Intro
As an Email Marketer, it is your job to make sure there lies a difference between you and the spammers. Or anyone with malicious intent to land in the inbox of customers. Hence having a system in place that can protect your Emails, it’s more than a need.
You don’t want to feel the heartbreak of being rejected by ISPs just because they deemed your message not credible enough. It could have devastating effects in long run, especially if your aim is to cultivate a fruitful relationship with customers.
So, what should you do? What would be the right course of action to ensure proof of integrity?
Well, there is a handful of methods that you can implement, the one we are gonna focus on today is called DKIM – Domain Key Identification.
What Is DKIM
DKIM or Domain Key Identification is an encryption technique used by ESPs to add a digital signature in the header of the Email for ISPs to evaluate and validate on their end.
In simple words, you could think of it as a witness-based model. The digital signature that is added from the sender’s end is proof for ISPs that the following message has been drafted from a credible source.
The technical side of it might be a little too technical for a non-dev person. Yet fundamentals remain the same.
In order to use DKIM you need to know how to publish a cryptographic public key as a specially-formatted TXT record. Your understanding should be clear enough to understand the role of DNS records. There should be a clear agreement for the encryption model.
Feeling overwhelmed already?
Don’t.
While it is always commendable to have familiarity with the technical side. It wouldn’t be expected of you to implement it. There would be a developer and you could always ask for their help. However, if you happen to be a lone wolf then knowing the intricate details might be necessary for you.
But before that let’s take a deep look at Digital Signature!
Digital Signature
If DKIM is the body of authentication then Digital Signature is the brain of the operation. It is the element that goes straight into the header of the Email and is used to evaluate by ISPs.
In practice it might look something like this:
KIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
d=sparkpost.com; s=google;
h=from:content-transfer-encoding:subject:message-id:date:to mime-version;
bh=ZkwViLQ8B7I9vFIen3+/FXErUuKv33PmCuZAwpemGco=;
b=kF31DkXsbP5bMGzOwivNE4fmMKX5W2/Yq0YqXD4Og1fPT6ViqB35uLxLGGhHv2lqXBWwFhODPVPauUXxRYEpMsuisdU5TgYmbwSJYYrFLFj5ZWTZ7VGgg6/nI1hoPWbzDaL9qh
A DKIM signature is created using different components of an Email. So it’s up to you as a sender to decide which part of the message would be the promising spot. However, since it is impossible to change the structure of components later, it is advisable to be cautious while making a decision. You don’t have the liberty to change once the hash function has been completed.
DKIM through Implementation
Although it is unlikely you would have to deal with DKIM first-hand as an Email Marketer. You should be well versed in the process to talk about it higher up the table. In case the times call for the need of it.
So here it goes…
The first step is to implement the following technique of authentication to a network: It is the domain owner\’s job to publish a cryptographic public key in a specially-formatted TXT record in the domain\’s overall DNS record.
Why is it important?
Well, without it would be impossible for the ISPs to decrypt your messages and have them validated for potential mishaps.
Moving on…
The next step is all about sending the Email with a digital signature. As we talked about it above, it is the sender’s responsibility to have it formed and attached to an Email Header. This is a critical point, failing to do so, you would be risking an entire batch.
Why you might ask?
Since the digital signature is created using a hash function on the components of the message. If during the transmission a third-party would try to manipulate or change anything, it would become evident to ISPs during the rehashing session at the port of entry.
How?
Well, the last step has the answer to it. When your Email arrives at the receiver’s gateway, it is checked by the ISPs, as we all know by now. However, it wouldn’t be in the form you’d expect normally or how you read in your inbox. At this point, it would be encrypted.
Therefore it is at this instance where ISPs call the public key you have stored in DNS to have your message decrypted. Once the decryption would be finished, the hash function is used once again to create another digital signature.
If you have guessed is used to compare to attach digital signatures, then you are right. It is indeed used to compare the results.
If there would be even a minor change between the two values, it would become evident something somewhere interacted with the data and changed it.
DKIM and DMARC
Okay, there is a fair bit of confusion I have seen in communities regarding DKIM and DMARC. DKIM or Domain Key Identified Mail is an authentication method. It is implemented with a single goal to provide an extra layer of extra authenticity.
