{"id":45975,"date":"2018-08-30T09:17:58","date_gmt":"2018-08-30T09:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/?page_id=45975"},"modified":"2026-04-28T10:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T10:48:21","slug":"sender-domain-authentication","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/sender-domain-authentication\/","title":{"rendered":"Sender Domain Authentication"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nobody wants trash \u2013 in their inbox or anywhere else. To keep your inbox safe and clean, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) sets up checks to make sure that only good, genuine content gets through.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"help-playvideo\" class=\"help-vid-class embed-responsive-item\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DgNNCq1oEls?rel=0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"339\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and more use DKIM and SPF authentication to review incoming emails for spam or spoofed addresses \u2013 that is, addresses someone is only pretending to send from. Emails that don\u2019t pass the tests are often redirected to spam or junk folders, meaning that the intended recipient may never see them.<\/p>\n<p>Why do you need to know this? Because you want responses to your surveys. If nobody sees your invitation, nobody participates, and you have no data to report on.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sogo-help-info-box\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"sogo-info-text\">Domain authentication supports sender delivery. When sending to many recipients at a single private domain, <a href=\"\/help\/your-successful-delivery-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">safelisting<\/a> is also strongly recommended to improve delivery from the recipients\u2019 perspective.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Good to Know<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Sogolytics provides default authentication that helps your messages get delivered successfully.<\/li>\n<li>Custom domain authentication (available to Pro, Pro Max, and Enterprise users) allows you to improve both the deliverability and the professional appearance of your emails. Updating the Domain Name System (DNS) records of your domain allows Sogolytics&#8217;s domain key to be found in emails you send, as well as used for verifying signatures. The DNS update creates a redirect to the domain key on the Sogolytics domain. When an email service provider receives an email with your domain name, the provider looks up the Sogolytics domain key to verify the signature of the email.<\/li>\n<li>Setting up custom authentication requires some tech savvy and access to your DNS settings. If you need back-up, check with your IT administrator and DNS provider or hosting service.<\/li>\n<li>You will not be able to authenticate a public domain, such as Gmail or Yahoo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You\u2019ll need to complete a few steps in both your Sogolytics account and your domain provider\u2019s zone editor or cPanel. We\u2019ll provide the content you need to copy and paste into your domain provider\u2019s site, so you may want to use two different tabs or browser windows to navigate back and forth.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>DOMAIN AUTHENTICATION: SOGOLYTICS<\/h2>\n<p><strong>If you log in to your account through <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">sogolytics.com<\/span> or <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">research.sogolytics.com<\/span>, here&#8217;s what you&#8217;ll need to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Within Sogolytics, copy the TXT record for DKIM<\/li>\n<li>In your domain\u2019s cPanel or zone editor, choose one of the following options.\n<ul>\n<li>[Preferred] Create a CNAME record for <strong>sogo._domainKey.yourdomain.com<\/strong> with the value: sogo._domainkey.sogolytics.com<\/li>\n<li><strong>Or<\/strong>, create a TXT record for <strong>sogo._domainKey.yourdomain.com<\/strong> with the below value:<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #329499; word-break: break-all;\">v=DKIM1; p=MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEAqsKCvEgWG1rbgmLAP\/x46uAY7AopzjIb3OdiXA4N6aD7571qTrcFT9Md515tNX9VWDx9m5b\/Kz+YlKf9AhDUgvG0IWnm2bkkzIXSx4j68LpKV8AF6WP5bzCL+YyoQtIziRceSxZXGrvMT6IBkiebVIsktAyP+D1SByurusyhctYZoMoyaIPLZRvI+OOoQBmGCJh6z+1cZsF0qJyzgxJwRIWxaoLGYSY2MAylk7KlytWZwjzZzQJ\/+qxDUPIl7Jf6gfUgoJVWU7GxmvR\/POT22lhzq5zNEb70QSQ79geR4hNxjgFSKChvqDi4NWoDGaV1wGqeAja6Dx6\/wuzwnAHCIQIDAQAB<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>DOMAIN AUTHENTICATION: ENGAGE<\/h2>\n<p><strong>If you log in to your account through <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">k12insight.com<\/span>, here\u2019s what you\u2019ll need to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: red;\"><strong>Heads up!