Authenticate Emails and Protect Your Domain

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Boost Deliverability and Prevent Spoofing With a Verified DKIM Record

A missing or invalid DKIM record leaves your domain open to spoofing and phishing attacks. Without DKIM, inbox providers can’t verify that your emails are authentic, which hurts deliverability and trust.

Smartlead’s DKIM Record Checker instantly validates your DNS TXT record, ensuring your domain is securely signing outgoing messages.

SPF Record Generator

Ensure you send emails only through your authorized servers and reduce spoofing risks while improving deliverability.

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DKIM Record generator

Check if DKIM records are set up correctly for your domain. Ensure your email authentication policies protect your domain.

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How to Verify Your DKIM Records in 3 Simple Steps

Step 1

Enter Your Domain

Simply type in your domain name in the provided field.

Step 2

Enter Your DKIM Selector

If you know your DKIM selector (like default or Google), enter it in the second field. If you're unsure, leave it blank — the tool will attempt a standard lookup.

Step 3

Click "Look Up"

Hit the "Look Up" button to check your DKIM records and see the results instantly.

What is DKIM and Why Does It Matter?

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an essential email authentication method that uses a cryptographic signature to verify that an email is sent from an authorized source and hasn’t been altered in transit.

When your domain’s DKIM record is correctly set up, it prevents spoofing and protects your emails from phishing attacks, ensuring that inbox providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook trust your emails.

Without DKIM, your emails are more likely to be flagged as spam, resulting in poor deliverability and a damaged sender reputation.

Why DKIM Matters?

Prevent Email Spoofing: Ensure only authorized sources can send emails from your domain.
Boost Deliverability: DKIM helps inbox providers trust your emails, improving the chances they land in the inbox.
Protect Your Brand: Guard your domain against impersonation and safeguard your reputation.

Real-World Scenarios Where DKIM Validation is Essential

1. Protect Sensitive Data in Customer Communications

When sending sensitive customer information, like account details, invoices, or passwords, emails must be authenticated. DKIM validation ensures that only authorized senders can communicate on behalf of your domain, preventing email spoofing and safeguarding sensitive data.

2. Strengthen Email Security for Remote Teams

As remote work becomes more common, email security is more important than ever. Validating DKIM records ensures that all emails from your team, whether internal or client-facing, are properly authenticated, reducing the risk of malicious attacks or impersonation.

3. Build Trust with Clients and Partners

A validated DKIM record sends a message of trust to your clients and partners. It assures them that emails from your domain are authentic, which is vital for maintaining strong business relationships. It’s a simple but powerful way to demonstrate your commitment to security and professionalism.

4. Ensure Compliance with Industry Regulations

In regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and legal services, email security is more than just a best practice — it’s a compliance requirement. DKIM validation helps your business meet regulatory standards, ensuring that email communications are safe, verifiable, and legally compliant.

5. Avoid Being Flagged by Spam Filters

Without DKIM, your emails may be flagged by spam filters, preventing them from reaching their intended recipients. By regularly validating DKIM records, you reduce the chances of your emails being mistakenly marked as spam, improving deliverability and protecting your domain’s reputation.

6. Safeguard Your Brand from Phishing Attacks

Phishing scams often use email spoofing to trick recipients into believing they’re receiving legitimate communications. A properly configured DKIM record verifies that emails sent from your domain are trustworthy, protecting your brand’s reputation and preventing attackers from exploiting your name.

What Our Customers Say

I can upload hundreds of email accounts, send thousands of cold emails per day, and still have an organized master inbox. This is unseen with any other tool on the market today. I looked...

Mykyta

CEO, Yell Cut

4.5

I've personally built a sales engagement platform similar to Smartlead, and I am genuinely blown away by the scalability, functionality and more. We're a B2B Lead Gen Agency, and we primarily use cold email to generate leads for our clients. We're on track to double our best month in terms of client results.

Nick A.

Founder, Leadbird.io

4.5

Smartlead is an innovative cold email platform that helps me reach out to potential clients. There are easy-to-use templates, powerful automation tools, and intuitive analytics for email warming and campaign analytics. It provides me with everything I need to maximize my cold email campaigns.

Reggie B.

