DNS entries to help avoid email bounces

Introduction

Recently, Yahoo! and Google announced that starting in February of 2024, they will tighten requirements on inbound email to their users. One of these requirements is that all email sent to their users must come from a domain that is authenticated and has a published DMARC policy.

To ensure your emails reach their intended recipients without getting caught in spam filters, it's essential to set up DNS records that verify your emails as coming from a trustworthy source.

There are three types of DNS records that need to be created:

1. DKIM:

If you are using Chabad Suite's Sparkpost integration, then you will have been provided with the appropriate information during onboarding. If not you will need to get the information from your mailing provider.

2. SPF:

While Chabad Suite's Sparkpost integration does not require you to change anything for SPF, you may want to add one for emails sent out via other mail providers. For example if you send email directly through gmail, you may want to either edit your existing SPF record, if it exists, or add a new one if it doesn't, so that contains it "include:_spf.google.com ~all". For example if you do not have an existing record, you would create a TXT record with the following values:
Host: @
Value: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

(The "include" above is specific to gmail - if you send from a different mail provider you will need to get the appropriate values from them)

3. DMARC:

You will need to create a record of type TXT with the following values:
Host: _dmarc
(Note the underscore in front. The full hostname would be _dmarc.your-domain.org)
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none;

Where do I enter these DNS records?

The same website where you go to renew your domain registration will have a link to a page called "DNS Manager" or similar. For example if your domain was purchased from GKG, then it will be found at https://www.gkg.net.