Learn how to test your cPanel server email deliverability using cPanel's Email Deliverability feature. Identify and resolve problems with your mail-related DNS records to ensure reliable email delivery. Follow this step-by-step guide to optimize your email configuration and enhance your domain's trustworthiness as a sender.
Ever send an important email that seems to vanish into the digital abyss? As a fellow cPanel user, I understand the frustration of undelivered emails.
Thankfully, cPanel offers a handy tool to check your domain's email deliverability using cPanel's Email Deliverability feature, helping ensure your messages reach their intended recipients.
When you add a domain to your hosting account, ensuring that your emails reach their intended recipients is paramount. However, various factors can affect email deliverability, such as incorrect DNS records or missing configurations.
What is Email Deliverability?
Email deliverability refers to the ability of an email to reach the recipient's inbox successfully. It relies on factors such as domain reputation, proper DNS configuration, and adherence to email authentication standards. By verifying your mail-related DNS records, you can ensure that your domain is recognized as a trustworthy sender by other email servers.
Why Check Your cPanel Server Email Deliverability:
Checking your cPanel server email deliverability is crucial for several reasons:
- Ensure Email Reachability: By identifying and resolving issues with your DNS records, you can prevent emails from being marked as spam or undeliverable.
- Enhance Domain Trustworthiness: Properly configured DNS records, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, boost your domain's reputation and increase the likelihood of your emails reaching recipients' inboxes.
- Optimize Communication: Reliable email delivery is essential for maintaining communication with clients, customers, and subscribers. Checking deliverability ensures that your messages reach their intended audience promptly.
How to Check Email Deliverability in cPanel
-
Log in to your cPanel interface.
-
Navigate to "Email Deliverability." This option might be located under the "Email" section in your cPanel.
-
Review the Domain List: cPanel displays a list of all your domains associated with email functionality. This is where the magic happens!
- Domain: This column displays the domain name associated with each email address.
- Delivery Status: This section indicates any identified issues with a domain's mail-related DNS records. A green checkmark signifies a healthy configuration, while a red "X" highlights potential problems.
- Taking Action:
- Repair: If a domain shows issues, click the "Repair" button. cPanel will analyze the problem and suggest solutions. You can review and customize these suggestions before applying the fix. Remember, the repair process might take a few minutes.
- Manage: For more complex issues, click the "Manage" button for the specific domain. This opens a detailed interface where you can manually address DNS record configurations.
Other recommended implementations
To make your email deliverability even better, it is recommended to always set up email authentication for the domain that hosts your public website.
SPF:
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a vital tool in the fight against email spoofing. It helps prevent spammers from impersonating your domain by identifying authorized email senders.
Setting Up SPF in cPanel:
-
Log in to your cPanel and navigate to Email > Email Deliverability.
-
This section displays your domain's current SPF record status. If issues exist, a properly configured record will appear under "Suggested 'SPF' (TXT) Record." Here, you can also perform several actions:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
|
Copy |
Copies the "Name" and "Value" records for the suggested SPF record. You can provide these to your nameserver provider to fix any configuration problems. |
| View |
Modifies the displayed record in the "Value" field: |
|
Customize |
Modifies the suggested SPF record. This directs you to the "Customize an SPF Record" interface. |
Remember:
- Include all authorized email senders for your domain within the SPF record. Excluding third-party senders can increase the chance of their emails being marked as spam.
DKIM:
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is a crucial tool for email authentication, verifying the sender and message integrity. It helps prevent spammers from altering messages in transit and ensures your domain isn't spoofed.
To activate DKIM for your email-sending domain, follow these steps within cPanel:
-
Navigate to Email > Email Deliverability.
-
This section displays the current DKIM record status. If there are issues, a properly configured record will be provided under "Suggested 'DKIM' (TXT) Record." Here, you can also perform several actions:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Generate Local DKIM Key | Creates a DKIM record if one doesn't exist. |
| Copy | Copies the "Name" and "Value" records for the suggested DKIM record. You can provide these to your nameserver provider to fix any configuration problems. |
| View | Modifies the displayed record in the "Value" field: * Full: Displays the entire record for providers that automatically split records. * Split: Displays the record divided into 255-character parts for providers that don't automatically split. |
| View the Private Key | Retrieves the suggested private key. However, be cautious: * Security Risk: Exposing your private key allows others to impersonate you as a sender. Only share it with trusted users. |
Important Considerations:
- DKIM and PHP Applications: DKIM might not verify emails sent from PHP applications even if enabled. This could be because the hosting provider installed the DSO PHP handler without the MPM ITK Apache module.
- Resolving the PHP Issue: Contact your hosting provider and request them to enable the following options in WHM's Exim Configuration Manager (WHM > Home > Service Configuration > Exim Configuration Manager):
- Query Apache server status to determine the sender of email sent from processes running as nobody*.
- Trust X-PHP-Script headers to determine the sender of email sent from processes running as nobody*.
