy, and reporting protocol. It builds on the SPF and DKIM protocols to give email domain owners the ability to protect their domain from unauthorized use, commonly known as email spoofing.
Why it's important: DMARC allows domain owners to instruct email providers on how to handle unauthenticated mails (e.g., reject the email or quarantine it). It also provides a way for the email receiver to report back to the sender about messages that pass and/or fail DMARC evaluation. This gives your customers visibility into who is sending email on behalf of their domain and allows them to prevent abuse.
.2Enter your login credentials to access your Flourish account dashboard.
Step 2: Locate DNS Update Task
.1Once logged in, look for the task or notification labeled "Update Your DNS Records" or something similar. This task is designated for guiding you through the DNS update process.
.2Click on this task to view the detailed instructions and the DNS records you need to add.
Step 3: Review DNS Records
.1In the task details, you'll find a table listing the DNS records required for your domain. This includes:
.a3 DKIM records: These are unique to your domain and ensure that emails are properly authenticated.
.b1 SPF record: This record specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain.
.c1 DMARC record: This record tells receiving mail servers how to handle emails that don’t pass SPF or DKIM checks.
.2Carefully review each record. If you wish to customize your DMARC policy further (for example, to change the policy to quarantine or reject), please contact support at help@flourish.healthcare for guidance.
Step 4: Add the Records to Your DNS Settings
.1Log into the control panel of your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider. This is typically where you purchased your domain name or where you manage your website.
.2Navigate to the DNS management page. This page might be labeled as DNS Configuration, Name Server Management, Domain Management, or something similar.
.3You will need to add each record from the table provided in your Flourish task details. The process for adding each record can vary slightly depending on your DNS host, but generally, you will:
.aSelect the type of record to add, which will be txt for each record.
.bEnter the host or name (for the SPF record, leave the host name blank, or use the @ symbol if your host requires it).
.cPaste the value provided in your Flourish instructions into the appropriate field.
.dSave or add the record.
.4Repeat the process for each DNS record listed in your Flourish instructions.
Step 5: Verify the Records
.1After adding all the records, it's important to verify that they are correctly configured. You can use various online tools to check your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings.
.2It may take up to 48 hours for the DNS changes to propagate worldwide. If you experience issues or if the records do not seem to be working after this period, double-check the values and reach out to help@flourish.healthcare for assistance.
By following these steps, you'll enhance the security and reliability of your email communications, protecting both your domain's reputation and your recipients from potential threats.
SPF
As you transition to using LuxSci for outbound emailing, we would like to help you ensure that your sent email messages are considered legitimate by your recipients. This reduces the chance that your messages may be incorrectly classified as SPAM-like.
To declare that messages sent through LuxSci are to be considered legitimate emails from your domain, you will need to update the DNS records for each of the domains to be used as "From" addresses in your email messages. For each domain, you will need to:
Add the SPF record in green to your DNS records. If you already have an SPF record, you can modify it and insert only include:_netblocks1.luxsci.com into the existing record. See the example in the below.