Problem

Why is DKIM signing emails so important?

Solution

First let's cover what DKIM is?

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method that allows the person receiving the email to check that it was actually sent by the domain it claims to be sent from, and that it hasn't been modified in transit.

But how does it work?

This is accomplished by adding a digital signature to the headers of the email, which can be verified by the recipient using the sender's public DKIM key, which is published in the sender's DNS records for that domain name.

So, is DKIM signing an email important?

One of the main benefits of DKIM is that it helps to prevent email fraud, such as phishing and spoofing. By using DKIM, recipients can be sure that an email is legitimate and not a fake or modified version sent by a malicious third party. This can help to protect individuals and organizations from falling victim to scams and fraud.

Another benefit of DKIM is that it can help to improve email deliverability. Many email providers use DKIM as a way to determine the authenticity of an email and to decide whether or not to deliver it to the recipient's inbox. By using DKIM, senders can increase the chances that their emails will be delivered and not marked as spam.

To further improve deliverability it is recommended that in addition to using DKIM signed emails that you also publish valid SPF and DMARC records.

outMail supports the signing of DKIM emails, to learn how to setup DKIM signing for outmail click here.