Sales Director - Financial Institution Solutions Saggezza, Inc.

4.5

Smartlead is an absolute game-changer! With its exceptional features and support from the Smartlead team, I've experienced remarkable success. The customizable platform and cost-effective pricing have revolutionized our cold emailing game. I would rate it 10 out of 10 for satisfaction. A must-have tool for any B2B agency!

Romain Osman

Co-Founder, Five Element

4.5

Innovative, reliable, and Suitable For Technical and Non-Technical Users. SmartLead's ability to help me land in the primary inbox and automate the laborious parts of my workflow is brilliant. The customer support is incredibly good, I've had some great feedback on my cold email campaigns.

Ryane Tully

Co-founder, Pitchlane

4.5

Hands down the best cold email software. Smartlead is amazing, this is the best tool if you want to cold email at scale and land in the inbox. The team is super responsive with great support. While there is a learning curve to cold email, they really built a great foundation to make it as simple as possible. I am sending over 2k emails a day!!! absolute game changer for my business.

Eden Einav

Account Executive, B.I.G. Charity Law Group Professional Corporation

4.5

Intuitive. Game-Changing. POWERFUL. Analytics, spintax, A/B testing, quick personalization. This is a game changer if you send cold email campaign. Grateful to this team for building a product that has changed our day to day. 🚀

David Borman

Senior Account Executive, Key Outreach

4.5

The best outbound email marketing software. Customer support - they are so responsive and helpful Features - you can add multiple email domains to the same account.

Bojan Najdov

Founder, Lambda Group

4.5

Smartlead has been extremely helpful with seamlessly onboarding clients, warming up their accounts, and prepping campaigns to send at high volumes while maintaining high deliverability. There are multiple features that allow me to track performance over time and understand when it is time for me to make adjustments, and Vaibhav is constantly making improvements/upgrades to the platform which gives me all the more faith in the future of this great tool.

Dino Knezovic

Founder, Office Optim

4.5

Smartlead is absolutely amazing! The software is easy to understand I am not a techie but directly understand everything and if you really have a question the team always helps instantly. Additionally I love all the features. Like I said for me as a lead generation agency the software gives me everything I need and much more.

Johannes Fessler

CEO, Rock Solid Lead Generation

4.5

Terrific platform for agencies. The platform is intuitive and makes it easy to manage multiple client accounts. I love the email warmup feature, the sub-accounts, and the branded client portal. Deliverability and analytics are solid. Great customer support.

Kris Sharma

Founder, Webinar Dude

4.5

Total game changer for cold outreach. Packed with features: Spintax, Rotating Inboxes, AI Email Categorization, Subsequences, Tagging, and Whitelabeling. Their team is SUPER responsive and implements changes quickly, and it is the most reliable cold email tool I've ever used.

Matthew Lucero

Founder, Anevo Marketing

4.5

Best Cold Email Marketing Tool for individuals as well as agencies. Smartlead has simplified email marketing to another infinity. With their domain rotation, email warmups and unified inbox, this is an absolute gamechanger in the industry right now. With such an affordable pricepoint, they really offer you the best bang for the buck and superseeds any email automation tool in the market like salesloft/outreach or reply. Vaibhav is more than just an amazing guy, who is super helpful and approachable. This tool would guarenteed be the next best thing in the market and the best part is they never stop innovating. Complete no brainer to opt for this against any other tool that you are using for email outreach at the current moment. Trust me you wouldn't be disappointed. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Abhishek Basu

Account Executive, Leadzilla

4.5

Best cold email tool in the game. Most user friendly cold email tool I've used to date. Super easy to set up, love the bulk upload feature to add multiple domains at once and support is impeccable. They respond so fast it's unreal. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Serdar Tufan

Owner, FunnelVision

4.5

I just ended my 2 year search for the right cold emailing platform with Smartlead. A stand alone tool for cold emailing unlike anything else in the market. And it looks like they're only getting started. Now I can finally train my VAs on just one platform instead of bouncing between several like they used to for different things.

Cliff Coelho

Owner, Storydriven.video

4.5

Best cold outbound email software out there. Everything, is fast, reliable, scalable, you can also white-label, amazing analytics and never breaks like other similar competitors. Never once I went in spam in the last 4 months of using it.

