Cold Email Authentication Quick Reference: SPF, DKIM, DMARC for Sales Teams

Quick reference guide for setting up email authentication for cold email tools. Bookmark this page for fast lookup.

Quick Stats

Without Authentication:

• 70% to 90% rejection rate
• 5% to 15% inbox placement
• Campaigns fail

With Authentication:

• 80% to 95% inbox placement
• 16x to 19x improvement
• Campaigns succeed

Tool SPF Includes

SPF Record Templates

Single Tool

v=spf1 include:spf.instantly.ai -all

Multiple Tools

v=spf1 include:spf.instantly.ai include:spf.smartlead.ai -all

With Google Workspace

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:spf.instantly.ai -all

DKIM Setup

Process

1. Add domain to tool
2. Tool generates DKIM keys
3. Copy DNS records
4. Add to DNS
5. Verify in tool

Common Selectors

DMARC Records

Monitoring (Start Here)

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:your-id@reports.mailsentinel.io

Quarantine (After Monitoring)

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:your-id@reports.mailsentinel.io; adkim=r; aspf=r

Reject (Full Protection)

v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:your-id@reports.mailsentinel.io; ruf=mailto:your-id@forensic.mailsentinel.io; adkim=r; aspf=r

DNS Record Locations

SPF

• Type: TXT
• Host: @ or leave blank
• Location: Root domain

DKIM

• Type: TXT
• Host: {selector}._domainkey
• Location: Root domain

DMARC

• Type: TXT
• Host: _dmarc
• Location: Root domain

Verification Checklist

• SPF record added and verified
• DKIM records added and verified
• DMARC record added
• Tool shows domain verified
• Test email sent
• Authentication headers present
• DMARC passes
• MailSentinel receiving reports

Quick Setup Steps

1. Add domain to tool → Get SPF/DKIM info
2. Add SPF to DNS → Include tool's SPF
3. Add DKIM to DNS → Tool provides records
4. Set up MailSentinel → Get report address
5. Add DMARC to DNS → Start with p=none
6. Verify everything → Check tool dashboard
7. Monitor reports → Review weekly

Common Issues

SPF Not Working

• Check record is at root domain
• Verify include statement correct
• Ensure only one SPF record
• Wait for DNS propagation

DKIM Not Signing

• Verify DNS records published
• Check selector matches tool
• Wait for propagation
• Verify in tool dashboard

DMARC Failing

• Check SPF alignment
• Check DKIM alignment
• Verify From: domain matches
• Review DMARC reports

Target Metrics

Tool-Specific Quick Links

Instantly.ai

• Complete Guide
• SPF: include:spf.instantly.ai
• Dashboard: Settings → Domains

Smartlead.ai

• Complete Guide
• SPF: include:spf.smartlead.ai
• Dashboard: Settings → Email Domains

Email Bison

• Complete Guide
• SPF: include:spf.emailbison.com
• Dashboard: Settings → Domains

Best Practices

✅ Use dedicated subdomain ✅ Start with p=none DMARC ✅ Monitor weekly ✅ Keep spam complaints <0.3% ✅ Warm up domain gradually ✅ Maintain list hygiene ✅ Track all metrics

Resources

• Cold Email Guide - Complete guide
• Setup Guide - Step-by-step
• Tool Guide - Tool-specific
• Start Monitoring - MailSentinel free trial

Need Help?

• Check documentation
• Contact support: support@mailsentinel.io
• Join community

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