Email Domain Health Checklist: 10 Things to Check Before You Send

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1 SPF Record Exists and Is Valid

Your domain must have exactly one TXT record starting with v=spf1. It should include all services that send email on your behalf.

✓ Good: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
✗ Bad: No SPF record, or two conflicting SPF records

2 SPF Stays Under 10 Lookups

The SPF spec limits DNS lookups to 10. Each include:, a:, and mx: mechanism counts. If you exceed 10, SPF fails for all recipients — silently.

✓ Good: 5-7 lookups with room to add a tool later
✗ Bad: 11+ lookups (SPF permerror — treated as fail by most receivers)

3 DKIM Is Enabled and Signing

Having a DKIM DNS record isn't enough — your email provider must be actively signing outgoing messages. Check your provider's admin panel to confirm DKIM is turned on.

✓ Good: DKIM selector found, key length ≥ 2048 bits
✗ Bad: No selectors found, or key is only 512/1024 bits

4 DMARC Record Is Published

A TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com is now required by Google and Microsoft for bulk senders. Start with p=none if you're new.

✓ Good: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine or p=reject with reporting
✗ Bad: No DMARC record at all

5 DMARC Policy Is Stronger Than "none"

p=none is monitor-only — it doesn't protect you from spoofing. Plan to upgrade to quarantine within 2-4 weeks, then to reject when confident.

✓ Good: p=quarantine or p=reject
✗ Bad: p=none for more than a month (you're leaving yourself open to spoofing)

6 MX Records Point to Your Email Provider

MX records tell the internet where to deliver email for your domain. Without them, your domain looks like it can't receive email — a spam signal.

✓ Good: MX records pointing to Google/Microsoft/your provider with proper priority
✗ Bad: No MX records, or pointing to a dead server

7 Not on Any Major Blacklists

Check your sending IPs against Spamhaus, Barracuda, SpamCop, and other major blacklists. One listing on Spamhaus SBL can kill deliverability across Gmail and Outlook.

✓ Good: Clean across all major blacklists
✗ Bad: Listed on Spamhaus, Barracuda, or SpamCop (request delisting immediately)

8 Domain Has a Live Website

Bare domains with no website look suspicious to spam filters. Even a simple landing page with your company info helps establish legitimacy. A parked domain page ("This domain is for sale") actively hurts.

✓ Good: Real website with company info, contact page, privacy policy
✗ Bad: Parked page, DNS error, or completely blank

9 Domain Is Warmed Up

New domains start with zero reputation. Sending volume should ramp gradually: 10-20/day for week 1, doubling each week. Blasting 1,000 cold emails from a week-old domain is a fast track to spam folders.

✓ Good: Domain is 2+ weeks old with gradual sending history
✗ Bad: Brand new domain sending high volume immediately

10 Monitoring Is Set Up

DNS records can change, blacklist listings appear overnight, and provider policies shift. Set up automated monitoring so you know the moment something breaks — before it kills an active campaign.

✓ Good: Automated daily checks with email alerts on score drops
✗ Bad: "I'll check it when deliverability drops" (too late by then)

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MailVital checks SPF, DKIM, DMARC, blacklists, and MX records across all your domains. Paste up to 25 domains, get instant results.

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What Score Should You Aim For?

After running your check, here's how to interpret your score:

90-100 (A): Excellent. Everything is configured correctly. You're in great shape.
80-89 (B): Good. Minor improvements possible (e.g., upgrading DMARC policy), but you'll reach inboxes.
60-79 (C-D): Fair to poor. Some authentication is missing or misconfigured. Fix before sending campaigns.
Below 60 (F): Critical issues. Emails are likely hitting spam or being rejected. Stop sending until fixed.