DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is a email authentication protocol. Email providers use this to verify the legitimacy of emails sent from your domain. By adding a DKIM record to your DNS settings, you can protect your domain against phishing and spoofing. Additionally, it helps your emails pass spam filters and land in the inbox.
With Smartlead’s DKIM Generator, creating a DKIM record is quick and easy, so you can secure your domain’s reputation and boost email deliverability.
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Get DKIM RecordDKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is crucial for verifying that emails sent from your domain are authentic and haven’t been tampered with. Follow these simple steps to set up DKIM and protect your domain from spoofing and phishing attacks.
Simply type in your domain name in the provided field.
Choose or generate a unique DKIM selector.
Select the key size for your DKIM record. Most providers recommend 1024-bit or 2048-bit for enhanced security.
Copy the generated DKIM TXT record and add it to your domain’s DNS settings.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is a protocol. It protects your domain and ensures that only authorized senders can send emails using the domain.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication protocol that verifies email legitimacy by attaching a digital signature to outgoing messages. Email providers use DKIM signatures to ensure emails are not altered during transmission.
Reduces the risk of spoofing and phishing
Improves sender reputation and email deliverability
Prevents emails from being flagged as spam

Without DKIM, your emails may be flagged as spam or fail authentication checks. Scammers can spoof your domain, ISPs can block your messages, and your email campaigns can fail before they start.
Here are scenarios when you need a DKIM record,
Even the best email campaigns can end up in spam without DKIM. Mailbox providers rely on DKIM to verify that emails are truly from your domain. Without it, your marketing emails are at risk of being flagged. So set up DKIM to ensure your emails land in inboxes.
If customers are getting emails that appear to be from you but weren’t sent by your team, you’re dealing with email spoofing. DKIM stops this by ensuring that only emails signed with your domain’s unique key are considered legitimate.
DKIM confirms that your emails haven’t been altered during transmission. By authenticating your messages, you’re giving recipients confidence that your emails are legitimate, increasing your credibility and reducing the likelihood of being flagged as suspicious.
Order confirmations, password resets, and notifications are essential. If these emails aren’t authenticated with DKIM, they could get flagged as suspicious or end up in the spam folder. Protect your emails and ensure they reach the inbox with DKIM.
Cold outreach emails without DKIM are more likely to be blocked by ISPs or flagged as spam. DKIM improves your email credibility, ensuring your outreach emails are trusted and have a higher chance of being opened.
ISPs track your sender reputation. Emails without authentication can hurt your sender score, affecting deliverability over time. DKIM helps you maintain a strong domain reputation, keeping your emails trusted by email providers and improving deliverability.
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Book a DemoDKIM selectors are used to distinguish multiple DKIM keys that might exist for a domain. It allows email recipients to know which key to use when verifying the signature in the email header. A DKIM selector is typically added to the record as part of the DNS entry and helps identify which public key to use for email verification.

Yes, DKIM itself is free to implement. You can generate the DKIM record on Smartlead’s DKIM Generator without any cost. However, if you’re using a premium DNS service, there might be some costs associated with the DNS hosting.
Yes, it’s possible to have two DKIM records for a domain. This is useful if you have multiple email servers or third-party services sending emails on behalf of your domain. Each service can use a different DKIM key and selector.
Yes, DKIM can be used independently of SPF (Sender Policy Framework). However, both DKIM and SPF should be used together for stronger email authentication. DKIM verifies the sender’s identity using cryptographic signatures, while SPF ensures that the sender’s IP address is authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain.
The public key for DKIM is generated as part of your DKIM record. Smartlead DKIM generator tool creates both the private and public keys. You can copy the public key and paste it as a TXT record to your DNS settings. It allows email receivers to verify the DKIM signature.
The DKIM key is typically generated by the sender’s email server or a third-party service. Many email providers (like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) offer DKIM generation as part of their email setup, but you can also generate DKIM keys using specialized tools like Smartlead’s DKIM Generator.
To publish a DKIM record, you need to add it as a TXT record in your domain’s DNS settings. Log into your DNS hosting provider’s control panel (such as GoDaddy, Cloudflare, etc.), and paste the DKIM record provided by your DKIM generator tool. After the record is saved, it will be available for email servers to verify the authenticity of your emails.
DKIM is verified by email receivers (such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook). When an email is sent, the email provider checks the DKIM signature in the email header against the public key in the DNS record of the sender’s domain. If the signature matches the key, the email is verified as legitimate. If not, it may be flagged as suspicious or marked as spam.