Website form emails going to spam? How website mail should be sent
Send website form mail through your organization’s email service or a transactional service with DKIM. Use a fixed address on your domain as From, with the visitor’s address in Reply-To.
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Published · iGears Canada
Why direct web-server mail gets into trouble
Web servers that send directly are usually outside SPF and unsigned. SPF lists allowed senders, and an unlisted sender fails the authorization check. Do not add a shared web server to SPF.
Use a defined sending path
- Choose the organization’s email service or a transactional service with DKIM.
- Use a fixed From address on the organization’s domain.
- Put the visitor’s email in Reply-To.
- Check SPF and DKIM for the service actually sending.
Check DMARC for that path
DKIM is signed per sending service. DMARC needs SPF or DKIM to pass and align with the From domain. p=none does not stop filtering. Check the website’s path separately from staff email.
Review the whole platform
Compare the DNS host’s records with the website’s configured sender and the organization’s email service. A working staff mailbox does not establish that website mail uses the same path.
Frequently asked questions
Should the visitor be the From address?
No. Use a fixed address on your domain and put the visitor’s address in Reply-To.
Should we add a shared web server to SPF?
No. Send through the organization’s email service or a transactional service with DKIM.
Does staff email working prove the form is configured?
No. The website can use a different sending path and needs its own review.
Will DMARC p=none stop filtering?
No. p=none does not stop filtering. SPF or DKIM must pass and align with the From domain.
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Verified Canadian businesses and non-profits can apply for a read-only check of one domain, DNS, email and platforms.
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