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Why does Gmail show 'via' even when DMARC passes?

8 Marketer opinions2 Expert opinions5 Technical articles0 Resources

Summary

Gmail displays the 'via' tag, even when DMARC passes, primarily to inform recipients when an email is sent using a third-party service or when there's a discrepancy between the sending domain and the 'From' domain. This visual cue helps users understand the email's origin. Other contributing factors include the presence of a Sender header that differs from the 'From' header, and situations where SPF or DKIM alignment isn't strict, even if DMARC is passing in relaxed mode. Experts recommend testing and ensuring proper domain alignment to minimize the appearance of the 'via' tag.

Key findings

  • Third-Party Service: Gmail uses the 'via' tag to indicate that an email was sent through a third-party service on behalf of the 'From' domain.
  • Domain Mismatch: The 'via' tag appears when the sending domain and the domain listed in the 'From' address do not match.
  • Sender Header Discrepancy: A differing Sender header, compared to the From: header, can cause Gmail to display 'via', signaling a different email origin.
  • Relaxed DMARC Alignment: Even with passing DMARC, Gmail may show 'via' if SPF/DKIM alignment is not strict (e.g., using subdomains in relaxed mode).
  • Visual Indicator: The 'via' tag serves as a visual indicator to the user about the path the email took, even if authentication is technically passing.

Key considerations

  • Domain Alignment: Ensure strict SPF and DKIM alignment between the sending domain and the 'From' address to avoid the 'via' tag.
  • Sender Header Management: Carefully manage the Sender header to ensure it is consistent with the 'From' domain, if used at all.
  • User Perception: Be mindful that the 'via' tag can impact user trust and perception of email legitimacy, even when the email is properly authenticated.
  • Testing is essential: Testing different scenarios to diagnose why a particular email displays the 'via' tag and addressing it is crucial for optimizing deliverability.
  • 3rd Party Reputation: Consider the reputation of the third-party sending services you use, as this can influence deliverability even if authentication is correct.

What email marketers say
8Marketer opinions

Gmail displays the 'via' tag even when DMARC passes to indicate that an email was sent through a third-party service or a domain that doesn't exactly match the 'From' address. This serves as a visual cue to users about the email's origin, even if authentication protocols are in place and passing.

Key opinions

  • Third-Party Service: The primary reason for the 'via' tag is the use of a third-party sending service.
  • Domain Mismatch: Gmail shows 'via' when the sending domain and the 'From' address domain are not identical.
  • Visual Cue: The 'via' tag serves as a visual indicator to users about the email's origin, even with successful authentication.
  • Sender Header: A Sender header with a different subdomain than the 'From' address can trigger the 'via' display.

Key considerations

  • Alignment: Ensure strict SPF and DKIM alignment to minimize the likelihood of the 'via' tag appearing.
  • Sender Header: Review and manage the Sender header to match the intended sending domain.
  • User Awareness: Understand that even with proper authentication, the 'via' tag can impact user perception of email legitimacy.
  • Domain Reputation: Maintaining a strong domain reputation is important even if using 3rd party senders
Marketer view

Email marketer from Super User mentions that Gmail displays 'via' when the sending server's domain doesn't match the 'From' address domain, acting as a visual cue for users regarding the email's origin, even when passing authentication checks.

May 2024 - Super User
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit says that the 'via' tag shows up because the sending server's domain doesn't match the domain in the 'From' address, even if authentication is successful.

March 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that the message is sent via Mailgun, and there's a Sender header using the same subdomain as the DKIM d= but not the friendly From, potentially causing the 'via' display in Gmail.

January 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that Gmail shows 'via' when an email isn't sent directly from the domain listed in the 'From' address. It highlights the use of a third-party sending service even if authentication passes.

March 2022 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog explains that the 'via' tag means the email was sent using a third-party service, and while DMARC might pass, Gmail still shows the 'via' to indicate the email's origin.

July 2021 - Email on Acid Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that while passing DMARC is important, Gmail may show 'via' to alert users when emails are sent through third-party services, highlighting the need for proper SPF and DKIM alignment.