DMARC:
Ever received an email claiming to be from your bank, but something just felt off? DMARC is a powerful tool that helps combat email spoofing and protects your domain's reputation.
What is DMARC?
DMARC which stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance is a powerful tool that empowers you to combat email spoofing and safeguard your domain. It acts as an extra layer of security for your emails, working alongside SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to verify the legitimacy of incoming emails. By implementing DMARC and leveraging the features offered by WebHostingM cPanel, you can ensure your emails reach the right inboxes and protect your brand reputation. How Does DMARC Work?
-
Setting the Rules: A DMARC record is published in your domain's DNS settings. This record instructs receiving mail servers on what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM authentication.
-
Authentication Check: When an email arrives claiming to be from your domain, the receiving server performs an SPF and DKIM check. These protocols ensure the email originates from authorized sources.
-
Taking Action: Based on your DMARC policy (set in the DMARC record), the receiving server takes action on unauthenticated messages. Options include quarantine, rejection, or simply reporting the issue.
Benefits of Implementing DMARC:
- Stops Spoofing Attacks: DMARC significantly reduces the risk of email spoofing, protecting your brand reputation and preventing fraudulent activity.
- Improves Email Deliverability: By ensuring legitimate emails are recognized, DMARC helps your emails reach inboxes instead of spam folders.
- Provides Valuable Insights: DMARC reports offer valuable data on how receiving servers handle your emails, helping you identify potential issues and improve email security.
Implementing DMARC with WebHostingM cPanel:
Great news! cPanel offers a user-friendly way to set up DMARC. Simply head over to Domains > Zone Editor > Manage. Choose DMARC to create a record with a basic policy. You can then customize the policy (None, Quarantine, Reject) and configure optional parameters.
Using a Third-Party Email Service Along with cPanel?
No worries! If you also use a service like Gmail™ or [Microsoft Outlook 365®]https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/office-365-security/use-dkim-to-validate-outbound-email?view=o365-worldwide(), make sure you also implement theirs too. Refer to the documentation for specific instructions on configuring DKIM and SPF. DMARC works hand-in-hand with these protocols, so setting them up first is crucial.
Email Subscriptions:
In today's crowded inboxes, standing out requires more than just clever subject lines. Building trust with your audience starts with respecting their preferences. Enter permission-based email marketing – a strategy that ensures your messages reach engaged subscribers who truly want to hear from you.
Why Permission Matters:
- Keeps You Out of Spam Folders: Recipients who opted in are less likely to mark your emails as spam. Frequent spam reports can seriously damage your sender reputation, making future emails land straight in junk folders.
- Boosts Engagement: Subscribers who choose to receive your emails are more receptive to your content, leading to higher open and click-through rates.
- Improves Sending Efficiency: By focusing on engaged subscribers, you can maximize the impact of your campaigns without wasting resources on those who aren't interested.
Building a Thriving Subscriber List:
- Double Opt-In: Before adding someone to your list, send a confirmation email. This verifies their address and ensures they intentionally subscribed.
- Regular Engagement Checks: Periodically send "stay subscribed" emails to gauge interest and remove inactive users. This keeps your list clean and improves overall engagement.
- Targeted Content: Segmentation allows you to tailor email content to specific subscriber interests, further boosting engagement and preventing unsubscribed.
Beyond Permission: Building a Positive Sender Reputation
While permission is essential, here are some additional practices to avoid landing in the spam folder:
- Content Consistency: Focus on sending emails relevant to your chosen topic. Mixing promotions into receipts or unrelated content can raise red flags.
- Respectful Sending: Avoid impersonating other senders or domains. This tactic, known as spoofing, is a surefire way to get marked as spam.
- Internal Email Housekeeping: Don't mark internal emails as spam. This negatively impacts your domain's reputation and future deliverability.
- Ethical Acquisition: Purchased email lists are a recipe for disaster. Only send emails to those who have opted in to receive your communications.
- Clear Opt-In Forms: Design your opt-in forms with user consent in mind. Avoid pre-checked boxes or practices that automatically subscribe users. Respect regional regulations and prioritize clear, user-driven signup processes.
Reverse DNS (PTR) Records
If you are able, set up a Reverse DNS (PTR) record if necessary to ensure your emails are trusted by recipients' servers.
Think of a PTR record as a return address for your emails. It helps receiving servers verify your legitimacy as a sender. The cPanel interface will indicate any problems with your PTR record and provide instructions for fixing them.
If you lack the authority to update a domain's PTR record, contact the owner of the IP address.
OK, by following these steps, you can proactively optimize your domain's email configuration and maximize email deliverability, ensuring that your messages reach recipients' inboxes reliably.
But you can do more. You can use online tools such as:
- Google Admin Toolbox
- MXTools Email Deliverability
- Warmy
- PowerDMARC SPF Record Lookup
- AutoSPF
- DMARC SPF Tool
If you encounter difficulties while checking email deliverability or need assistance with DNS record management, please don't hesitate to contact our support team for personalized assistance.
