I get regular calls from people whose emails are no longer reaching their destination. They just die in transit: no bounce, no alert, nothing. By the time anyone notices, a lot of email has disappeared. The fix is usually the same three standards that also stop criminals impersonating you.
The three standards you must have
- SPF tells receiving servers which mail servers are allowed to send for your domain.
- DKIM adds a cryptographic signature proving the email was not tampered with.
- DMARC tells receiving servers what to do with email that fails SPF or DKIM, and reports who is sending as you.
Without all three properly configured, legitimate email is far more likely to be filtered, and anyone can send convincing fake invoices in your name.
What else is new
- Stricter inbox rules. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft now expect authentication from bulk senders.
- BIMI lets your logo appear in the inbox, but only once DMARC is enforced.
- Better monitoring. DMARC reporting tools make it far easier to see every service sending as you.
If your emails are not reliably reaching the inbox, or you are not sure your domain is protected, see our email security and DMARC service or call 1300 566 652.
Written and reviewed by Noah Greenstone, Founder and Principal Consultant. Last reviewed 10 February 2026.
