Question 1

What are SPF, DKIM and DMARC?

Accepted Answer

Think of them as a guest list, a wax seal and a bouncer. SPF is the guest list — which servers are allowed to send mail for your domain. DKIM is the wax seal — your server signs each message with a private key, and receivers check the signature against the public key in your DNS, proving the mail really came from you and wasn't altered. DMARC is the bouncer's orders — what to do with mail that fails the checks: watch it, flag it, or reject it.

Question 2

My emails land in the inbox — why does signing matter?

Accepted Answer

Email works because receivers are lenient, not certain — unsigned mail gets accepted by default. Signing is the proof that matters the moment anything looks suspicious (a link, an attachment, a burst of sends): signed mail survives scrutiny, unsigned mail goes to spam. Three concrete reasons: 1) Forwarding breaks SPF but DKIM survives — when a client forwards your invoice to their accountant, the message no longer comes from your listed servers, so SPF often fails, while the DKIM signature travels with the content. With DMARC at p=reject, real mail that fails authentication gets rejected, not spammed — DKIM is what keeps forwarded mail alive. 2) Receivers are making it mandatory — since 2024, Yahoo and Google require working SPF/DKIM/DMARC for bulk senders, and the bar rises every year. 3) It keeps your anti-spoofing airtight — your DMARC policy blocks impersonators because your real mail passes authentication and theirs doesn't; signing guarantees your real mail always clears the bar. Think of it as insurance you can't buy after you need it.

Question 3

Does a pass guarantee inbox delivery?

Accepted Answer

No. We check configuration health, not inbox placement — no tool can guarantee delivery.

Question 4

Can you check DKIM?

Accepted Answer

Only where a selector is available to test. We never claim DKIM is valid without testing it.

Question 5

Do I need to change anything?

Accepted Answer

No — the scan is read-only. We tell you what to change; you decide.

Business Email Health Checker