Skip to content

Ash

Founder, Hosteaze

15 years as a web developer and systems administrator

Ash is the founder of Hosteaze, with 15 years as a web developer and systems administrator and experience as CEO of several tech agencies. Ash started Hosteaze to make hosting easier to understand and simpler to use, and leads the guides on Hosteaze Learn covering hosting, email, domains and websites.

Guides by Ash

Traffic light showing a red stop signal under a blue bicycle signalQuestionDMARC p=none vs quarantine vs reject, which should I use?p=none tells receivers to deliver failing email as normal and just send you reports. p=quarantine sends failing email to spam. p=reject blocks it completely. Start at none, read the reports until every service you use passes, then move to quarantine and finally reject. Skipping straight to reject can block your own invoices.Email and domains · 12 October 2026Magnifying glass and pen resting on printed spreadsheets, ready to check the detailsQuestionHow do I check if my domain has DMARC?Look up the TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com. The quickest way is the free Google Admin Toolbox Dig tool. Enter _dmarc followed by your domain, choose TXT, and look for a value starting v=DMARC1. If nothing comes back, your domain has no DMARC record and you should add one.Email and domains · 12 October 2026Open red mailbox with a stream of envelopes flying away from it, like email going astrayQuestionWhy are my emails going to spam?The most common reason is missing or broken email authentication. If your domain has no SPF, DKIM or DMARC records, Gmail and Outlook can't prove the email is really from you. After that come a poor sender reputation, a shared server with a bad history, and messages that look like marketing. Check authentication first.Email and domains · 12 October 2026Hands typing on a keyboard as email envelopes fly outTutorialHow to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your business emailAdd three DNS records in this order. First an SPF record listing who can send email for your domain, then a DKIM record your email provider generates, then, about 48 hours later, a DMARC record starting at p=none. Watch the DMARC reports for a few weeks before tightening the policy to quarantine.Email and domains · 11 October 2026Three wall-mounted letterboxes in black, green and red, each one a different place post can be deliveredGlossaryWhat is an MX record?An MX (mail exchange) record is a DNS setting that tells the internet which mail server receives email for your domain. Each record has a priority number and a server name, and senders try the lowest number first. If your MX records are missing or wrong, email sent to your domain can't be delivered.Email and domains · 11 October 2026Combination padlock resting on a laptop keyboardGlossaryWhat is a DMARC record?A DMARC record is a TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com that tells receiving email servers what to do when a message claiming to be from your domain fails SPF and DKIM checks: deliver it, send it to spam, or reject it. It also asks them to send you reports on who is sending as you.Email and domains · 11 October 2026Brass stamp pressing a red wax seal onto a document, the old-fashioned version of a DKIM signatureGlossaryWhat is DKIM?DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a hidden digital signature to every email you send. Your email provider signs each message with a private key, and you publish the matching public key in your domain's DNS. Receiving servers use it to confirm the email came from your domain and wasn't changed on the way.Email and domains · 11 October 2026Clipboard holding a printed checklist beside a laptop, like the list of approved senders an SPF record keepsGlossaryWhat is an SPF record?An SPF record is a TXT record on your domain that lists which mail servers are allowed to send email using your domain name. Receiving servers check it to spot forgeries. Each domain can have only one SPF record, and it must stay within 10 DNS lookups or it stops working.Email and domains · 11 October 2026