In this article, we will explain why you should authenticate your domain and what the DKIM record provided by Brevo is.

Why should I authenticate my domain?

Domain authentication is a way to verify that an email is sent from the sender they claimed to be. It is an important process and is often used in blocking harmful content such as phishing scams. Emails that fail the authentication will have a higher chance to be filtered to the spam or junk folder.

Secure the online reputation of your domain

Authenticating your domain allows you to secure the brand and online reputation of your domain by preventing spoofing attacks, which happen when someone fakes the identity of a sender to send malicious emails.

For example, if a phisher starts using Brevo’s identity to send malicious content, then Brevo’s reputation will be badly impacted. To avoid this situation, we must ensure that our domain is correctly authenticated to prevent anyone from using our domain name without authorization. 

Increase the level of trust from ISPs and webmails

Adding more security to the email flow will automatically increase trust from the ISPs and webmails, leading to a higher delivery rate and a better inbox placement rate.

When the identity of a sender cannot be authenticated, the email looks less reliable. As a consequence, mailbox providers may reject the email or send it through additional filters to determine whether it should be delivered to the inbox or not. The chances of delivering in the spam folder or being blocked by mailbox providers are much higher without domain authentication.

Sign your emails with your own domain name

By default, all your emails are digitally signed by Brevo, but you can personalize your domain signature by authenticating your domain.

What is DKIM?

When an email is sent, the recipient's server runs some checks to see if the message is legitimate and sent by an authorized sender. These checks are possible by implementing the DKIM protocol on the sender domain.

The DKIM protocol, which stands for DomainKeys Identified Mail, is a cryptographic protocol based on the use of public keys that are published in your DNS. The protocol allows you to sign your email with your domain name, just as you would sign a letter with your signature. The recipient of your email will then be sure that you have written the email they received and has not been altered during transmission. This protocol is particularly effective against "man in the middle" attacks.

How can I authenticate my domain?

To authenticate your domain, you need to configure the DKIM record provided by Brevo on your domain host. Learn how to authenticate your domain in our dedicated article Authenticate your domain to improve the deliverability of your emails (DKIM).

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