<\/strong><\/span> Hosting for accounts that log in through k12insight.com will change on October 4, 2025. In advance, please add these new settings to your domain authentication settings to avoid any disruption in delivery. Once this change is complete, we&#8217;ll confirm that the old settings can be removed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: red;\"><strong>[NEW] <\/strong>Please set the following CNAME (preferred) or TXT settings prior to October 4, 2025.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In your domain\u2019s cPanel or zone editor, choose one of the following options.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>[Preferred] <\/strong>Create a CNAME record for <strong>sogo._domainkey<\/strong> with this value: sogo._domainkey.sogolytics.com<\/li>\n<li><strong>OR, <\/strong>Create a TXT record for <strong>sogo._domainKey.yourdomain.com<\/strong> with this value:<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #329499; word-break: break-all;\">v=DKIM1; p=MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEAqsKCvEgWG1rbgmLAP\/x46uAY7AopzjIb3OdiXA4N6aD7571qTrcFT9Md515tNX9VWDx9m5b\/Kz+YlKf9AhDUgvG0IWnm2bkkzIXSx4j68LpKV8AF6WP5bzCL+YyoQtIziRceSxZXGrvMT6IBkiebVIsktAyP+D1SByurusyhctYZoMoyaIPLZRvI+OOoQBmGCJh6z+1cZsF0qJyzgxJwRIWxaoLGYSY2MAylk7KlytWZwjzZzQJ\/+qxDUPIl7Jf6gfUgoJVWU7GxmvR\/POT22lhzq5zNEb70QSQ79geR4hNxjgFSKChvqDi4NWoDGaV1wGqeAja6Dx6\/wuzwnAHCIQIDAQAB<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>For reference: &#8220;Old&#8221; settings, found below, should not be removed until the update is complete.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CNAME record for K12._domainkey\n<ul>\n<li>Value = k12._domainKey.k12insightllc.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>TXT record for k12._domainKey.yourdomain.com\n<ul>\n<li>Value = <span style=\"color: #329499; word-break: break-all;\">v=DKIM1;p=MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEA68cPBxcGQwgJtW2Mgya1TzlELDtrA\/a28nk9oQQlL3\/gg4efv4aO7Mfz1IEI\/vluVGms0IRrA\/Em6Kvowo8AHaaq0\/xeZf9zXpmKRQIUE964Mi2+6f76HGYNeR5NKA7nKeuNdh40teID0dVeIZ92gwmJAgN+N8OvCVh0l8PzOyv9wRgsiW+L+Qu4i1nN\/rFjurHPvb6ITCtUYtKCktuyU8O2qA\/65MeyOW4vokeNKy3cB68VXSvdYibzRwlYs50UK0rOh7nNgLzDzaRJ1W2g6ibvKXPYuZaE5hdwsubZRd0UCzwKJZEaM9cbKrZ0tijhwHCkYkIl1wFLxASATVGEywIDAQAB<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Where should I be looking in my account?<\/h2>\n<p>Please follow the steps below to find Domain Authentication details in your account:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Click on your account name in the top right corner, then choose Account Settings from the drop down menu.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Outbound Email Settings<\/strong> from the menu on the left.<\/li>\n<li>Within the email address table, click Authenticate next to a verified email address. Be sure this email address belongs to the domain you mean to authenticate (the part after @ is the domain).<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019ll see the content regarding the changes you need to make to your domain\u2019s DNS records.<\/li>\n<li>You may also choose to send these instructions directly to your IT administrator.<\/li>\n<li>Next, either you or your IT administrator should use this information to edit your domain\u2019s DNS records. Once all updates have been made, the authentication status will be updated.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Making DNS updates in some common domain providers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Here are some instructions for editing DNS records with popular domain providers. If your service isn\u2019t listed here, log in to your provider\u2019s site and search their help documents, or contact their customer support team.<br \/>\nAmazon Web Services: <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.aws.amazon.com\/Route53\/latest\/DeveloperGuide\/dns-configuring.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Configuring DNS<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.aws.amazon.com\/Route53\/latest\/DeveloperGuide\/ResourceRecordTypes.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Resource Record Types<\/a><br \/>\nDreamhost: <a href=\"https:\/\/help.dreamhost.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/216106197\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SPF<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/help.dreamhost.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/215029758-What-are-DKIM-records-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DKIM<\/a><br \/>\nGoDaddy: <a href=\"https:\/\/in.godaddy.com\/help\/add-an-spf-record-19218\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SPF<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/in.godaddy.com\/help\/add-a-txt-record-19232\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TXT,<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.godaddy.com\/help\/add-a-cname-record-19236\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Add a CNAME Record<\/a><br \/>\nGoogle Domains: <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/a\/answer\/48090?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DNS Basics<\/a><br \/>\nHostgator: <a href=\"https:\/\/support.hostgator.com\/articles\/hosting-guide\/lets-get-started\/dns-name-servers\/manage-dns-records-with-hostgatorenom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Manage DNS records<\/a><br \/>\nHover: <a href=\"https:\/\/help.hover.