Is my email going to spam?
Check if your domain has SPF, DKIM, and DMARC set up correctly to keep email out of the spam folder.
Why do emails go to spam?
Email providers like Gmail and Outlook check three DNS-based records before deciding whether to deliver your email: SPF (which servers are allowed to send on your behalf), DKIM (a digital signature proving the email wasn't tampered with), and DMARC (what to do if SPF or DKIM fail).
Without all three records, your emails are more likely to be flagged as spam or rejected entirely — even if you're a legitimate sender. This is a common issue for small businesses that recently set up a custom domain for email.
Email authentication doesn't just protect you from spam filters — it also prevents other people from spoofing your domain and sending fake emails that appear to come from you. A DMARC policy of p=reject is the strongest setting and tells receiving mail servers to outright reject unauthenticated messages claiming to be from your domain.
Frequently Asked Questions
My SPF record is present but emails still go to spam — why?
SPF alone is not enough. Modern spam filters expect all three records (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) to be present and aligned. If DKIM is missing, many providers will downgrade your email's trustworthiness score even if SPF passes. Check your email provider's setup guide to add DKIM signing.
What does DMARC "p=none" mean?
A DMARC policy of p=none means monitoring mode — emails that fail authentication are still delivered, but reports are sent to you. It's a good starting point for understanding what's happening before switching to p=quarantine (send to spam) or p=reject (block entirely).
Why isn't DKIM detected for my domain?
DKIM records are published under a "selector" prefix specific to your email provider — for example, Google Workspace uses google._domainkey. This tool checks the most common selectors automatically. If your provider uses a custom selector, their setup documentation will tell you what it is.
How long does it take for new DNS records to take effect?
DNS changes typically propagate globally within 15–60 minutes, though TTL settings can extend this up to 48 hours in rare cases. After adding new SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records, you can use the DNS propagation checker to verify the records are live worldwide.