Here's a simple, non-technical explanation of DKIM, SPF, and DMARC—three important tools that help protect email and prevent spam or fraud.
✉️ What’s the Problem?
Anyone can pretend to send email from your domain (like [email protected]), even if they’re a spammer or scammer. DKIM, SPF, and DMARC are like security tools that tell other email systems:
✅ "Yes, this email is really from us."
❌ "No, don’t trust that fake email."
✍️ DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
What it does:
DKIM adds a digital signature to each email—like a stamp of authenticity.
"This email hasn’t been tampered with, and it really came from us."
If the signature is missing or doesn’t match, the receiving system gets suspicious.
🔐 SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
What it does:
SPF is like a guest list for your email. It tells the internet:
"Only these servers (like Gmail, Outlook, etc.) are allowed to send email for my domain."
If someone else tries to send fake email pretending to be you, they’re not on the list—so they get blocked or flagged.
🛡️ DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)
What it does:
DMARC is the policy and reporting system.
"Here’s how to handle email that fails SPF or DKIM—block it, quarantine it, or just watch it."
It also sends you reports about who's sending email from your domain—legit or fake.
🧠 Quick Analogy:
Imagine sending a physical letter:
SPF is the list of approved mail carriers.
DKIM is the signature on the envelope proving it wasn’t forged.
DMARC is your instruction to the post office: "If the carrier or signature looks wrong, don’t deliver it—and tell me about it."
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are implemented via DNS records.