March 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that Gmail shows 'via' when the domain in the 'From' address doesn't exactly match the domain that sent the email, even if DMARC passes. This is to highlight cases where a third-party service is used.

June 2022 - Neil Patel's Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailtrap Blog shares that the 'via' tag in Gmail indicates that the email was sent through a server that is different from the sender's domain, even if email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are in place and passing.

June 2022 - Mailtrap Blog

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

Experts suggest that Gmail displays 'via' even when DMARC passes due to a potential mismatch between the DKIM signature domain and the From: domain, or the presence of a Sender header that differs from the From: domain. This serves as a visual cue, alerting users to the email's actual origin.

Key opinions

  • DKIM/From Mismatch: Gmail shows 'via' when the DKIM signature domain does not match the From: domain, even if DMARC passes in relaxed mode.
  • Sender Header: The presence of a Sender header that differs from the From: header might trigger the 'via' display, regardless of authentication status.
  • Visual Cue: The 'via' display acts as a visual cue to users, indicating the email's true origin.

Key considerations

  • Domain Alignment: Ensure the DKIM signature domain aligns with the From: domain to avoid the 'via' display.
  • Sender Header Management: Carefully manage the Sender header to maintain consistency with the From: domain.
  • User Perception: Be aware that the 'via' display can impact how users perceive the legitimacy of the email.
  • Testing: Testing to identify the specific cause of a particular 'via' case is critical to solving the issue.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suspects that the 'via' display in Gmail might be due to a Sender header, rather than authentication issues. He suggests testing this hypothesis.

July 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Gmail shows 'via' when the DKIM signature domain doesn't match the From: domain, even if DMARC passes in relaxed mode. The 'via' is a visual cue to the user about the email's actual origin.

May 2021 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Documentation indicates that Gmail displays 'via' even with passing DMARC to inform recipients that the email was sent through a third-party service, when the sending domain isn't the same as the 'From' domain, or if SPF/DKIM alignment isn't strict. The presence of a different Sender header can also trigger this display, acting as a visual cue regarding the email's source.

Key findings

  • Third-Party Sending: Gmail shows 'via' when email is sent by a third-party on behalf of the 'From' address domain.
  • Domain Mismatch: The 'via' tag appears when the sending domain and 'From' domain are not the same.
  • Alignment Issues: Even with DMARC passing, Gmail may show 'via' if SPF or DKIM alignment is not strict.
  • Sender Header: A Sender header differing from the From: header can trigger the 'via' display, indicating a different origin.

Key considerations

  • Strict Alignment: Consider implementing strict SPF and DKIM alignment to potentially avoid the 'via' tag.
  • Sender Header Review: Evaluate and manage the Sender header to ensure it aligns with the intended sending domain.
  • Transparency: Understand that Gmail's display of 'via' is intended to provide transparency about email origins to recipients.
  • Reputation Management: Focus on building a strong reputation for your sending domain and IP address.
Technical article

Documentation from AuthSMTP mentions that Gmail displays 'via' when the sending server's domain doesn't match the 'From' address domain, acting as a visual cue for users regarding the email's source.

November 2022 - AuthSMTP
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that even if DMARC passes, Gmail may display 'via' if SPF or DKIM alignment isn't strict. Relaxed alignment allows for subdomains, but Gmail may still show 'via' in these cases.

November 2023 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor clarifies that the presence of a Sender header, different from the From header, can cause email clients like Gmail to display 'via' even with passing DMARC, as the email appears to originate from a different source than the purported sender.

April 2023 - RFC Editor
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft mentions that the presence of a Sender header that differs from the From header can cause email clients like Gmail to display 'via' even with passing DMARC. This indicates to the user that the email is not directly sent from the From email.

July 2023 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help responds that Gmail displays 'via' to inform recipients that the email was sent by a third-party on behalf of the domain in the 'From' address. This happens when the sending domain isn't the same as the 'From' domain.

April 2021 - Google Workspace Admin Help

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