Arnold Koci

CEO, Acquisizioneclienti.it

4.5

Romain Osman

Co-Founder, Five Element

4.5

Our campaigns weren't just about reaching out, but reaching out right, and Smartlead helped us achieve this. It has added immense value to our business by prioritizing email deliverability and customer needs. I would rate it a 9 out of 10

Lucas Maliczak

Outbound Lead & Partner, Peakora

4.5

Smartlead is simply amazing. They constantly improve their product and bring new features that make the cold email software even more complete. If you're a big automation enthusiast like me, there are no other cold email tools on the market that allow you to 100% automate your business as Smartlead does.

René-Karl Lambert

Founder, WindGrowth

4.5

David Borman

Senior Account Executive, Key Outreach

4.5

The best outbound email marketing software. Customer support - they are so responsive and helpful Features - you can add multiple email domains to the same account.

Bojan Najdov

Founder, Lambda Group

4.5

Dino Knezovic

Founder, Office Optim

4.5

Johannes Fessler

CEO, Rock Solid Lead Generation

4.5

Kris Sharma

Founder, Webinar Dude

4.5

Matthew Lucero

Founder, Anevo Marketing

4.5

Abhishek Basu

Account Executive, Leadzilla

4.5

Serdar Tufan

Owner, FunnelVision

4.5

Cliff Coelho

Owner, Storydriven.video

4.5

Arnold Koci

CEO, Acquisizioneclienti.it

4.5

Romain Osman

Co-Founder, Five Element

4.5

Lucas Maliczak

Outbound Lead & Partner, Peakora

4.5

René-Karl Lambert

Founder, WindGrowth

4.5

Matthew Lucero

Founder, Anevo Marketing

4.5

Abhishek Basu

Account Executive, Leadzilla

4.5

Serdar Tufan

Owner, FunnelVision

4.5

Cliff Coelho

Owner, Storydriven.video

4.5

Arnold Koci

CEO, Acquisizioneclienti.it

4.5

Romain Osman

Co-Founder, Five Element

4.5

Lucas Maliczak

Outbound Lead & Partner, Peakora

4.5

René-Karl Lambert

Founder, WindGrowth

4.5

Frequently Asked Questions

Still Have Questions ?

How Does A DKIM Record Check Differ From An SPF Record Check?

SPF checks authorized email senders based on IP addresses. DKIM verifies the email content hasn't been tampered with using digital signatures.

Do I Need Both SPF And DKIM For Email Security?

While each offers distinct benefits, using both SPF and DKIM provides a more robust email authentication system.

Is A DKIM Record Difficult To Set Up?

The technical setup might require some expertise. However, many email service providers offer user-friendly interfaces or instructions for configuring DKIM records.

I use a DKIM Record. Why am I Still Getting Emails About Failed DKIM Checks?

There could be a few reasons for this:

Incorrect Configuration: Double-check your DKIM record for any typos or errors in syntax.
Propagation Delay: Changes to DNS can take some time to propagate across the Internet. Be patient after making edits to your DKIM record.
Third-Party Sending Services: If you use a third-party service to send emails on your behalf, ensure their configuration aligns with your DKIM record.

If you're still facing issues after addressing these potential causes, consider getting in touch with your email service or hosting provider.

What Are The Benefits Of Using DKIM?

DKIM enhances email security by verifying the authenticity of the sender and ensuring email integrity. It helps protect against phishing and spoofing attacks, improves deliverability, and safeguards your domain's reputation.

Where Do I Find My DKIM Public Key?

Your DKIM public key is stored in a DKIM record published in your domain's DNS settings. Look for a TXT record named <selector>._domainkey.yourdomain.com.

How Do I Fix A Failed DKIM Record?

Address failed DKIM records by reviewing DNS entries for errors or mismatches in DKIM selectors or keys. Correct any discrepancies and update the DKIM record accordingly to ensure proper email authentication.

Do I Need A Separate DKIM Record For Each Subdomain?

Yes, it's recommended to have separate DKIM records for each subdomain. This practice maintains email security and allows distinct email sources within your domain to be authenticated individually.

Can I Use Smartlead DKIM Record Lookup Tool To Monitor My DKIM Health Over Time?

