DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

email authentication

01 Definition

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) meaning: An email authentication method that signs messages to prove they were not altered.

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing email. Receiving servers check it against a public key in the sender's DNS to confirm the message came from the domain and was not changed in transit. It supports deliverability and works alongside SPF and DMARC.

Why it matters

How DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) fits the work

DKIM helps prove a sender's identity, which protects deliverability and makes it harder for others to forge email from your domain.

In context

A retailer enables DKIM so mailbox providers can verify its promotional emails, reducing the chance they land in the spam folder.

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Practical note

DKIM alone does not stop spoofing of the visible from address. Pair it with SPF and a DMARC policy for meaningful protection.