SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for WordPress Email (Beginner-Friendly Guide)

What these records do

• SPF: who is allowed to send mail for your domain.
• DKIM: cryptographic signature to prove authenticity.
• DMARC: policy + reporting that ties SPF/DKIM together.

Recommended starting point

• Set SPF according to your email provider docs.
• Enable DKIM in your provider and add the TXT record.
• Set DMARC to p=none first to collect reports, then tighten later.

WordPress sending best practice

• Use SMTP (not PHP mail) for reliable delivery.
• Use a dedicated sending domain/subdomain if possible.

Avoid mistakes

• Don’t stack multiple SPF records (merge them).
• Keep DMARC conservative until you confirm legit senders.

Next steps