Yes, Smartlead’s DKIM record lookup tool can track DKIM configuration changes and verify DKIM records regularly. This helps ensure ongoing email authentication integrity and identifies any issues promptly.

What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make When Setting Up DKIM?

Common mistakes include incorrect DKIM record formatting, mismatched selectors or keys, incomplete DNS entries, and failing to update records after key rotation. Careful setup and regular monitoring mitigate these issues.

How To Lookup DKIM Records Manually?

Manually look up DKIM records by accessing your domain’s DNS settings through your DNS provider or hosting platform. Search for TXT records named <selector>._domainkey.yourdomain.com.

How To Check The DKIM Record In Your DNS?

Check your DKIM record by querying your domain’s DNS for a TXT record named <selector>._domainkey.yourdomain.com. Ensure it contains the correct DKIM public key and other necessary details.

How Many DKIM Records Can I Have?

There is no strict limit to the number of DKIM records you can have, but each should correspond to a unique selector and key pair. Use separate DKIM records for different email sources or subdomains within your organization for optimal security and authentication.

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What is a DKIM Record Lookup Tool?

Smartlead’s DKIM record checker or lookup tool is a free online service that helps you verify the validity and configuration of a DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) record. Think of it like an inspector for your email security system.
‍
Once you enter a DKIM Record in the tool, it will retrieve all the details pertaining to the record as published in its domain’s DNS. The tool then analyzes the record for errors or syntax mistakes that might prevent it from working correctly.
‍
You will get clear feedback on whether the DKIM record is set up properly and can effectively authenticate emails sent from that domain.

What is a DKIM Record?

A DKIM record, structured as a DNS TXT entry, holds the public key necessary for a receiving mail server to authenticate a message's signature. It encompasses essential details such as name, version, key type, and the actual public key. Typically, this record is provided by the email service provider responsible for sending your emails.

How to Read a DKIM Check Report?

DKIM records follow a specific format. Let's take an example:
‍
Name: selector1._domainkey.example.com
This is the specific identifier for the DKIM record. The _domainkey part is standard, and selector1 typically refers to a specific email source within example.com.

‍Type: TXT
Indicates the type of DNS record, specifically a text record.

‍Content: v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQDd7VxF6wIeE2jWmbSbHLG58mgU3RQo/...
It contains the DKIM public key information, a long string generated during DKIM setup.

‍TTL (Time To Live): 3600
It specifies how long other DNS servers can cache this record before checking for updates, typically in seconds (1 hour in this example).

‍Explanation of the terms:

Name: Identifies the DKIM record location using a specific selector for email sources within the domain.
Type: Denotes the record as a text entry in DNS.
‍Content: Holds the DKIM public key, crucial for verifying email authenticity.
‍TTL: Defines how long DNS servers should retain this record before refreshing.

How Does DKIM Work?

Here's how it works:
‍
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) works by using cryptographic keys to verify the authenticity and integrity of emails sent from a domain. Here’s a simplified explanation of how DKIM works:

‍Key Generation: The domain owner generates a pair of cryptographic keys: a private key and a corresponding public key. The private key is kept securely by the domain owner, while the public key is published in the domain’s DNS as a DKIM record.

‍Signing Process: When an email is sent from the domain, the sending server uses the private key to create a unique cryptographic signature (DKIM-Signature header) based on the content of the email, including the header fields.

‍DNS Lookup: The receiving email server performs a DNS lookup to retrieve the public key associated with the sender’s domain from the DKIM record (e.g., selector._domainkey.example.com).
‍
‍Signature Verification: Using the public key obtained from DNS, the receiving server decrypts the DKIM-Signature header to obtain a hash value. It then recalculates a hash of the email content it received. If the two hash values match, it confirms that the email was sent by the claimed sender and that the email content has not been altered since it was signed.

‍Handling Verification Results: If the signature verification succeeds, it indicates that the email is legitimate and has not been tampered with during transit. If the verification fails (i.e., the hash values do not match), it suggests possible tampering or that the email did not originate from the claimed sender, which may lead to the email being flagged as suspicious or rejected.

