Do your emails land? Email and domain health checks
Do your emails land? Will your domain quietly expire? 9 checks · 6% of the overall score.
Since 2024, Gmail and Yahoo reject or junk mail from domains without proper authentication. Most small businesses have never checked. This chapter reads the DNS records that govern whether your quotes, invoices and replies reach the inbox — and whether the domain itself is safe from expiry.
The 9 checks
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Email configured (MX) | No MX records means the domain cannot receive mail at all. |
| SPF record | Lists the servers allowed to send as your domain. |
| DKIM signing | Cryptographically signs outgoing mail so receivers can verify it. |
| DMARC policy | Tells receivers what to do with mail that fails SPF/DKIM — required by Gmail for bulk senders. |
| BIMI (logo in inbox) | Displays your logo next to messages in supporting inboxes; requires DMARC enforcement. |
| Email on business domain | you@gmail.com on a business site undermines trust. |
| Domain expiry | Expired domains take the website and email offline at once. |
| Registrar transfer lock | Prevents unauthorised transfer of the domain. |
| Certificate expiry | Tracked here as well as in Trust, because it takes email links down too. |
Most common fixes
- Publish SPF, enable DKIM in your mail provider, and add a DMARC record starting at p=none, then move to quarantine.
- Use an address on your own domain everywhere the public sees one.
- Turn on auto-renew and registrar lock at your domain registrar.
Questions
What are SPF, DKIM and DMARC?
Three DNS records that prove email claiming to be from your domain really is. SPF lists allowed sending servers, DKIM adds a cryptographic signature, and DMARC tells receivers what to do when the first two fail. Gmail and Yahoo now require them.