Understand Email Deliverability
Learn how SPF, DKIM, and bounce handling work in JobsiteOn to ensure your emails reach customer inboxes reliably.
Learn how SPF, DKIM, and bounce handling work in JobsiteOn to ensure your emails reach customer inboxes reliably.
This guide explains how email deliverability works in JobsiteOn. You will learn what SPF and DKIM records are, why they matter for getting your emails delivered, and how JobsiteOn handles bounced emails. This is essential knowledge for anyone managing their company's email communication.
By the end you will understand:
Email deliverability is the measure of how successfully your outgoing emails reach the recipient's inbox rather than being caught by spam filters, rejected by the receiving server, or lost in transit. Poor deliverability means your customers may never see your emails.
Several factors affect deliverability:
SPF is a DNS record that tells receiving email servers which servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. When you use JobsiteOn to send emails from office@yourcompany.com, the recipient's email server checks your domain's SPF record to verify that JobsiteOn's servers are permitted senders.
During the company email setup process, JobsiteOn provides you with the exact SPF record to add to your DNS. It typically looks like:
v=spf1 include:mail.jobsiteon.com ~all
If you already have an SPF record for your domain (for example, from Google Workspace or Microsoft 365), you need to merge the records rather than creating a second one. A domain can only have one SPF record.
Tip: If you already have
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all, update it tov=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:mail.jobsiteon.com ~allto authorize both services.
Screenshot: The DNS settings page at a domain registrar showing an SPF TXT record with the JobsiteOn include directive
DKIM adds a digital signature to every outgoing email. This signature is verified by the recipient's email server using a public key published in your domain's DNS. DKIM proves that the email was genuinely sent by an authorized system and was not tampered with in transit.
During email setup, JobsiteOn generates a unique DKIM key pair for your domain and provides you with a CNAME or TXT record to add to your DNS. The record name typically looks like:
jobsiteon._domainkey.yourcompany.com
Add this record to your DNS settings exactly as provided. DKIM records can take up to 48 hours to propagate, though most propagate within a few hours.
Screenshot: The JobsiteOn email settings page showing the DKIM DNS record to copy, with a verification status indicator
A bounce occurs when an email you sent cannot be delivered to the recipient's address. JobsiteOn tracks bounces automatically and takes action to protect your sender reputation.
A hard bounce means the email address is permanently undeliverable. Common causes:
When a hard bounce occurs, JobsiteOn marks the conversation with a bounce indicator and prevents further emails to that address until you manually verify it.
A soft bounce means the email could not be delivered temporarily. Common causes:
JobsiteOn automatically retries soft bounces several times over a period of hours. If the email eventually delivers, no action is needed. If all retries fail, it is treated as a hard bounce.
Open the conversation where a bounce occurred. The conversation timeline shows a bounce event with details about why delivery failed. Use this information to correct the email address or follow up with the customer through another channel.
Note: A high bounce rate damages your domain's sender reputation. Regularly clean your contact list by removing or correcting invalid email addresses.
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate. If it has been longer than 48 hours, double-check the DNS records at your domain registrar for typos or formatting errors.
The email may have been delivered to their spam or junk folder. Ask the customer to check there. Also verify the recipient email address is spelled correctly.
Animation: A walkthrough showing the email settings page with SPF and DKIM verification statuses, then navigating to a conversation timeline showing a bounce event with error details
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