Reduce Spam Before It Reaches Answerbot

Quick, practical steps to authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC so fewer junk messages ever reach the bot.

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TL;DR Checklist

1 Publish SPF allowing only your real senders.
2 Enable DKIM signing for each sender (email platform).
3 Start DMARC at p=none with reports; then move to quarantine → reject.
4 Review DMARC reports weekly; fix misaligned senders.
5 Remove old/unknown senders from SPF; rotate DKIM keys yearly.

SPF — Authorize Your Sending Sources

SPF is a DNS TXT record that lists the servers allowed to send mail from your domain.

Template

v=spf1 include:_spf.yourmailhost.tld ip4:203.0.113.5 -all

Replace includes/IPs with the providers you actually use (e.g., your mail host, transactional provider).
End with -all (hard fail) once you’re sure the list is complete. Use ~all while testing.
Avoid too many include: chains; SPF lookups are limited (10 DNS lookups).

DKIM — Sign Your Messages

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to each message so receivers can verify it wasn’t altered and truly came from you.

Steps

In each sending platform, generate a DKIM key (gets you a selector and TXT record).
Publish the TXT record at <selector>._domainkey.yourdomain.com.
Enable signing and send a test email; verify signature passes.

DMARC — Enforce & Get Reports

DMARC tells receivers how to treat messages that fail SPF/DKIM and gives you reporting.

Start permissive, then tighten

_dmarc.yourdomain.com  TXT  "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com; fo=1; pct=100; adkim=s; aspf=s"

p=none collects reports without blocking. Review for 1–2 weeks.
Fix any senders that fail alignment (SPF or DKIM must align with your From: domain).
Move to p=quarantine, then p=reject once green.
Optional: add ruf=mailto:dmarc-forensics@yourdomain.com for failure samples (privacy-sensitive).

DNS Record Examples

SPF

yourdomain.com TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.hostedmail.com include:send.example.net -all"

DKIM

selector1._domainkey TXT "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgkqh..."

DMARC

_dmarc TXT "v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; adkim=s; aspf=s"

Operational Tips

Keep a list of all legitimate senders (helpdesk, marketing tool, CRM, billing, etc.). Review quarterly.
When you add a new sender, update SPF and DKIM before they send production mail.
Rotate DKIM keys yearly; remove old selectors from DNS.
Monitor DMARC reports weekly; look for spikes or unknown sources.
Use subdomains for different mail streams (e.g., notify.yourdomain.com).

Optional: BIMI

BIMI can display your logo in some inboxes after you enforce DMARC. You’ll publish a DNS record with a logo URL and (often) a Verified Mark Certificate.

Why this helps Answerbot

Fewer spoofed/forged emails get delivered at all (less noise).
Cleaner inputs let Answerbot spend more cycles on real customers.
When spam does appear, our bot-level filters (e.g., the SPAM sentinel) safely skip replies.