How to manage DKIM keys and domain reputation when aligning domains?
Summary
What email marketers say8Marketer opinions
Email marketer from SparkPost shares the importance of actively monitoring your domain reputation after aligning domains. Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools to track metrics like spam complaints, IP reputation, and DKIM/SPF authentication rates.
Email marketer from an email marketing forum suggests communicating domain changes and what this means for the end user. Explaining this reduces the number of spam complaints and unsubscribes that may occur during the IP warm up phase.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that when changing or aligning domains, you need to warm up your IP addresses. This means starting with low sending volumes and gradually increasing them over time to establish a positive sender reputation.
Email marketer from StackOverflow suggests to use online tools or email testing services to verify the DKIM alignment after making changes. These tools can help identify any issues with the DKIM signature or DNS records.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares the importance of domain alignment for improving email deliverability. Domain alignment ensures that the domain used in the 'From' address matches the domain used for DKIM signing and SPF authentication. This alignment builds trust with email providers and helps prevent emails from being marked as spam.
Email marketer from EasyDMARC shares that the size of the DKIM key can impact deliverability. They recommend using a key size of at least 2048 bits for optimal security and deliverability.
Email marketer from MailerQ suggests that different types of emails should come from different subdomains to reduce domain reputation risks. This isolates risk to less important emails.
Email marketer from SendGrid shares the steps for setting up a DKIM record. After aligning domains, create a TXT record in your DNS settings with the DKIM public key provided by your email service provider to authenticate your outgoing emails.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks recommends keeping both DKIM keys for a while when aligning domains to assist with the reputation of the existing key and grow the reputation of the new key. They also note the need for a warm-up period.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that after making DKIM changes or aligning domains, continuous monitoring of your domain reputation is crucial. They recommend utilizing tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score to track metrics such as spam complaints, blocklist status, and overall sender reputation. Early detection of issues allows for prompt corrective actions to maintain deliverability.
Expert from Email Geeks advises to start the warmup process for the new domain if double-signing is not an option.
Expert from Word to the Wise answers that if you rotate your DKIM keys on a schedule, ensure that you continue to publish the old key as well as the new one for a period. This makes sure that any messages signed with the old key have time to be delivered. How long you publish the key for depends on your sending patterns but 7 days minimum should be sufficient.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that a DMARC policy allows domain owners to tell receiving mail servers what to do with messages that fail DKIM and SPF checks. When aligning domains, DMARC leverages DKIM to ensure messages are authenticated, preventing spoofing and phishing attempts.
Documentation from RFC 6376 explains the technical specifications of DKIM signatures. When aligning domains, it's crucial to ensure the DKIM signature is valid and properly formatted to pass authentication checks.
Documentation from Microsoft explains how SPF and DKIM work together. Ensure both SPF and DKIM are properly configured for both the original and aligned domains to enhance deliverability and prevent spoofing.
Documentation from AuthSMTP shares that checking your DKIM records can be done through online tools or command line tools such as `dig` or `nslookup`.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that rotating DKIM keys regularly (every few months) is a security best practice. It involves generating a new key pair, updating the DNS record with the new public key, and then gradually phasing out the old key after ensuring it's no longer in use.