How to Test Email Authentication Using Message Reflectors

Summary

This article explains how to test email authentication by sending emails to message reflectors that evaluate email messages using various authentication systems. It provides detailed instructions on using DMARC, DKIM, and SPF verification services.

Objective

By the end of this guide, users will be able to send email messages to specific services that will return reports on email authentication, helping diagnose and resolve potential issues with DMARC, DKIM, and SPF records.

Introduction

Email authentication issues can lead to emails being flagged as spam or rejected by recipient servers. By sending emails to message reflectors, users can test how their messages are handled by various email authentication systems such as DMARC, DKIM, and SPF. This guide walks through the process of using message reflectors to receive diagnostic reports.

Prerequisites

A valid DMARC, DKIM, or SPF record set up for your domain.
Access to your domain’s email service.
An email address from the domain you wish to check.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare your domain email
Before using message reflectors, ensure that your domain's DMARC, DKIM, and SPF records are correctly configured. You can validate this by checking your DNS settings or consulting an email deliverability service like Outbound SMTP.
Send a message to the following services
Send an email from the domain you wish to test to any of the following message reflectors. These services will evaluate the message using different authentication systems and send back a report.
- DMARC Test (autoreply@dmarctest.org)
  Send an email to autoreply@dmarctest.org. A DMARC report will be sent back within 5 minutes, detailing the results of the DMARC evaluation.
- Port25 (check-auth@verifier.port25.com)
  Email check-auth@verifier.port25.com to receive an immediate response. This service evaluates DKIM, Sender-ID, and SPF.
- Campaign Cleaner (Mail Tester)
  Visit Mail Tester,