A DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) record is a critical email authentication and security measure for your outbound emails. By adding a unique identifier to each email, DKIM ensures that your messages are verified and trusted by email servers.
This verification process checks the DKIM signature and determines whether the email passes or fails the DKIM check. Authorized senders with a valid DKIM record can securely send emails using your domain, while unauthorized senders are blocked from bypassing your email security.
Create a DKIM record with Smartlead's free DKIM Generator to protect your domain and enhance your email deliverability. Improve your email security and make sure your messages land where they should.
Record
Type
Value
Time to live (TTL)
WWW
CNAME
abc.com
3600
Follow these steps to set up your DKIM record with Smartlead's DKIM Generator:
1. Enter the domain name. Remember to generate a DKIM record for each domain in use, even if it doesn't handle outbound mail.
2. A DKIM selector is a unique string that helps your email server identify the correct DKIM keys. Enter an arbitrary string of characters to create the selector. Each DKIM record you generate should have a different selector to ensure accurate key identification.
3. Select the level of encryption for your DKIM key. Larger key sizes offer more security, but check your domain host's documentation for supported file sizes. For more sophisticated encryption, consult your host for additional options.
4. Our DKIM generator will create your public and private keys. Follow your provider's documentation to add these keys to your email hosting software. If you need assistance, contact your email provider for guidance on implementing DKIM.
5. Finally, use the provided selector and policy records to publish the corresponding keys. To complete the setup, add these as CNAME records within your DNS settings.
Generating a DKIM key involves creating a pair of cryptographic keys: a public key and a private key. The public key is published in your DKIM DNS records, while the private key is used by your mail server to sign outgoing emails. Generating a DKIM key is crucial for email security as it allows recipients to verify the authenticity and integrity of your emails.
When you generate DKIM records using a tool like Smartlead's DKIM Generator, you'll typically receive the following information:
- Selector: The unique string you chose to identify the DKIM key.
- Public Key: The part of the DKIM key pair that is published in DNS for verification purposes.
- Private Key: The part of the DKIM key pair used to sign outbound emails (kept confidential).
- Policy Records: Optionally, DKIM generators might provide policy records (like DMARC and SPF) which complement DKIM for comprehensive email authentication.
Creating a DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail) record for your domain is crucial for several reasons related to email security, authenticity, and deliverability:
1. DKIM allows email recipients to verify that an email claiming to have come from your domain was indeed authorized by your domain's administrators. This helps in reducing spoofing and phishing attacks where malicious actors forge the sender's address.
2. Many email service providers and recipient servers use DKIM as a factor in determining whether to deliver an email to the recipient's inbox, mark it as spam, or reject it outright. Emails with valid DKIM signatures are more likely to be trusted and delivered properly.
3. By implementing DKIM, you protect your domain's reputation as a sender of legitimate and secure emails. This is important for maintaining trust with your recipients and ensuring that your legitimate emails aren't mistakenly flagged as spam.
4. DKIM is a widely accepted standard for email authentication supported by major email providers and systems. Implementing DKIM aligns your email practices with industry best practices and helps ensure compatibility with modern email security protocols.
5. DKIM is often used in conjunction with DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) and SPF (Sender Policy Framework) to provide a layered approach to email authentication and security. DMARC relies on DKIM signatures to verify sender authenticity and define how emails that fail authentication should be handled.
Adding a DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) record to your DNS settings involves several steps to generate the DKIM keys and then publish them in your domain's DNS records. Steps to add a DKIM record to your DNS settings:
1. Generate DKIM Keys: Use Smartlead DKIM key generator tool (also known as a DKIM selector generator or DKIM record creator) provided by your email service provider or a third-party service. This tool will help you create a DKIM key pair consisting of a public key and a private key.
2. Access DKIM Key Pair: After generating the DKIM key pair, you will typically receive:
- Selector: A unique identifier (e.g., "selector1") that helps email servers locate the correct DKIM public key.
- Public Key: This is the part of the DKIM key pair that needs to be published in your DNS as a TXT record.
3. Publish DKIM Public Key in DNS: Log in to your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider's website where your domain's DNS settings are managed.
- Navigate to the DNS management section (often found under 'DNS settings' or 'Advanced DNS').
- Add a new DNS record of type 'TXT'.
- In the 'Name' or 'Host' field, enter the DKIM selector followed by ._domainkey.yourdomain.com. (replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name).
