Email Deliverability

SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and 7 more DNS authentication checks.

Email deliverability checks verify that your domain is properly configured to send email. Incorrect DNS records mean your emails land in spam — or get rejected entirely.

#Speed

Takes 2-5 seconds. All checks run inline (no background worker needed). Uses DNS lookups via dnspython.

#What It Checks (10 checks)

CheckWeightWhat It Does
DMARC25 ptsDomain-based Message Authentication — tells receivers what to do with unauthenticated mail
SPF20 ptsSender Policy Framework — lists authorized mail servers
MX15 ptsMail exchange records — are they valid and reachable?
DKIM15 ptsDomainKeys Identified Mail — cryptographic signature on emails
MTA-STS10 ptsMail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security — enforces TLS
TLS-RPT5 ptsTLS reporting — get reports about TLS failures
DNSSEC5 ptsDNS Security Extensions — protects DNS from tampering
BIMI5 ptsBrand Indicators for Message Identification — logo in inbox
Reverse DNS5 ptsPTR record — mail server IP resolves back to your domain
DANE5 ptsDNS-based Authentication of Named Entities — TLS certificate in DNS

#Scoring

Each check contributes points based on importance. The total score is weighted out of 110, then displayed as a percentage. DMARC is the most important — without it, SPF and DKIM are significantly less effective.

#API Usage

Run deliverability check
POST /api/v1/projects/{project_id}/deliverability
Authorization: Bearer pk_...

{
  "domain": "example.com"
}

#Common Issues

#No DMARC record

Most common issue. Start with a basic DMARC record:

Basic DMARC record
_dmarc.example.com  TXT  "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"

Start with p=none to monitor, then move to p=quarantine or p=reject once you're confident legitimate mail passes.

#SPF too many lookups

SPF has a 10-lookup limit. If you use many services (Google, Mailchimp, SendGrid, etc.), you may exceed it. Use include: chains carefully.

Tip. DMARC + SPF + DKIM together provide the strongest email authentication. Don't rely on just one.