How should reverse DNS be configured for shared and dedicated IPs, and how to identify spammy ESP reverse DNS?

Email marketer from MXToolbox Forum responds that reverse DNS records are checked by spam filters to verify the sender's legitimacy. A missing or incorrect reverse DNS record can increase the spam score, causing emails to be delivered to the junk folder. They recommends ensuring the reverse DNS record matches the sending domain to avoid being flagged as spam.

Email marketer from Reddit explains that reverse DNS validates the sender's identity, establishing trust with receiving servers. They answer that it helps prevent spoofing and phishing attacks, ensuring that only authorized senders can use the domain. This contributes to better deliverability and protects the sender's reputation.

Email marketer from Mailjet answers that reverse DNS helps improve email deliverability by confirming the identity of the sender's IP address. It contributes to a positive sender reputation and reduces the chances of emails being flagged as spam. They explain it is especially important for dedicated IPs.

Email marketer from Web Hosting Talk discusses the importance of reverse DNS for email servers, emphasizing that a properly configured rDNS record can significantly improve email deliverability. It asserts that many email providers use rDNS as a key factor in determining whether to accept or reject incoming emails.

Email marketer from SparkPost Blog explains that reverse DNS is important because it verifies that the IP address is associated with the domain sending the email. This helps in establishing trust with receiving mail servers and improving deliverability. It answers that without a proper reverse DNS, emails are more likely to be marked as spam.

Email marketer from SendPulse Blog shares that a reverse DNS record helps confirm that a mail server is authorized to send emails for a particular domain. They answer that it improves deliverability by reducing the likelihood of emails being marked as spam. This is especially important for maintaining a positive sender reputation and ensuring emails reach the inbox.

Email marketer from Validity Blog answers that a reverse DNS record (rDNS) maps an IP address back to a domain name. This helps receiving mail servers verify that the IP address is authorized to send emails for that domain. It establishes sender legitimacy and improves deliverability by preventing emails from being marked as spam.

Email marketer from ServerFault shares that reverse DNS is configured by the owner of the IP address range, usually the ISP or hosting provider. For dedicated IPs, you can often request they set up the reverse DNS record to point to your domain. For shared IPs, the ESP typically manages the reverse DNS.

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that IP reputation is built by proving you are a legitimate sender over a period of time. One of these factors is Reverse DNS. They explain that without it, ISPs will assume you are not a legitimate sender.

Expert from Spam Resource (Steve Linford) explains that reverse DNS (rDNS) is an essential component of email authentication. It involves setting up a PTR record, which maps an IP address back to a domain name. This helps receiving mail servers verify that the server sending the email is authorized to do so. Without proper rDNS, emails are more likely to be flagged as spam, as it's a crucial factor for establishing trust and legitimacy in the email ecosystem.

Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) shares that your EHLO domain, the HELO domain and the reverse DNS should all match. She explains this helps to make your mail more identifiable, especially when using IPv6.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that it should be easy to identify a responsible party from the reverse DNS and that responsible party should be either the ESP or the sender.

Expert from Email Geeks responds that as long as the reverse DNS points clearly at the ESP it’s not a deal breaker, but he would whine about it a bit, but it wouldn’t be a reason to move ESPs if he were otherwise happy.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that many spammy ESPs use domain names for their reverse DNS that do not connect to the ESP in any way, and explains that if you take the organizational domain from your reverse DNS, and drop it into a web browser it should take you to the senders or ESPs webpage.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that if sending through a shared pool, the reverse DNS should identify the ESP. If sending through a dedicated IP, it should identify the sender or the ESP. It should *not* be things with the IP address in it.

Expert from Email Geeks answers that if you're an Amazon SES customer that's fine regarding reverse DNS. If you’re not, it’s much less so.

Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that for Exchange Online, Microsoft handles the reverse DNS configuration. Customers using their own email servers need to configure reverse DNS records to point to their mail server's IP address. This helps verify that the mail server is authorized to send emails from your domain.

Documentation from Hetzner explains that reverse DNS can be configured in the Hetzner Robot web interface for your servers. You should configure it to point to your domain name. This helps with email deliverability.

Documentation from Gmail Help advises that you set up valid reverse DNS records for your sending IP addresses. They explain that your reverse DNS record must match the domain sending mail from.

Documentation from AWS Documentation shares how to set up reverse DNS records for EC2 instances using Elastic IPs. It answers that the reverse DNS record should point to your domain to ensure proper email delivery and avoid being marked as spam.