Deliverability & DNS
Inbox placement is earned with correct DNS, consistent volume and clean lists. Here is what each record does and how CamelMailer helps.
The records that matter
| Record | What it proves | Who checks it |
|---|---|---|
| SPF | This IP is allowed to send for the domain | Every receiving MTA |
| DKIM | The message body was signed by the domain and not altered | Every receiving MTA |
| DMARC | What to do when SPF/DKIM fail, and where to report | Gmail, Microsoft and Yahoo (enforced for bulk senders) |
| PTR (reverse DNS) | The sending IP has a real hostname | Spam filters scoring the connection |
How CamelMailer signs
- Outgoing mail is DKIM-signed with the installation signing key. The dashboard shows the exact
TXTrecord (selector + public key) to publish per domain. - SPF: include your instance in the sending domain's record, e.g.
v=spf1 a:mail.yourdomain.com -all. - Return-path, route, tracking and MX names are configured per installation in the
dnsconfig group; the defaults the dashboard displays come from there. - Domain verification status is tracked per sending domain; the management API exposes
POST …/domains/{name}/verifyfor automation.
A sane DMARC rollout
Start with monitoring, tighten once the reports look clean:
- Week 1:
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com - Then:
p=quarantine, so failures land in spam instead of the inbox. - Finally:
p=rejectonce you are sure every legitimate sender is covered.
Reputation habits
- Warm up new IPs: ramp volume gradually over ~2 weeks; steady beats bursty while reputation builds.
- Respect suppressions: CamelMailer stops sending to addresses on the suppression list automatically, so do not work around it (guide).
- Watch bounces: a rising bounce rate is the earliest warning.
GET /api/v2/server/bouncesor the dashboard stats show it. - Transactional only: bulk marketing from the same domain wrecks the reputation your receipts depend on, and it violates the acceptable-use policy.
Cloud customers: the platform-level records (PTR, shared IPs, MX) are managed for you. You only publish SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your own sending domains, with the values shown in the dashboard.