Introduction
Email deliverability ensures that the emails you send actually land in your recipient's inbox—not in their spam folder or blocked by mail servers. cPanel offers tools like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to help authenticate your outgoing emails and improve trustworthiness.
This guide explains what these records are and how to manage them through cPanel.
What Is Email Deliverability?
Email deliverability refers to the likelihood that your emails will reach your recipient's inbox successfully. Poor deliverability may result in:
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Emails being marked as spam
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Emails being rejected by recipient servers
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Reduced credibility for your domain
To combat this, cPanel lets you configure three key authentication methods: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
What Is SPF (Sender Policy Framework)?
SPF is a DNS record that lists which servers are authorized to send emails from your domain.
Purpose: Prevents spammers from sending fake emails using your domain (email spoofing)
In cPanel:
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Go to Email Deliverability
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Select your domain
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Ensure the SPF record exists and is valid
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Modify or regenerate if needed
Example SPF record:
What Is DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)?
DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails to prove they haven’t been tampered with.
Purpose: Verifies that your emails come from you and haven’t been altered during transmission
In cPanel:
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Automatically generated when you enable Email Deliverability
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Ensure DKIM is "Valid" under the domain
What Is DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)?
DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM by telling receiving mail servers what to do with messages that fail checks.
Purpose: Provides policy instructions—reject, quarantine, or allow emails that fail SPF/DKIM
How to add in cPanel:
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Use Zone Editor in cPanel
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Add a TXT record like:
Policies:
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none: Just report, don’t take action -
quarantine: Send suspicious emails to spam -
reject: Block all unauthorized messages
Tips to Improve Deliverability
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Always configure SPF and DKIM at a minimum
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Use DMARC to monitor and eventually enforce policy
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Avoid spammy subject lines and excessive links in emails
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Regularly check your domain's reputation (via MXToolbox, Google Postmaster)
Conclusion
Properly setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for keeping your domain’s emails trustworthy and avoiding spam filters. cPanel’s Email Deliverability section makes it easy to verify and manage these records for better inbox placement.
