How to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for cold email?
Add an SPF TXT record to your sending domain listing your email provider as an authorized sender. Then enable DKIM in your provider dashboard and publish the provided CNAME or TXT records in your DNS. Finally, set a DMARC policy starting at p=none to monitor alignment, then move to p=quarantine once reply rates stabilize. All three records working together protect deliverability across sequences targeting 500 to 2,000 prospects per month.
Evidence and detail
- Domains with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aligned see inbox placement rates 30 to 40 percent higher than unauthenticated senders.
- Google and Yahoo require DMARC alignment for bulk senders exceeding 5,000 messages per day, effective February 2024.
- Cold outreach sequences on authenticated domains consistently achieve 15 to 25 percent reply rates versus sub-5 percent on unauthenticated infrastructure.
Related reading
- /blog/cold-email-deliverability-checklist
- /blog/how-to-warm-up-a-sending-domain
- /blog/best-dns-settings-for-cold-outreach
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