For example, if your selector is "selector1" and your domain is "example.com", the record name would be selector1._domainkey.example.com..In the 'Value' or 'Text' field, paste the DKIM public key generated earlier. Ensure it is formatted correctly according to your DNS provider's requirements (usually enclosed in double quotes).
4. Save and Publish: Save the changes to publish the DKIM record in your DNS settings.DNS changes may take some time (up to 48 hours) to propagate across the internet, but usually, they become effective sooner.
5. Verify DKIM Record: Once the DKIM record is published, you can verify its existence using a DKIM lookup tool. This tool will confirm whether the DKIM record is correctly configured and accessible.
Best Practices for DKIM Selector Naming and Key Rotation:
- Each DKIM record should have a unique selector to differentiate between multiple DKIM keys used for different purposes or servers.
- Periodically rotate DKIM keys and update the DKIM selector and corresponding DNS records to maintain security and compliance with best practices.
A DKIM Generator is a tool that helps you create a unique DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) record for your email domain. This record adds an extra layer of security to your email communications by generating public and private keys that authenticate your emails and protect your domain from unauthorized use.
Yes, a domain can have multiple DKIM records, each identified by a unique DKIM selector. This allows different email services or servers within the domain to sign outgoing emails independently, enhancing flexibility and managing security requirements effectively.
Yes, even if you use a third-party Email Service Provider (ESP), you should generate a DKIM record. This ensures emails sent on your behalf are authenticated, improving deliverability and preventing spoofing, irrespective of the service provider used.
A DKIM key pair consists of a public key (published in DNS for verification) and a private key (used by the sending server to sign emails). Generate it using a DKIM key generator provided by your email service or using online tools. The public key is added to DNS as a TXT record to authenticate your domain's emails.
DKIM and SPF serve different purposes but complement each other. DKIM verifies email authenticity through cryptographic signatures, while SPF validates sender IP addresses. Combining both provides robust email authentication and improves overall email security.
DKIM: Signs emails with a cryptographic key to verify sender authenticity.
DMARC: Policy framework that uses SPF and/or DKIM to specify how email from a domain should be handled (e.g., reject, quarantine, or allow).
SPF: Specifies which IP addresses are allowed to send emails on behalf of a domain.
A DKIM key selector is a unique identifier added to DKIM records in DNS. It helps email servers locate the correct DKIM public key for verifying email signatures, allowing for multiple DKIM keys to be managed under a single domain.
A DKIM key generator is a tool used to create DKIM key pairs for email authentication. It simplifies the process by generating both the public and private DKIM keys. The public key is published in your DNS records, while the private key is used to sign your emails. Using a DKIM key generator ensures that your emails are properly authenticated and reduces the risk of them being marked as spam.
A DKIM creator is a tool that helps you generate DKIM keys and create DKIM records for email authentication. To use a DKIM creator, enter your domain name and select a key length. The tool will generate the DKIM public key and provide you with the DKIM record format to add to your DNS settings. This ensures that your emails are signed and can be verified by recipients.
A DKIM record creator is a tool that helps you generate the necessary DKIM records for your domain. It provides the DKIM public key and the correct format for your DNS records. By using a DKIM record creator, you can ensure that your DKIM DNS records are accurately configured, which is essential for successful email authentication.
To generate a DKIM record for your domain, follow these steps:
1. Use a DKIM key generator to create your DKIM key pair.
2. Use a DKIM selector generator to generate a unique selector string.
3. Obtain the DKIM public key from the DKIM key generator.
4. Create a DKIM record using the information provided by your DKIM record creator.
5. Add the DKIM record to your domain’s DNS settings to enable DKIM authentication.
To perform a DKIM lookup, use Smartlead DKIM lookup tool or service that queries your domain’s DNS records. This tool will retrieve and display the DKIM public key and verify if it is correctly configured. Performing a DKIM lookup ensures that your DKIM records are properly published and that your email authentication is functioning correctly.
DKIM keys should be rotated periodically, typically every 6 to 12 months, to maintain security. Immediate rotation is advisable if keys are compromised or if best practices recommend more frequent changes.
If DKIM signature verification fails, emails might be flagged as suspicious or rejected by receiving servers. Failures can occur due to incorrect key configuration, DNS issues, key expiration, or modifications made to the email content after signing.
While DKIM significantly reduces the risk of phishing by verifying sender authenticity, it alone cannot prevent all phishing attacks. Combining DKIM with SPF, DMARC, and user awareness training offers a more comprehensive defense against phishing attempts.