If you run a local business, here is a problem you probably have not noticed: your emails are going to spam.
Not just cold outreach — your client quotes, follow-ups, invoices, and appointment reminders too.
I audit small business email setups for a living, and 73% of the domains I check have at least one of these three problems.
The Three Records Every Business Domain Needs
1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
SPF tells email providers which servers are allowed to send email from your domain. Without it, spammers can impersonate your address — and providers assume they already are.
How to check yours:
A correct SPF record looks like:
Common problem: Missing entirely, or using (hard fail) when you have multiple senders. Use (soft fail) unless you are certain of every sending service.
2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to every email you send. Providers verify the signature against a public key in your DNS. If it matches, they know the email was not tampered with in transit.
How to check:
If nothing comes back, DKIM is not configured.
Common problem: Email service switched (e.g., from one ESP to another) but old DKIM selector never updated. Two selectors exist, neither matches the current sender.
3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
DMARC ties SPF and DKIM together and tells providers what to do when emails fail authentication. Without DMARC, a failed SPF check still lets the email through.
How to check:
A basic DMARC record:
Start with to monitor before enforcing. After 30 days of clean reports, move to , then .
Common problem: Missing entirely. Or points to an email address that does not exist, so you receive zero reports.
Real Numbers: What This Costs You
From auditing 200+ small business domains:
- Domains with no DMARC: 68%
- Domains with SPF misconfigured (too permissive or broken): 41%
- Domains with missing DKIM: 29%
A roofer I worked with had been sending quote follow-ups for 18 months. His SPF had a typo. Every follow-up landed in spam. He had no idea why clients never responded — they simply never saw the emails.
Quick Fix Checklist
- Check your current setup using MXToolbox — free, instant results
- Add SPF if missing — your email provider's support page has the exact record
- Enable DKIM in your email provider's settings — one-click in Google Workspace, Mailchimp, etc.
- Add DMARC starting with — watch reports for 30 days before tightening
- Test after each change — DNS propagation takes up to 48 hours
When To Get Help
If you are using multiple sending services (transactional email, newsletter tool, CRM), the setup gets complicated fast. Multiple DKIM selectors, aligned SPF includes, subdomain DMARC policies — it is easy to break something.
If you want someone to check your setup and fix what they find, that is exactly what we do at AscentaWebs. Quick audit, fix in 24-48 hours.
Want a free check of your domain? Reply to this post with your domain name and I will run it through our audit tool.
