How to Fix Email Deliverability Issues (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) in cPanel – 2025 Guide

If your emails from your domain (e.g., @yourdomain.com) are landing in spam or not being delivered to official company inboxes, the issue is usually with email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and server configuration.

This guide will help you configure them properly using cPanel → Email Deliverability.

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Step 1: Log in to Your cPanel

1. Open your hosting cPanel (usually at yourdomain.com/cpanel).
2. Enter your username and password provided by Yash Host.

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Step 2: Open Email Deliverability

1. In the cPanel dashboard, go to the Email section.
2. Click on Email Deliverability.

1. You will see a list of domains hosted on your account.
2. If there are problems, you will see a red warning under Status saying: “Problems Exist (SPF/DKIM/DMARC not configured)”.

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Step 3: Manage Email Deliverability for Your Domain

1. Find your domain (e.g., ashayamfoundation.org).
2. Click on Manage next to it.
3. You will see the required DNS records that need to be added:
   • SPF Record (TXT)
   • DKIM Record (TXT)
   • DMARC Record (TXT – optional but highly recommended)

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Step 4: Add Records in Your DNS Zone Manager

• If your nameservers are managed by Yash Host → These records are automatically applied. You just need to confirm.
• If your domain uses third-party DNS (e.g., Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or custom DNS) → You need to manually copy-paste the records.

Example Records to Add

1. SPF Record (TXT)v=spf1 +a +mx +ip4:YOUR.SERVER.IP ~all
   • Replace YOUR.SERVER.IP with your hosting server IP.
   • This allows only your hosting server to send emails on behalf of your domain.
2. DKIM Record (TXT)
   Host/Name: default._domainkey Value: (long DKIM key provided in cPanel under Manage Deliverability).
   • Copy it exactly as shown in cPanel.
3. DMARC Record (TXT)
   Host/Name: _dmarc Value: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:postmaster@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:postmaster@yourdomain.com; sp=none; aspf=r;
   • This helps email providers (like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) verify your domain and stop spoofing.
   • You can later change p=quarantine to p=reject for stricter enforcement.

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Step 5: Verify Reverse DNS (PTR)

• Reverse DNS ensures your server IP matches your domain’s hostname.
• Usually, this is managed by the hosting provider (Yash Host).
• Raise a support ticket with Yash Host to confirm that your SMTP banner matches your Reverse DNS (PTR record).

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Step 6: Enable TLS (SSL for Emails)

1. In cPanel, go to Email Accounts → Select your email account.
2. Configure it in your email client (Outlook, Thunderbird, Gmail App) using:
   • Incoming (IMAP/POP3) server: mail.yourdomain.com (SSL/TLS enabled)
   • Outgoing (SMTP) server: mail.yourdomain.com (SSL/TLS enabled)
   • Ports: IMAP 993 / POP3 995 / SMTP 465 (with SSL)

This ensures all emails are encrypted.

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Step 7: Re-Test Deliverability

1. Once DNS changes are done, wait for propagation (usually 1–4 hours, sometimes up to 24 hours).
2. Go back to cPanel → Email Deliverability.
3. You should now see “Valid” under Status for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
4. Send a test email to Gmail/Outlook and check the headers (it should show “SPF=PASS, DKIM=PASS, DMARC=PASS”).

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Step 8: Fix High Transaction Time (15+ Seconds Delay)

• High latency usually occurs due to DNS lookups or missing records.
• After configuring SPF/DKIM/DMARC, this will reduce automatically.
• Ensure your email client uses the correct SSL ports.

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Final Notes

• Always keep SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records updated.
• Use postmaster@yourdomain.com to receive DMARC reports.
• If you still face issues, contact Yash Host Support to check mail server logs.