FAQ: Four Common Email Authentication Failure Scenarios
In my latest Valimail Ask Al Video, I walk through four specific email authentication failure scenarios, things that could trip you up when sending email to Microsoft recipients, especially now that they’ve “gotten on the bus,” having announced new Yahoogle-comparable bulk sender requirements in April.
Spoiler alert: Even if you think that you’ve got SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are all configured correctly, you still could run into rejections. And you’re not alone, as these all come from questions asked recently by email senders running into, and looking to troubleshoot, these exact issues.
Allow me to take a moment to summarize the four scenarios. (At the very least, for purposes of SEO. Is SEO still a thing? I hope so.)
Forwarding Breaks SPF. You’ve done everything right (meaning that SPF and DKIM are set up and passing) but you’re still getting rejections that say SPF = fail. It might be forwarded mail. If you’re a bulk sender, the new rules are not forgiving when it comes to SPF failures, even if the cause is forwarding outside your control.
DKIM Isn’t Aligned (And You Don’t Realize It). DMARC is failing even though both SPF and DKIM are passing? You might be signing with the wrong domain. Many platforms sign with their default domain unless you explicitly configure your own.
Intermittent Failures thanks to DNS issues. Sometimes your mail passes authentication. Other times, randomly, it doesn’t. Welcome to the wonderful world of DNS! I’ll explain what you can check, and what you probably can’t fix, and why that’s okay.
SPF Alignment vs. Failure, and why they’re Not the Same Thing. Your mail is getting delivered, but your DMARC reports show SPF alignment failures. Don’t panic! That doesn’t mean your mail is being rejected. I explain what SPF alignment is, and why it is not always necessary (DKIM alignment is your friend).
Find the video embedded above or over on Youtube. And be sure to drop me a line if you’ve got any additional questions.
In my latest Valimail Ask Al Video, I walk through four specific email authentication failure scenarios, things that could trip you up when sending email to Microsoft recipients, especially now that they’ve “gotten on the bus,” having announced new Yahoogle-comparable bulk sender requirements in April.
Spoiler alert: Even if you think that you’ve got SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are all configured correctly, you still could run into rejections. And you’re not alone, as these all come from questions asked recently by email senders running into, and looking to troubleshoot, these exact issues.
Allow me to take a moment to summarize the four scenarios. (At the very least, for purposes of SEO. Is SEO still a thing? I hope so.)
- Forwarding Breaks SPF. You’ve done everything right (meaning that SPF and DKIM are set up and passing) but you’re still getting rejections that say SPF = fail. It might be forwarded mail. If you’re a bulk sender, the new rules are not forgiving when it comes to SPF failures, even if the cause is forwarding outside your control.
- DKIM Isn’t Aligned (And You Don’t Realize It). DMARC is failing even though both SPF and DKIM are passing? You might be signing with the wrong domain. Many platforms sign with their default domain unless you explicitly configure your own.
- Intermittent Failures thanks to DNS issues. Sometimes your mail passes authentication. Other times, randomly, it doesn’t. Welcome to the wonderful world of DNS! I’ll explain what you can check, and what you probably can’t fix, and why that’s okay.
- SPF Alignment vs. Failure, and why they’re Not the Same Thing. Your mail is getting delivered, but your DMARC reports show SPF alignment failures. Don’t panic! That doesn’t mean your mail is being rejected. I explain what SPF alignment is, and why it is not always necessary (DKIM alignment is your friend).
Find the video embedded above or over on Youtube. And be sure to drop me a line if you’ve got any additional questions.Comments
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