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/217282457-Managing-DNS-records-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Manage DNS Record<\/a><br \/>\nNamecheap: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.namecheap.com\/support\/knowledgebase\/article.aspx\/317\/2237\/how-do-i-add-txtspfdkimdmarc-records-for-my-domain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SPF &amp; DKIM<\/a><br \/>\nSquarespace: <a href=\"https:\/\/support.squarespace.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/205812348-Opening-Advanced-DNS-settings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Advanced DNS Settings<\/a><br \/>\nStablehost: <a href=\"https:\/\/support.stablehost.com\/en\/articles\/11019257-how-do-i-get-into-cpanel\">How do I get to cpanel?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>After the DNS records have been updated, just click on the refresh icon beside the Authenticate button in your Sogolytics account. While the verification is usually almost instantaneous, sometimes it may take time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sogo-help-info-box\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"sogo-info-text\"><a href=\"email-delivery-best-practices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more<\/a> about best practices in email delivery<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nobody wants trash \u2013 in their inbox or anywhere else. To keep your inbox safe and clean, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) sets up checks to make sure that only good, genuine content gets through. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and more use DKIM and SPF authentication to review incoming emails for spam or spoofed addresses \u2013 that is, addresses someone is only pretending to send from. Emails that don\u2019t pass the tests are often redirected to spam or junk folders, meaning that the intended recipient may never see them. Why do you need to know this? Because you want responses to your surveys. If nobody sees your invitation, nobody participates, and you have no data to report on. &nbsp; Domain authentication supports sender delivery. When sending to many recipients at a single private domain, safelisting is also strongly recommended to improve delivery from the recipients\u2019 perspective. &nbsp; Good to Know Sogolytics provides default authentication that helps your messages get delivered successfully. Custom domain authentication (available to Pro, Pro Max, and Enterprise users) allows you to improve both the deliverability and the professional appearance of your emails. Updating the Domain Name System (DNS) records of your domain allows Sogolytics&#8217;s domain key to be found in emails you send, as well as used for verifying signatures. The DNS update creates a redirect to the domain key on the Sogolytics domain. When an email service provider receives an email with your domain name, the provider looks up the Sogolytics domain key to verify the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":283,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"sogo_new_design.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[258],"tags":[321,293],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.7.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Authenticate your Domain for Better Email Delivery | Sogolytics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Complete domain authentication to improve delivery of email invitations and avoid the spam folder.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/sender-domain-authentication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Authenticate your Domain for Better Email Delivery | Sogolytics\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Complete domain authentication to improve delivery of email invitations and avoid the spam folder.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/sender-domain-authentication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sogolytics\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-28T10:48:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/sender-domain-authentication\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/sender-domain-authentication\/\",\"name\":\"How to Authenticate your Domain for Better Email Delivery | Sogolytics\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-08-30T09:17:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-28T10:48:21+00:00\",\"description\":\"Complete domain authentication to improve delivery of email invitations and avoid the spam folder.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/sender-domain-authentication\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/sender-domain-authentication\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/sender-domain-authentication\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sender Domain Authentication\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/\",\"name\":\"Sogolytics\",\"description\":\"Sogolytics - 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