This article covers the SPF and DKIM authentication processes for TransIP and how they are managed in Valimail. While only one of the two authentication methods is required for an email to pass DMARC, our recommendation is to configure both whenever possible.

You can see an example of a DKIM record in the image above. When you're actively using a Web Hosting service or our VPS Mail service, you can use three CNAME records which point to our own DKIM records.

If you use the VPS Mailservice, you can use the CNAME records below during the configuration. If you use a Web Hosting service, these CNAME records are added automatically unless you manage your own DNS records. In that case, you will receive an e-mail with these CNAME records so that you can add them yourself.

In the same way, many other providers use CNAME records to point towards their DKIM records. If you are adding a CNAME record, follow the steps in this article.

If you're sending email with your own mail server, you will first need to install and configure DKIM yourself. Keep in mind that we do not offer direct support on the installation and configuration of DKIM. There is plenty of online documentation on this process however.

Once you've configured DKIM on your own mailserver, you can use this DKIM generator to create your own DKIM record and matching keys. The first box is where you enter your domain name. The second box is for the Selector, where you enter the name of the DKIM record (such as key1).

Next, choose a Key size in bits and press 'Create keys'. The public and private key of the DKIM record will then be shown, followed by the actual DKIM record as you can see below.

The full name of the DKIM record from our example is key1._domainkey.transiptutorials.com. 'key1' is the Selector, wheras _domainkey states that we want to enter a DKIM key in the value of the record.

Using our example, we only enter key1._domainkey in the 'Name' field. Our DNS software automatically adds the root domain in the background.

The 'TTL' of a DNS record determines how long the record can remain in the cache. We recommend keeping the TTL low, for example at 1 or 5 minutes.

Because a DKIM record is a variation on the TXT record, we choose 'TXT' under 'Type'.

The image above shows the DKIM record we've created again. The full input of the value of the DKIM record in the control panel is as follows:

v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEAij7fWbgJnjrBqanlOxy+ZQSjnC54Clu7VITeiT8jZffE0SiDXhymTOxsMdEbWI94KRRdTpMyVnz5E7lLLCF76ayT6AyUoiRONvoVibHmiE9jlcwMM4ZW8QmFd1+ato2wzbXYb2xwFnHthBcSBkUGgl8zlLJc7J3483TmuAlKnLMCU9nTJepBtzAlHPOy3xpkUckUrMw1CVZFnbpUz31IuERiOuRLSast8jrFfGD0W2bj1fx+McNJVfSOzNw35aLnTxH/Igjzbg/0yH0U+bJwUwmS9wQEYzPn9aFe01k6C3cCZdIEmrh1XERnfc0YXKVu+AjuRA8HGZNvURNIo8Ah4wIDAQAB

Take note: When entering your DKIM record, it is important that you do not copy the quotation marks (") at the beginning and the end of the value. The same applies to backslashes ( \ ). The quotation marks are added to the background by our DNS software; the backslashes are unnecessary.

You can also find the instructions on how to set up DKIM and SPF for TransIP, here.

You can find more detailed information on how to add a DKIM key in Valimail, here:

Once you establish that TransIP is an authorized sender for your domain, you will need to add the service in your Enabled Senders.

You will find more detailed information on how to add a service for your domain in Valimail, here:

Note: We encourage you to use the comment section for any useful information about your sending service, such as the name of the service owner, change request ticket numbers, etc.