AcyMailing: How to ensure email gets delivered

The Sender Policy Framework allows an email recipient to check if the email originated from an approved source.

At GXSA, we assert that all our emails from gxsa.org.uk actually come from the gxsa.org.uk web servers (i.e. the email address is not being spoofed by a spammer).

This is how it works:

1. A simple text attribute is added to the gxsa.org.uk DNS entry
2. An email message contains a reference to the origin of the email
3. The recipient email system (eg. mail.google.com)  checks that the two match.  If not, it marks the email as spam

Whilst not a 100% check, it’s pretty good (see DKIM) for the complementary validation that covers the other parts of the message.

To understand more about SPF, read this article: http://support.easydns.com/tutorials/SPF/spfrec.php

 

There are several testing tools to make sure that the SPF entry is effective.  Check here: http://www.kitterman.com/spf/validate.html

 

The GXSA SPF record is self managed by the account manager (Stuart Gaunt).  Currently under development, as we learn more about UK2, but the TXT component should look something like this:

“v=spf1 A -all”

OR

“v=spf1 A mx:hostedemail.com -all”

 

We’re currently seeking clarity from UK2

(the full DNS Entry would look like this: “gxsa.org.uk IN TXT “v=spf1 a mx:hostedemail.com -all”“)