🔬 Email Health — Developer Report

← Back to Summary
Section 1 — Live DNS Records
SPF TXT Record (austinvisuals.com)
Fetching...
DMARC TXT Record (_dmarc.austinvisuals.com)
Fetching...
DKIM Records (all selectors scanned)
Scanning selectors...
MX Records (austinvisuals.com)
Fetching...
Section 2 — Score Breakdown
Check Status Score Max Issue Description Fix Priority
Running checks...
Section 3 — Fix Instructions
🔒 SPF Record Fixes
▾
🔴 If SPF is missing
1
Log into your DNS provider (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.)
2
Navigate to DNS Management for austinvisuals.com
3
Add a new TXT record on the root domain (@ or austinvisuals.com)
4
Set the value to:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
5
Save and allow 15–60 minutes for DNS propagation
🟡 If SPF uses soft fail (~all)
1
Confirm all email-sending services for austinvisuals.com are listed in the SPF record (Google Workspace, Mailchimp, HubSpot, etc.)
2
Once confirmed, change ~all to -all for strict enforcement
3
Updated record example:
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com -all
⚠️ If SPF has too many DNS lookups (>10)
1
Use SPF flattening to convert includes into raw IPs
2
✍️ DKIM Signing Fixes
▾
🔴 If DKIM is missing
1
Go to Google Workspace Admin Console → admin.google.com ↗
2
Navigate to Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail
3
Click Authenticate email
4
Select domain austinvisuals.com
5
Click Generate New Record — choose 2048-bit key if available
6
Copy the generated TXT record value
7
In your DNS provider, add a new TXT record:
Host: google._domainkey.austinvisuals.com
Value: (paste the generated key)
8
Return to Google Admin → Authenticate email → click Start Authentication
9
Wait 15–60 min for DNS propagation. Google will confirm when active.
🛡️ DMARC Policy Fixes
▾
🔴 If DMARC is missing
1
In your DNS provider, add a new TXT record
2
Host: _dmarc.austinvisuals.com
3
Value (recommended starting point):
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:matt@austinvisuals.com; pct=100
4
This sends weekly aggregate reports to matt@austinvisuals.com showing who's sending as your domain
🟡 If DMARC policy is p=none (monitor only)
1
Verify SPF and DKIM are both passing (check sections above first)
2
Review DMARC aggregate reports for any legitimate senders not yet covered
3
Upgrade to p=quarantine, then eventually p=reject:
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:matt@austinvisuals.com; pct=100
🚫 Blacklist Removal
▾
1
Check blacklist status: MXToolbox Blacklist Check ↗
2
If listed, click the blacklist name in MXToolbox results for self-service removal instructions
3
Most blacklist removals take 24–48 hours to propagate
4
Before requesting removal, identify and stop the spam/abuse behavior that caused the listing
5
After removal, re-check in 48 hours to confirm delisting
📊 Google Postmaster Setup
▾
1
2
Sign in with matt@austinvisuals.com (Google Workspace account)
3
Click + Add Domain
4
Enter austinvisuals.com
5
Google will provide a TXT verification record — add it to your DNS
6
Return to Postmaster Tools and click Verify
7
Data begins populating within 24–48 hours. Requires sending enough volume to Gmail addresses.
Section 4 — DNS Provider Access

To identify which DNS provider manages austinvisuals.com, check the nameservers:

→ who.is/whois/austinvisuals.com ↗

⚠️ Credential access required from Matt Winters before making any DNS changes
GoDaddy DNS ↗ Cloudflare DNS ↗ Namecheap DNS ↗
Section 5 — Testing Tools
mail-tester.com
Send a test email to a unique address, get a 1–10 spam score with detailed breakdown.
→ Open
MXToolbox Email Health
Comprehensive email health check including SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and blacklists.
→ Open
MXToolbox Blacklist
Check austinvisuals.com against 100+ spam blacklists simultaneously.
→ Open
Google Postmaster
Gmail's spam rate, domain reputation, and delivery error data (requires setup).
→ Open
DKIM Inspector
Validate DKIM records for austinvisuals.com across multiple selectors.
→ Open
DMARC Inspector
Parse and validate the DMARC record for austinvisuals.com with full explanation.
→ Open
SPF Surveyor
Visualize SPF record tree, count DNS lookups, and generate a flattened version.
→ Open
Google Header Analyzer
Paste email headers to see routing, SPF/DKIM/DMARC pass/fail, and delivery delays.
→ Open
Section 6 — Glossary
Term What it does Why it matters for deliverability
SPF Sender Policy Framework — lists IPs authorized to send email for your domain Prevents spoofing; receiving servers reject or flag mail from unauthorized IPs
DKIM DomainKeys Identified Mail — cryptographic signature added to email headers Proves email wasn't modified in transit; required for DMARC enforcement
DMARC Domain-based Message Authentication — policy specifying what to do when SPF/DKIM fail Prevents domain impersonation; unlocks Google Postmaster data; boosts inbox placement
MX Mail Exchange record — tells servers where to deliver email for your domain Without MX records, incoming email cannot be delivered to austinvisuals.com
Blacklist Database of IPs/domains flagged for sending spam Being listed causes email to be blocked or spam-foldered by major providers
Postmaster Google's tool showing Gmail-side spam rate and domain reputation Only way to see Google's internal opinion of your sending reputation
Soft fail (~all) SPF directive that marks non-matching mail as suspicious but still delivers it Weaker protection — some providers treat it as a pass; upgrade to -all when possible
Hard fail (-all) SPF directive that rejects email from non-listed sources outright Strongest SPF protection; blocks spoofed email definitively
p=none DMARC monitoring mode — collects reports but takes no enforcement action Good starting point; provides visibility but doesn't block spoofed email
p=quarantine DMARC policy that moves failing emails to spam/junk folders Mid-level enforcement; reduces spoofed mail in inboxes while minimizing false positives
p=reject DMARC policy that outright rejects emails failing authentication Maximum protection against spoofing; ideal once SPF/DKIM are confirmed working