Establish a proper reverse DNS zone to improve email delivery

To add another layer of validation to your sender reputation it is now advisable to create a reverse DNS record called a PTR and add to your DNS editor

DNS can be a strange topic, there does seem to be lot to know and just when you feel on top of things something can still pop up to surprise you, but it is now highly recommended to add this record

A simple explanation of reverse DNS is that it’s the exact opposite of DNS. Standard (aka forward) DNS maps a domain name to an IP address whereas reverse DNS maps an IP address to a domain name. The two are distinct and separate lookups however. Just because a forward lookup of example.com resolves to 1.2.3.4 doesn’t mean that a reverse lookup of 1.2.3.4 will resolve to example.com.

Why it’s needed

The most common reason for establishing a reverse DNS is for outbound e-mail servers. Since a reverse DNS record adds further tracing to the origin of an e-mail, it also adds credibility to the e-mail server itself. For that reason, some incoming mail servers now will not even consider accepting a message from an IP address which does not identify itself with a PTR record in a reverse DNS zone.

How to do it

A very important thing to note, you must create the reverse DNS zone on the authoritative DNS nameserver for the main IP address of your server. You can find out which nameserver is the authoritative server by entering the IP address you’re trying to configure into the DIG Web Interface. If the Reverse response is not provided by your nameserver, you’ll need to contact your hosting provider to help you set a PTR record. You should be able to accomplish that be emailing their support team and letting them know you’d like a PTR record set for the IP address X.X.X.X resolving to yourdomain.example.com.

If you are in control of the authoritative nameserver, the first step is to create a reverse DNS zone. The hostname for the zone must be in a very specific format. It starts with a portion of your IP address written backward followed by .in-addr.arpa.

If for example your IP address is 192.168.0.100, you start by dropping the final octet (last set of numbers) to give you 192.168.0

Next, you need to reverse that fragment of the IP address giving you: 0.168.192

Finally, append .in-addr.arpa. leaving you with the completed reverse zone domain of: 0.168.192.in-addr.arpa.

Create the PTR Record

Now that you’ve created your zone file you can create the PTR record.

Add a new PTR record and for the name, enter the final digit of the IP address that you’re setting up the reverse record for. In our example, 100. For the Canonical Hostname, enter the domain name you’d like the IP address to resolve to, for instance mailserver.example.com.

After you’ve saved your zone file, allow some time for the change to propagate before validating the new reverse DNS record.

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Email deliverability has never been more challenging. Email service providers (ESPs) and Internet service providers (ISPs) are closely monitoring signs of spam mailings and potentially malicious activities. In 2014, 60% of emails were reported as spam, according to Symantec.1

Reputable senders might think they have nothing to fear, but if they don't follow proper email etiquette, their messages may never reach their intended target. Senders can fall victim to blacklists and poor sender scores if they're not careful.

So how do senders ensure their emails reach inboxes? This checklist provides five key steps senders can take to improve their email performance.

1. FOCUS ON LIST HYGIENE

Monitor bounce notifications.

Email bounces and spam complaints are major red flags for ISPs. Senders can improve their mailing reputation by monitoring bounce notifications. For example, many email services provide feedback loops that tell the sender when a recipient classifies the message as spam. Senders who continually send emails to bad addresses or don't heed their email service provider's feedback will have their emails filtered or dropped.

Remove inactive email addresses. Senders should remove other addresses from recipients who aren't responding to or interacting with their emails after 90 days. ISPs take interaction, such as opens or clicks, as a positive sign, which improves the sender's reputation.

Have an "unsubscribe" feature. Senders must have an unsubscribe function. They should include a link or form on their website where recipients can "unsubscribe" from their list and an opt-out link in every email they deliver. While an unsubscribe, option is a requirement under the CAN-SPAM Act, it also discourages recipients from filing spam complaints, which can damage a sender's reputation.

Offer a double opt-in subscription. This means the sender is validating the email entered on its website twice – first by having the user enter the address on the site and then asking recipients to confirm their subscription through a confirmation email.

2. USE PROPER AUTHENTICATION PRACTICES

Adhere to authentication protocols. ESPs will assume a sender is spamming and will filter or drop the sender's email if the emails are not properly authenticated. The common types of authentication are SPF, DKIM and DMARC. These authentication protocols work for both one-to-one email or bulk emails.

3. TRACK REPUTATION STATUS

Monitor email scores. Email reputation is similar to personal credit scores. A poor email track record or no track record at all may prompt an ESP to filter a sender's message. It also may result in a poor sender score. Sender scores range from 0 to 100. Sender scores under 70 typically end up in spam folders. Senders can monitor their reputation scores by using monitoring tools, such MX Toolbox or Senderscore.org.

 Use a private IP address. One of the culprits of a poor email score or possible "blacklisting" by an ISP is the use of an IP address for malicious activities. Some ESPs require senders to share an IP address with other users. This can have a negative impact on a sender's score if the other user is sending spam.

ESPs that require shared IP addresses should have strong spam monitoring features. Otherwise, senders should opt for a private IP address.

4. OPTIMIZE EMAIL CONTENT FOR DELIVERABILITY

Keep images to a minimum. Too many images and text links trigger spam flags at ESPs.

Send multipart emails using both text and HTML or text only. Sending HTML-only email is not well received by ESPs.

Also, ESPs generally block images by default, so HTML only will not look very good unless users are proactive about enabling images.

Avoid promotional text. Gimmicky, promotional text, such as "Buy Now!" or "Free!" are major spam flags. Also avoid using all caps in text and exclamation marks.

Personalize emails. The content should reflect the recipient's specific interests or usage patterns. Also address the recipient by name.

Always identify who is sending the email. Make sure each email has a valid reply-to address and an unsubscribe link in the body.

5. BE MINDFUL OF SENDING VOLUME

Consider a pool of IPs. ESPs have send limits for each IP address. High-volume senders (over 50,000 emails per week) should consider using a pool of IPs.

Consider a shared IP for lower-volume emails. Organizations that send less than 5,000 emails per week should consider a shared IP. Many ESPs won't acknowledge a sender's reputation if their volume is too low. A shared IP can help boost perceived sending volume.

Use separate IPs for bulk and transactional emails. Time-sensitive transactional emails may get queued behind a large batch of bulk marketing emails. In addition, the reputation of transactional emails can be negatively impacted by bulk marketing emails.

CONCLUSION

Senders who keep a close eye on their email performance can take corrective actions before they waste valuable time and resources on unsuccessful email deliveries.

By taking a more active role in their delivery efforts, senders can boost their reputation scores and avoid email death traps, such as spam filters or blacklists.

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