Enable SMTP Authentication on cpanel

     How do I add Email Authentication (DKIM / SPF / Text records)

To combat spam, or unwanted email, most ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and email providers (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) employ sophisticated spam filters that are regularly updated.  Whilst this is a good thing, it can also mean authentic emails can incorrectly get marked as spam.

Email Authentication is the effort to equip outgoing messages of the email transport system with enough verifiable information, so that recipients can recognize the nature of each incoming message automatically. 

DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) lets an organization take responsibility for a message that is in transit.  The organization is a handler of the message, either as its originator or as an intermediary. Their reputation is the basis for evaluating whether to trust the message for further handling, such as delivery. Technically DKIM provides a method for validating a domain name identity that is associated with a message through cryptographic authentication.
Further reading: http://www.dkim.org/

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an open standard specifying a technical method to prevent sender address forgery. More precisely, SPF protects the envelope sender address, which is used for the delivery of messages.
Further reading: http://www.openspf.org/


Whilst no system is foolproof, agreed standards do exist and in most circumstances, there is no need to change the default settings on the Purple Dog server. You are advised to contact us first unless you are certain of what you are doing.
Records can be modified by logging in to you hosting account cpanel (e.g. www.example.com/cpanel) and navigating to email > email authentication.

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Set up DKIM

DKIM helps verify the sender and integrity of a message. It allows an email system to prove that a message was not altered during transit (meaning it is not forged), and that the message came from the specified domain.

• To use DKIM, click Enable.
• To disable DKIM, click Disable.

Note: If a warning is displayed claiming cPanel is unable to verify that the server is an authoritative nameserver for the specified domain name and either of the following scenarios is true, then please ignore it.

• The server has been changed to be the authoritative DNS server for the domain name, but the change has not yet propagated.
• The server does not view itself as the authoritative DNS server, but outside servers do view it as authoritative.

Set up SPF

This function attempts to prevent spammers from sending email while forging your domain’s name as the sender (spoofing). This authentication function works by adding IP addresses to a list, specifying computers that are authorized to send mail from your domain(s). It verifies that messages sent from your domain(s) are coming from the listed server, reducing the amount of backscatter you receive.

• To use SPF, click Enable.
• To disable SPF, click Disable.

Note: If a warning is displayed claiming cPanel is unable to verify that the server is an authoritative nameserver for the specified domain name and either of the following scenarios is true, then please ignore it.

• The server has been changed to be the authoritative DNS server for the domain name, but the change has not yet propagated.
• The server does not view itself as the authoritative DNS server, but outside servers do view it as authoritative.

Advanced Settings

This section includes a number of ways to configure SPF authentication. The available options are:

• Additional Hosts that send mail for your domains (A): The additional hosts specified here are automatically approved to send mail from your domain(s). You may add and remove hosts using the appropriate buttons.
• Additional MX servers for your domains (MX): MX entries specified here are able to send mail from your domain(s).
• Additional Ip blocks for your domains (IP4): IP addresses approved to send mail from your domain(s). Your server's main IP address is automatically included in this list. If you add IP addresses, you must use CIDR notation. (Example: 192.168.0.1/32)
• Include List (INCLUDE): This feature allows you to specify additional hosts to include in your SPF settings. This is useful when sending mail with another service.
• All Entry (ALL): If you select this option, the system will exclude domains not included in the lists defined above.
• Overwrite Existing Entries: If you select this option, the system will overwrite existing SPF entries.