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DKIM

Emily Hall
Updated

DomainKeys Identified Mail, or DKIM, allows the email server to “sign” outgoing emails. The signature shows receiving servers that the email is authentic and authorized by the domain owner. 

This does a few things: 

  • Helps prevent email spoofing
  • Helps keep your outgoing mail out of junk folders
  • Helps ensure successful delivery

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Tip: When paired with SPF and DMARC, DKIM can boost protection against malicious spam.

 

How DKIM Works

When enabled, DKIM “signs” outgoing messages so that receiving servers can check the email’s legitimacy.

Let’s say you have an outgoing email. DKIM will take the headers and body from that message and create a hash value using a private key. The hash value acts as the DKIM “signature.” 

DNS contains the public version of the key, which receivers use to decrypt the hash value. 

If a hash value doesn’t match after decryption, then the email has either been tampered with or is attempting to fake your address. If the hash value matches, then the email is legitimate. 

When DKIM is enabled on a domain, DKIM is applied to all mailboxes on that domain.

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DKIM only signs messages sent with SMTP authentication. This typically includes any messages sent from a mail client.

 

Adding DKIM to a Domain

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DKIM is only available on hosting packages with mailboxes. If you are on an account without mailboxes, some packages offer an email add on. Find out more information here: Email Add On. 

 

To add DKIM to a domain: 

Choose the tutorial that reflects your ACC interface type: 

Not sure what the difference is? See Which ACC Interface Am I Using? 

If you are using the Legacy Interface:

  1. Log in to the Account Control Center at my.pair.com
  2. In the left sidebar, click Domains
  3. In the drop-down, click Manage Your Domain Names
  4. Click on the domain name you want to add DKIM to
  5. Scroll down to the “DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)” section and click Change DKIM Settings
  6.  Click Activate DKIM

If you are using the New ACC Interface:

  1. Log in to the Account Control Center at my.pair.com
  2. In the top navigation bar, click Domains
  3. Find the domain you want to add DKIM to and click its Edit button
  4. In the “Email” section, find DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and click its Edit  button
  5. Click the Activate DKIM button

Completing these steps will enable DKIM signing on your domain. All mailboxes on this domain will be affected. 

Once enabled, messages will begin using aDKIM after the new DKIM record is published to DNS. Please allow some time for this to take effect.  

If your DNS is hosted elsewhere, you will need to provide your DNS host provider with a copy of the DKIM record as well. 

Removing DKIM from a Domain

To remove DKIM from a domain: 

Choose the tutorial that reflects your ACC interface type: 

Not sure what the difference is? See Which ACC Interface Am I Using? 

If you are using the Legacy Interface:

  1. Log in to the Account Control Center at my.pair.com
  2. In the left sidebar, click Domains
  3. In the drop-down, click Manage Your Domain Names
  4. Click on the domain name you want to add DKIM to
  5. Scroll down to the “DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)” section and click Change DKIM Settings
  6. Click Deactivate DKIM

If you are using the New ACC Interface:

  1. Log in to the Account Control Center at my.pair.com
  2. In the top navigation bar, click Domains
  3. Find the domain you want to add DKIM to and click its Edit button
  4. In the “Email” section, find DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and click its Edit  button
  5. Click the Activate DKIM button
  6. Click the Deactivate DKIM button

Completing these steps will deactivate DKIM on that domain. All mailboxes on this domain will be affected. 

 

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