How to Use the Email Standards Compliance Checker
Use the Email Standards Compliance Checker for a comprehensive assessment of a domain's email security, deliverability, and brand presence configuration. It verifies six key standards: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, BIMI, MTA-STS, and TLS-RPT.
How to Use the Checker
- Navigate to the Tool: Go to the Email Standards Compliance page.
-
Enter Domain Name: In the "Domain Name" field, enter the domain you want to check (e.g.,
example.com). Do not include `http://` or `www.`. - Adjust Timeout (Optional): Set the maximum time (5-30 seconds, default 15) the tool should wait for various DNS lookups. Longer timeouts might be needed for domains with slower DNS responses.
-
Advanced Options (Optional):**
- Click the `Show advanced options` checkbox to reveal more settings.
- Check BIMI records: (Checked by default) Verifies Brand Indicators for Message Identification setup.
- Check MTA-STS policy: (Checked by default) Checks Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security for enforcing TLS encryption.
- Check TLS-RPT records: (Checked by default) Looks for TLS Reporting records used for monitoring TLS failures.
- Uncheck options if you want to speed up the check by skipping certain standards.
- Start Check: Click the button. A spinner will appear while the tool performs the checks.
Understanding the Results
After the check completes, a results card appears with several sections:-
Overall Score & Summary:
- A **Compliance Score** (0-100) is shown in a colored circle (Green=High, Yellow=Medium, Red=Low) indicating overall adherence to the checked standards.
- A brief text **Summary** gives a high-level assessment.
-
Save to Monitor Button:**
- If the domain isn't already being monitored, a button appears.
- Clicking this adds the domain to the Sender Domain Health Monitor tool for ongoing checks. You may be prompted for an optional alert email address.
-
Standards Overview Grid:**
- Provides a quick visual summary using cards for each standard (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, BIMI, MTA-STS, TLS-RPT).
- A status indicator (✓ or ✗) shows if a valid record/policy was found for each standard.
-
Email Standards Details Section:**
- Provides a detailed breakdown for each standard checked.
- Each subsection explains the purpose of the standard (e.g., SPF, DKIM), shows a summary of findings, displays the actual DNS record found (if applicable), and includes a status badge (e.g., Valid, Invalid, Missing, Policy Info).
- For BIMI, a link to view the detected logo may be provided if found.
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Recommendations Section:**
- Lists specific, actionable recommendations to improve the domain's compliance based on the check results.
- Recommendations are prioritized (HIGH/CRITICAL, MEDIUM/WARNING, LOW/INFO).
- Includes examples of correctly formatted DNS records or policy snippets where relevant.
-
Raw JSON Response Section:**
- A collapsible section showing the complete, raw data returned by the backend API for detailed technical analysis or debugging.
Tips for Improving Compliance
- Address **High/Critical** priority recommendations first, as these often relate to fundamental security configurations (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Implementing **BIMI** requires a strict DMARC policy (`p=quarantine` or `p=reject`) and a specific SVG logo format hosted via HTTPS.
- **MTA-STS** and **TLS-RPT** enhance security by enforcing encryption and providing reports on TLS connection failures, respectively. They often require specific DNS records and web server configurations (for the policy file).
- Use the generated recommendations and examples when configuring records with your DNS provider.
- Utilize the "Save to Monitor" feature for continuous health checks on your critical sending domains.