Question 1

What are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?

Accepted Answer

They're the three DNS records that prove your email is really from you. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) lists which servers may send for your domain. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a tamper-proof signature. DMARC ties the two together and tells receiving servers what to do when a message fails — and emails you reports. Together they're how Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo decide whether your cold email is trustworthy enough for the inbox.

Question 2

How do I check my SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records?

Accepted Answer

Enter your sending domain above and this tool reads all of them in one scan — no signup. It looks up the live TXT records on public DNS, validates each one, and returns a 0–100 score plus the exact fix for anything that's missing or misconfigured. For an exact DKIM check, expand the advanced option and add your selector.

Question 3

Why is my cold email going to spam even with SPF and DKIM set up?

Accepted Answer

Authentication is necessary but not sufficient. Once SPF, DKIM, and DMARC pass, three other things decide placement: domain reputation and warmup (a brand-new or cold domain gets filtered no matter how clean the DNS), content (spammy words, links, and ALL-CAPS — check that with our Email Spam Checker), and engagement (replies and opens vs. bounces and spam complaints). This tool fixes the authentication layer; reputation and content are the next two levers.

Question 4

Do I really need DMARC for cold email?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require anyone sending in volume to publish a DMARC record, authenticate with SPF and DKIM, and keep spam complaints low. A domain with no DMARC — or a 'p=none' policy — is increasingly throttled or filtered. Start at p=none to monitor, then tighten to p=quarantine and p=reject once your reports look clean.

Question 5

Why couldn't the tool find my DKIM record?

Accepted Answer

DKIM keys are published under a 'selector' name that varies by provider (google._domainkey, selector1._domainkey, k1._domainkey, and so on). There's no way to discover an arbitrary selector from DNS alone, so we probe the common ones. If yours is custom, expand 'Add your DKIM selector' and enter it — you'll find it in your email provider's authentication settings or in the d=/s= tags of a sent email's headers.

Question 6

What is a good email deliverability score?

Accepted Answer

On this checker, 80 and above means your domain is properly authenticated and ready to send. 55–79 means something is weak or missing — usually DMARC at p=none or no DKIM — and you should fix it before a big send. Below 55 means SPF or DMARC is missing entirely and your cold email is at real risk of landing in spam or being spoofed.

Question 7

Is this email deliverability checker free?

Accepted Answer

Yes — completely free, no signup, no credit card. It's a read-only lookup of public DNS records, so nothing you enter is sent or stored. Run it as many times as you like as you make changes.

Is your domain set up to reach the inbox?

How the deliverability checker works

The four records that decide if you land in spam

SPF, DKIM & DMARC questions, answered

Revenue work. On autopilot.