How to authenticate my domain

How to authenticate my domain

Domain Authentication is a mechanism that verifies the email from the point of its origin by validating the email sender. It checks emails to rule out any possibility of spamming or spoofing thereby protecting the sender's good reputation. Authenticating your domain allows for smooth transfer of emails through spam filters and into your recipient's inbox.

Domain authentication methods

SPF

This method allows you to specify the mail servers (IP addresses) which can send emails on your behalf. This can be done by publishing the TXT record in your domain's DNS settings. Learn More

DKIM

This is a more advanced method used widely by email service providers. It allows the senders to authenticate their campaigns by including a digital signature in the email header. This can be done by publishing the TXT record in your domain's DNS settings. Learn More

Domain Authentication Steps

Authenticating your domain in Zoho Campaigns is a simple four step process:
  1. Add a sender domain to your Zoho Campaigns account.
  2. To authenticate your domain, Copy SPF and DKIM record values from Zoho Campaigns.
  3. Go to your domain hosting website's Settings page to Setup SPF and DKIM records for your domain. Paste the copied record values and Publish them to the DNS servers.
  4. After your records are published, go to your Zoho Campaigns account and Verify your domain.

           Domain Authentication Steps

Step 1

Add a sender domain
  1. From the navigation toolbar, choose Settings.
  2. Select Manage Senders under Deliverability.                
  3. Click Add Sender button on the top-right corner of the screen.
  4. You can enter up to 5 sender email addresses if you want.
  5. Click Send Verification Email button to receive verification emails in the email address you have provided. 
  6. To verify your email addresses, login to your email client and open the verification email sent by Zoho Campaigns.
  7. Click the Verify your email address button in the email to complete the verification process.
  8. Once verified, you will find your sender address (Example: patricia.b@zylker.com) listed under Sender Address tab and the domain (zylker.com) listed under Domain Authentication tab.

Note: If you have not received the verification email, please check all the folders / filters in your email client. If you still don't find them, please contact support@zohocampaigns.com.

Step 2

Copy SPF and DKIM record values from Zoho Campaigns
  1. From the navigation toolbar, choose Settings.
  2. Select Domain Authentication under Deliverability. 

  3. Click Setup on the extreme right of the row.
  4. In the Setup page, click Copy button next to the text records.

Step 3

Setup SPF and DKIM records for your domain
  1. Go to your domain hosting website from where you have purchased your domain (GoDaddy.com, Cloudflare, BlueHost,etc). To learn how to setup TXT records for your domain, click here.
  2. Paste the TXT record values copied from your Zoho Campaigns account in your domain's DNS settings. Click Publish.
  3. If the SPF record already exists in your domain's DNS settings, please add include:zcsend.net to the record and click Publish.
Note: DNS setup usually updates within 24-48 hours. Your sender domain will be verified only after the update is complete.

Step 4

Verify your domain

After the SPF and DKIM records for your domain have been published on the DNS servers, follow the steps given below to verify your domain:

  1. From the navigation toolbar, choose Settings and select Domain Authentication.
  2. Click Setup button on the far right corner of your domain.
  3. Click Verify Domain.
  4. If the records are not published in the DNS, you can check the reason and how to fix it in the same screen. 

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