Reduce-SPAM
Have your legitimate emails ever landed in someone’s spam folder?
Your domain’s email authentication is one place to start. Our free check reads public DNS records, gives you a configuration score on this page, and emails you the details. It does not predict whether a particular provider will put your message in an inbox.
Check your email authentication
How the DNS configuration grade is calculated
The letter comes before the numerical DNS configuration score. It is a quick guide to this DNS review, not a prediction that messages will reach an inbox. A low grade calls for prompt attention; changes still require checking real sending services.
| Grade | Score |
|---|---|
| A+ / A / A− | 97–100 / 93–96 / 90–92 |
| B+ / B / B− | 87–89 / 83–86 / 80–82 |
| C+ / C / C− | 77–79 / 73–76 / 70–72 |
| D+ / D / D− | 67–69 / 63–66 / 60–62 |
| F | 0–59 |
Our rubric is public and versioned. We award points for the records we can assess, then calculate 100 × points earned ÷ points available, rounded to the nearest whole number. Evidence coverage is the share of the full 100-point rubric that could be assessed. For example, 60 of 80 assessed points produces a score of 75/100 and 80% coverage. These are different measurements.
| Category | Possible points | How points are earned |
|---|---|---|
| DMARC policy | 40 | 10 for one parsable DMARC policy record; 0, 10, or 20 for p=none, quarantine, or reject; 5 when the subdomain policy is at least as strong; 5 when test mode is off. |
| SPF record | 25 | 10 for one SPF TXT record with the required version prefix; 10 when a conservative inventory of DNS-querying terms in its expanded include tree is at most 10; 5 when it has neither +all nor the deprecated ptr mechanism. |
| Aggregate reporting | 15 | 10 for a valid rua report address; 5 when an external report destination is authorized in DNS, or the address is on the same domain. |
| DKIM | 20 | Not assessed in the domain-only check. A selector from an actual message or verified sending-service configuration is needed. These points are excluded from both the earned and available totals. |
What does the SPF number mean? SPF allows no more than 10 DNS-querying terms during evaluation of one message. We expand published include and redirect references and count those terms conservatively. “6 of 10” means six such terms were found in the expanded record tree. It does not mean six DNS packets, and it does not prove that an actual message passed SPF. If the inventory is inconclusive, those 10 scoring points are excluded rather than treated as a failure.
The legacy DMARC pct tag is shown as an informational finding and does not lower the score by itself. Test mode (t=y) does lower enforcement and affects the DMARC points. A high DNS configuration score does not guarantee inbox placement or that every legitimate sending service is aligned.
What this first check investigates
DMARC tells receiving servers how your domain asks them to handle mail that fails aligned authentication and where to send aggregate reports. SPF publishes which systems may send with your domain in the email envelope. DKIM uses a signature to let receivers verify the signing domain and detect changes to signed content. This DNS-only check cannot confirm your live DKIM selector or whether real messages pass alignment.
Coming later: an optional live-message investigation. You would send a harmless test email from each sending service you want checked. That test could verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC against an actual message. This feature is not yet available.
Learn first: what is DNS?
DNS means Domain Name System. It is the internet’s directory for information associated with domain names. An A record links a name to an IPv4 address; a CNAME links one name to another name. Email uses DNS too: MX records direct incoming mail, while SPF, DKIM, and DMARC help receiving systems evaluate mail that claims to come from a domain.
The updated DMARC standard, RFC 9989, was published in May 2026. Changes to the standard do not by themselves improve inbox placement. Sender reputation, complaints, message content, and recipient rules also matter.
Free service terms and privacy notice
This free tool reads public DNS information for the domain you submit. It does not change DNS, send a message from that domain, or guarantee delivery, security, or a particular result. You may analyze a domain without claiming to own it. Review the findings before making changes to your email configuration; a stricter DMARC policy can interrupt legitimate mail if senders are not ready.
We use the first name, last name, email address, and domain you provide to process your request and email one detailed report. Report-only contact details are not saved in the tool’s contact database. We do not add you to marketing because you request a report. If you select the separate optional marketing checkbox, we send a confirmation email. An unconfirmed request expires after 48 hours and is deleted by a daily cleanup task. A confirmed subscription is retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion. Future marketing messages will include an unsubscribe link. We do not sell the information submitted through this tool.
We temporarily use technical request data to limit misuse. Public DNS results may be cached briefly; contact details are not placed in a public result URL. For questions about your data, use our contact page. This notice applies to the Reduce-SPAM tool and should be read with the site’s general privacy policy when available.