DKIM is an essential tool for email security, helping website owners and managers protect emails from being forged or tampered with.
In this article, you’ll learn what DKIM is, why it’s important, and how you can quickly enable DKIM for your DirectAdmin email accounts. Understanding DKIM helps you safeguard your emails and your website’s reputation.
Understanding DKIM and Its Importance
What Is DKIM?
DKIM, which stands for DomainKeys Identified Mail, is a way to verify that an email really comes from the domain it says it does. Imagine sending a physical letter where you sign the envelope; DKIM acts much like this digital signature for your emails. When someone receives your message, their email provider checks your DKIM signature to make sure no one has changed the email on its way to them.
Spam and email spoofing can harm your brand and lower trust with your users.
Most cyberattacks begin with email, making email protection more important than ever. DKIM is a simple shield that helps email providers like Gmail or Outlook spot fake messages. Enabling DKIM increases the chances that your real emails land in inboxes instead of spam folders.
Enabling DKIM in DirectAdmin Email Accounts
Preparing Your DirectAdmin Account
Before you begin, ensure you have access to your DirectAdmin hosting account and know your domain. If your business uses another control panel, the general concept is similar, but steps may differ.
Step-by-Step: Enabling DKIM
1. Log in to DirectAdmin
Sign in with your username and password.
2. Access the E-mail Manager
Go to the “E-mail Accounts” section to see where your domain’s email settings can be managed.
3. Enable DKIM for Your Domain
Find the “Enable DKIM” button or checkbox. Click or check it to enable DKIM.
And that’s it.
If your DNS is managed through Tresseo, this will automatically generate the DKIM keys and update the necessary DNS records for you. So there’s no extra step to do!
Test DKIM Setup
At Tresseo, we recommend double-checking the DKIM status within your DNS settings to make sure everything is in place:
Send a test email from your domain email to a Gmail or Outlook account. Check the email headers (“Show Original” or “View Source” in Gmail or Outlook) and look for “DKIM=pass.”
This tells you that your email is signed and working as intended.
What to Do If It Isn’t Working
If you experience issues, confirm that DNS updates have had time to process—sometimes this can take up to 24-48 hours. You may also need to clear your local DNS cache. If you host with Tresseo, our support team can assist in checking your DKIM settings and troubleshooting any issues.
Keeping DKIM Active
If you migrate your website or change DNS providers, be sure to review and re-enable DKIM as needed. Regularly checking your settings helps protect your reputation and email security.
With DKIM, you make it much harder for anyone to pretend to send emails from your domain, improve your email delivery, and keep your contacts safe.