DKIM helps ensure emails haven't been modified after they are sent. By preventing fraudulent emails from appearing to come from your domain, DKIM safeguards your sender's reputation and improves email deliverability.
‍

What is a DKIM Selector and How Can I Find Mine?

A DKIM selector is a subdomain prefix used in DKIM records to specify different keys for signing emails. It allows organisation to manage multiple DKIM keys for different purposes or sources within their domain. Here’s how it works and how you can find yours:

‍Purpose: A DKIM selector helps identify which public key a receiving mail server should use to verify the signature of an incoming email. This is crucial for domains that send emails from different sources or services.

‍Format: Typically, DKIM selectors are structured as <selector>._domainkey.<yourdomain> in DNS records. For example, selector1._domainkey.example.com.

‍Usage: Each selector is associated with a specific DKIM key pair (public and private keys). When you send an email, the private key corresponding to the selector signs the email, and the recipient server verifies it using the public key retrieved from the DKIM record.

To find the DKIM selector for your domain:

‍Check DNS Records: You need access to your domain's DNS settings. Look for TXT records with names following the pattern <selector>._domainkey.<yourdomain>.

‍DNS Management Interface: Use your domain registrar or hosting provider's DNS management interface to view existing records. Look for entries starting with <selector>._domainkey.

‍DKIM Setup Documentation: If you're unsure where to find it, consult the documentation provided by your email service provider or IT department. They typically include instructions on where to locate your DKIM selector and how to set up DKIM records.

DKIM Test Results And Their Meaning

Record

Type

Value

Time to live (TTL)

WWW

CNAME

abc.com

3600

Understanding DKIM test results is crucial for ensuring proper email authentication and security. Here’s a breakdown of common DKIM test results and their meanings:
‍
‍Valid DKIM Record
- Result: The DKIM validation tool successfully retrieves a DKIM record from the domain’s DNS.
- Explanation: This signifies proper DKIM configuration. The tool has accessed the necessary public key for DKIM signature verification, ensuring emails from this domain can be authenticated, thereby enhancing email security and credibility.

‍Invalid DKIM Record
- Result: The DKIM checker tool finds a DKIM record in the DNS, but it detects issues with the record’s format or completeness.
- Explanation: An invalid DKIM record may lead to verification failures due to problems such as incomplete or incorrectly formatted DNS entries or missing key information. Prompt correction is vital to ensuring DKIM functions correctly.

‍No DKIM Record Found
- Result: The DKIM test tool cannot locate any DKIM records in the domain’s DNS.
- Explanation: This indicates DKIM has not been implemented for email authentication. While not necessarily problematic, the absence of a DKIM record prevents DKIM signature verification for emails from this domain, potentially impacting email security and trustworthiness.
‍
‍DKIM Selector Not Found
- Result: The DKIM tester tool finds a DKIM record in the DNS, but the specified selector provided in the query is not found within the record.
- Explanation: The DKIM selector specified should match the one used in the DKIM-Signature header of the email. A mismatch can lead to DKIM signature verification failures. This result suggests a configuration issue where selectors in the DKIM signature and DNS record don’t align.
‍
‍DKIM Key Mismatch
- Result: The DKIM checker tool retrieves a DKIM record with the correct selector, but the public key within the record doesn’t match the key specified in the DKIM signature header of the email message.
- Explanation: This indicates a mismatch between the public key used to sign the email and the one published in the DKIM record. It could result from a configuration error or potential malicious activity, such as a man-in-the-middle attack. Resolving this issue is critical for ensuring email authenticity and security.
‍
‍Incomplete Information
- Result: The DKIM verification tool retrieves a DKIM record from the DNS, but the record is missing essential information, such as the public key.
- Explanation: Incomplete DKIM records can lead to DKIM signature verification failures. The domain owner should update the DNS record with the necessary information to ensure proper email authentication and avoid potential issues with email delivery and security.
‍

How to Troubleshoot Common DKIM Errors?

Valid DKIM Record
‍Description: A valid DKIM record indicates successful retrieval of the DKIM record from the domain’s DNS.
Action: No immediate action is needed as this confirms proper DKIM configuration.