Whereas DMARC (Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is a policy and reporting protocol designed to be called upon in case all authentication methods fail.
By all authentications, it means both DKIM and SPF (It is also an authentication method).
So if you are still wondering why would DMARC be needed ISPs don’t think twice about rejecting an Email. Well, you are right, they don’t, but they are not heartless, at least DMARC makes sure of it.
When you send an Email with DKIM and SPF there is a slight chance during transmission something can lead to a change and in return rejection. Therefore it is DMARC\’s duty to make sure receiving mail server, in this case, adheres to the set of pre-defined rules and notifies the sender server.
Think about it, if your server would get a ping there has been a fault in occurrence, wouldn’t you want to fix the problem? After all, you don’t want faulty, malicious content reaching your customer. And for sure you also don’t want to hurt your Email Deliverability.
DKIM and SPF
Just like DKIM and its aim to implement effective credibility in Email Marketing. SPF is also another technique to ensure the best possible practices are integrated within the system.
By definition, it can be defined as Sender Policy Framework or SPF. It is a set of rules made by Domain Owners for receiving mail servers.
While depending on the industry there could be variations within each specific set of policies, the basics remain the same.
And it is Domain Owners enlist the authorized sending servers to ISPs. So in the happenstance, there is doubt of suspicion an ISP can look up to the DNS system for the published record to validate the IP address.
If it won’t match the provided list. It is totally up to the discretion of receiving server to make the final call. So it can accept, reject, and flag it.
Although, in practice and technique, there is a vast difference between the approach of the two methods (DKIM and SPF). DKIM is more concerned about the authenticity of the message whereas SPF is an excellent manner to validate source. Both of them are complimentary to each other.
Having none is risky
Having either of them is good
Having both of them is an excellent strategy to safeguard your reputation and Email Deliverability.
How DKIM Can Affect Email Marketing
Email Marketing is an art. It requires effort, time, and maintenance, but most importantly security. Because it wouldn’t matter how amazing the content you have prepared is if it won’t be making it to the customer inbox for whatever reason.
And that’s why you need authentication methods!
DKIM is one of them.
You can’t manage to take risks with Email Deliverability. You can’t ignore your sender\’s reputation. They are vital. If you want to have a stable ride, a strong bond with the client on the other end, and more importantly respect for ISPs is the secret formula to get a win here.
So you do need to have a layer of proof, an identification method that screams to the world you deserve to land directly into the inbox.
And Is there anything better than DKIM for it?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
But can you take the risk that can risk it all?
I don’t think so…
Outro
Receivers benefit from a DKIM record because it alerts them to emails that might contain spam or dangerous material. Additionally, it confirms that the information contained in the DKIM signature was not altered while in transit.
But fewer senders have used DKIM since it is more difficult to install.
DKIM also does nothing to stop email spoofing of the email address, display name, and domain that are visible in an email\’s \”from\” field by hackers. Therefore, DKIM alone is unable to shield a company against sophisticated phishing assaults, just like SPF.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
- What is DKIM Email Authentication?
It is a method to ensure your Email messages are validated by the ISPs and hence allowed entry to land in the inbox. DKIM uses a digital signature and hash function to prove the interrupted transmission and source of origin.
- What is a good Header for an Email?
It depends on your business, but if we have to judge by the basics that should be ticked by every \’good\’ header then there your Email Header should contain: Logo, Organization Name, Heading, Text (If there is space to it), pictures (again – if space and design can compensate for it). Just make sure your Header is enough to paint the picture of the rest of the message.
- How do I authenticate Email with DKIM?
You don\’t authenticate. It is the Mailbox Service Providers who will use the digital signature DKIM added to Email Header to authenticate the source. What you have to do is enable the DKIM authentication so that each Email sent has a way to prove its authenticity.
- How does DKIM Authentication work?
DKIM authentication works by using the digital signature (a piece of code attached to the Email Header) that is encrypted by the sending server using a private key. When you would have set up DKIM authentication a public key would have been submitted to a DNS system. ISPs use that public key to decode the hashed message and rehash the function to check its validity.
- How do I create a DKIM key?
It is a technical process that requires knowledge of coding and encryption methods. If you are a marketer it is best left for a developer to aid you with it.