Email authentication is a crucial aspect of email marketing and communication. With the rise of email scams and phishing attacks, it is essential to ensure that your emails are authentic and trustworthy. DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is a widely used email authentication protocol that verifies the authenticity of the sender's domain. DKIM selectors are an essential component of this protocol, as they help to identify the specific public key used to encrypt the email message.
Understanding DKIM selectors is crucial for email marketers and administrators who want to ensure that their emails are delivered and not flagged as spam. In this ultimate guide, we'll delve into the world of DKIM selectors, and how they work to authenticate emails.
We will explore the different types of selectors and how they are generated, as well as provide practical examples of how to set up DKIM selectors for your domain. By the end of this guide, you'll have a better understanding of DKIM selectors and be equipped with the knowledge to implement them correctly in your email authentication
What is meant by DKIM?
The owner of an email's domain can be verified by the receiving server through DKIM, an email authentication method. A digital signature is added to the email as a header and secured with encryption.
What is meant by DKIM selectors?
To identify a specific public key used for signing a message, a DKIM signature includes a string known as a DKIM selector, which is appended to the domain name.
Where can I locate my DKIM Selector?
A random string of text can be used for the DKIM selection when forming the private public key pair for the email domain or sender configuration.
The DKIM selector is appended to the DKIM-Signature email header in the form of an s tag upon sending the email. To determine the selector for your domain, sending an email to your own address is the easiest method.
- Your goal is to view the header data, which includes DKIM authentication results. To achieve this, open the email and access its original message (referred to as raw or full headers in some email applications).
- If there are multiple DKIM signatures, locate the one that pertains to your domain by searching for "DKIM-signature" in the headers. The property s in this DKIM signature denotes the selection, which is s2048gl in the given example of DKIM selection.
Signature for DKIM: version 1; algorithm used is rsa-sha256; relaxed relaxed mode is used for canonicalization; domain name is skysnag.domain; selector is s2048g1.
What is the maximum number of DKIM selectors allowed?
An organization can make use of a DKIM selector to publish several DKIM keys in DNS, which can prove beneficial if the organization decides to modify its signing infrastructure. It is possible to create a new key and include the corresponding DNS record well before deleting the old key.
What is the reason for having more than one DKIM selector?
There are several reasons why there must be multiple private-public key pairings:
- Configuring DKIM for multiple email delivery services under one domain.
- Signing verification with one service will not interfere with that of another service, as each service can have its own separate selectors.
When sending or validating an email message, a DKIM selector is employed, with each instance requiring the use of a distinct key pair. The public key in the key pair is located (selected) by the signing server using it, as well as by the receiving server using it.
To sum up, DKIM selectors are a fundamental part of email authentication and are essential to ensure that your emails are delivered successfully and securely. Understanding how DKIM selectors work and how to configure them correctly can help you avoid common issues such as failed email authentication, spam filters blocking your emails, and phishing attacks.
By following the best practices and guidelines outlined in this guide, you can create a robust and reliable email authentication system that protects your brand reputation and improves your email deliverability.