‍Invalid DKIM Record
‍Description: An invalid DKIM record suggests issues with the format, completeness, or correctness of the DKIM record in the DNS.
Actions:
- Verify the DKIM record format and ensure all required fields (like public key) are correctly entered.
- Correct any formatting errors or missing information in the DKIM record.
- After updating, use a Smartlead DKIM checker tool to verify if the issues have been resolved.

‍No DKIM Record Found
‍Description: If no DKIM record is found in the DNS, DKIM verification cannot be performed for emails from this domain.
Actions:
- Set up a DKIM record in your DNS settings. Consult your email service provider or IT department for guidance.
- After setting up DKIM, use a DKIM lookup tool to ensure the record is correctly published and retrievable.

‍DKIM Selector Not Found
‍Description: This error occurs when the DKIM selector specified in the email’s DKIM-Signature header does not match the selector found in the DKIM record in DNS.
Actions:
- Check Selector Configuration: Ensure the DKIM selector in your email server settings matches the DKIM record selector in DNS.
- Update Configuration: Adjust your DKIM configuration settings to align with the correct selector.

‍DKIM Key Mismatch
‍Description: A DKIM key mismatch indicates that the public key retrieved from the DKIM record in DNS does not match the key used to sign the DKIM signature in the email header.
Actions:
- Ensure the correct DKIM key pair (public and private keys) is being used and that they match your DNS and email server configurations.
- If necessary, regenerate and update the DKIM key pair, then update the DKIM record in DNS accordingly.

‍Incomplete DKIM Record
‍Description: An incomplete DKIM record lacks essential information, such as the public key, which can lead to verification failures.
Actions:
- Check the DKIM record in DNS to ensure all required fields (especially the public key) are correctly entered.
- Update the DKIM record in DNS with the necessary information to complete the record.

Additional Tips:
- Use Smartlead DKIM Checker Tools: Regularly use DKIM checker tool to verify DKIM records and diagnose any issues promptly.
- Documentation: Refer to documentation provided by your email service provider or IT department for specific DKIM setup instructions and troubleshooting guidelines.
- Monitor Email Deliverability: Keep an eye on email deliverability metrics to detect any DKIM-related issues affecting email delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

How Does A DKIM Record Check Differ From An SPF Record Check?

SPF checks authorized email senders based on IP addresses. DKIM verifies the email content hasn't been tampered with using digital signatures.

Do I Need Both SPF And DKIM For Email Security?

While each offers distinct benefits, using both SPF and DKIM provides a more robust email authentication system.

Is A DKIM Record Difficult To Set Up?

The technical setup might require some expertise. However, many email service providers offer user-friendly interfaces or instructions for configuring DKIM records.

I use a DKIM Record. Why am I Still Getting Emails About Failed DKIM Checks?

There could be a few reasons for this:
‍
• Incorrect Configuration: Double-check your DKIM record for any typos or errors in syntax.
‍
• Propagation Delay: Changes to DNS can take some time to propagate across the Internet. Be patient after making edits to your DKIM record.
‍
• Third-Party Sending Services: If you use a third-party service to send emails on your behalf, ensure their configuration aligns with your DKIM record.
‍
If you're still facing issues after addressing these potential causes, consider getting in touch with your email service or hosting provider.

What Are The Benefits Of Using DKIM?

Where Do I Find My DKIM Public Key?

Your DKIM public key is stored in a DKIM record published in your domain's DNS settings. Look for a TXT record named <selector>._domainkey.yourdomain.com.

How Do I Fix A Failed DKIM Record?

Do I Need A Separate DKIM Record For Each Subdomain?

Yes, it's recommended to have separate DKIM records for each subdomain. This practice maintains email security and allows distinct email sources within your domain to be authenticated individually.

Can I Use Smartlead DKIM Record Lookup Tool To Monitor My DKIM Health Over Time?

What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make When Setting Up DKIM?

How To Lookup DKIM Records Manually?

Manually look up DKIM records by accessing your domain’s DNS settings through your DNS provider or hosting platform. Search for TXT records named <selector>._domainkey.yourdomain.com.

How To Check The DKIM Record In Your DNS?

Check your DKIM record by querying your domain’s DNS for a TXT record named <selector>._domainkey.yourdomain.com. Ensure it contains the correct DKIM public key and other necessary details.