Complete DNS Setup Guide for Email Marketing: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, BIMI & MTA-STS

Complete DNS Setup Guide for Email Marketing

Your DNS configuration is the foundation of email deliverability. Misconfigured records silently push emails to spam. This guide covers every record you need.

SPF Record Configuration

SPF tells receiving servers which IPs are authorized to send email for your domain. A misconfigured SPF record is the number one reason legitimate emails hit spam.

DKIM Configuration

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to every email. Receivers verify the signature against a public key in your DNS. Broken DKIM means failed DMARC alignment.

DMARC Setup and Enforcement

DMARC ties SPF and DKIM together with a policy. Start with p=none to monitor, then gradually enforce.

BIMI: Brand Indicators for Message Identification

BIMI displays your brand logo next to emails in supported clients (Gmail, Apple Mail). Requires DMARC at p=quarantine or p=reject, plus a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC).

MTA-STS: Enforcing TLS

MTA-STS prevents downgrade attacks by requiring TLS for mail delivery. Publish a policy at .well-known/mta-sts.txt and add a _mta-sts DNS record.

Reverse DNS (PTR Records)

Ensure your sending IPs have matching PTR records. ISPs check that the reverse DNS matches the sending domain. Missing PTR records are a red flag.

Domain Health Monitoring

DNS configuration is not set-and-forget. Records can break when services change IPs, when you add new senders, or when TXT records conflict.