What Is Email Reputation?
Email reputation is how email providers view your domain:
- Good reputation: Emails land in inbox
- Bad reputation: Emails go to spam or are rejected
Reputation is built through:
- Consistent sending patterns
- Low complaint rates
- Proper authentication
- Lack of spam association
How Email Reputation Gets Damaged
Spoofing Attacks
Scammers send emails pretending to be from your domain:
- Phishing emails to your customers
- Spam campaigns using your name
- Fraudulent communications
Even though you didn’t send these emails, receiving servers may associate your domain with spam.
Authentication Failures
Without proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC:
- Legitimate emails may fail verification
- Servers can’t distinguish real from fake
- Some providers reject unauthenticated email
Being Marked as Spam
If recipients mark your legitimate emails as spam, your reputation suffers.
Email Authentication Explained
SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
Lists which servers can send email for your domain:
- Prevents unauthorized servers from sending as you
- Receiving servers check SPF to verify senders
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
Cryptographic signature proving email authenticity:
- Emails are signed with your private key
- Receiving servers verify with your public key
- Proves email wasn’t modified in transit
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)
Policy for handling authentication failures:
- Tells servers what to do with suspicious emails
- Provides reporting on authentication results
- Builds on SPF and DKIM
How SecurEcommerce Protects Email Reputation
Authentication Monitoring
We continuously check your domain’s email configuration:
SPF Record Check
- Do you have an SPF record?
- Is it properly formatted?
- Does it include necessary senders?
DKIM Verification
- Is DKIM configured?
- Are signatures valid?
- Are keys properly published?
DMARC Policy Check
- Is DMARC set up?
- What policy is configured?
- Are you receiving reports?
Suspicious Email Analysis
Forward emails that look suspicious to us for analysis:
- We check for phishing indicators
- Verify if it’s really from you
- Identify spoofing attempts
- Provide recommendations
Alerts and Recommendations
When we find issues:
- Immediate alerts for critical problems
- Clear explanation of what’s wrong
- Step-by-step fix instructions
- Priority based on severity
Common Email Security Issues
Missing SPF Record
Problem: Any server can claim to send for your domain Fix: Add SPF record to DNS listing authorized senders
DKIM Not Configured
Problem: Emails can’t be cryptographically verified Fix: Enable DKIM with your email provider, publish public key
DMARC Policy Too Weak
Problem: Spoofed emails aren’t rejected Fix: Gradually strengthen DMARC policy (none → quarantine → reject)
Misconfigured Records
Problem: Records exist but are wrong Fix: Verify syntax and content match requirements
Setting Up Email Authentication
For Shopify Merchants
Transactional Email (Orders, etc.) Shopify handles authentication for emails sent through their system.
Marketing Email Configure authentication with your email marketing provider (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, etc.):
- Add their servers to your SPF record
- Set up DKIM signing
- Configure DMARC policy
Custom Email If using custom email (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365):
- Provider guides you through SPF/DKIM
- Add DMARC record separately
- Monitor with SecurEcommerce
Monitoring Your Email Reputation
SecurEcommerce provides ongoing monitoring:
- Daily checks of authentication records
- Alerts when configuration changes
- Warnings if records become invalid
- Recommendations for improvements
Best Practices
Start with Monitoring
Before making changes, understand current state.
Implement Gradually
- Set up SPF first
- Add DKIM next
- Start DMARC with “none” policy
- Gradually strengthen DMARC
Monitor Continuously
Email configuration can break:
- DNS changes
- Provider updates
- Expired certificates
Respond to Issues Quickly
Authentication problems affect deliverability immediately.