Business email setup happens in two steps: you connect an email service to your own domain name, and you set up three security records in your DNS: SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Only then will your email arrive reliably, and nobody can simply send email pretending to be you.
Those three abbreviations sound technical, but the idea is simple. They tell other mail servers which servers are allowed to send email on your behalf, and what to do with email that doesn't check out. In this article we explain it step by step, without you needing to be a network administrator.
Why an email address on your own domain?
An address like info@yourbusiness.nl inspires more trust than a free Gmail or Hotmail address. Customers immediately see who the email belongs to. And the address stays yours, even if you ever switch email provider. You only move the mailbox, not the address.
You do need your own domain name for this. Don't have one yet? Read our article on choosing a domain name first. There we also explain how domain, hosting and email fit together.
Business email setup: the steps
- Choose an email service. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are widely used. Your hosting provider often offers email too. As an indication, budget a few euros to just over ten euros per user per month. Check the current price.
- Add your domain to the email service. You prove the domain is yours with a code you put in your DNS.
- Change the MX records. These tell the world which server receives your email.
- Create the mailboxes, for example for yourself, plus shared addresses like info@ or invoices@.
- Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC. That's what the rest of this article is about.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for all email accounts.
The DNS is a kind of phone book for your domain. You change it with the company where your domain name is registered. Changes are usually visible within a few hours, sometimes it takes longer.
SPF: who can send email on your behalf?
SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. It's a single line of text (a TXT record) in your DNS with a list of servers allowed to send email from your domain. A receiving server checks that list. If the sender isn't on it, that's suspicious.
An SPF record always starts with v=spf1 and usually ends with ~all or -all. In between are the services that send email for you, such as your email provider, your newsletter tool and your accounting software that sends invoices. Keep these points in mind:
- You can only have one SPF record per domain. Two records make it invalid.
- Don't forget services that send email on your behalf, such as an online store, CRM or the contact form on your website.
- There's a limit on the number of lookups in one record. With lots of services the record can get too long.
DKIM: a digital signature on your email
DKIM stands for DomainKeys Identified Mail. Your email service puts a digital signature on every outgoing email. Your DNS holds the matching public key. The recipient uses it to check that the email really comes from your domain and wasn't changed along the way.
You don't have to create those keys yourself. Your email service gives you one or more records to paste into your DNS. Then you turn on DKIM in the email service's admin panel. Do the same for other services that send email for you, such as your newsletter tool. They usually have their own DKIM setting.
DMARC: what should happen to fake email?
DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM. It tells receiving servers what to do when an email fails the check. And you get reports showing everyone who sends email from your domain. The record sits at the address _dmarc.yourbusiness.nl.
There are three settings, known as the policy:
- p=none: only monitor, don't block anything yet. This is where you start.
- p=quarantine: suspicious email goes to the recipient's spam folder.
- p=reject: suspicious email is refused. This is the goal.
Start with none and read the reports for a few weeks. If you see one of your own services failing, such as your accounting software, fix that first. Only then move to quarantine and eventually to reject. That way your own invoices don't suddenly stop arriving.
Switching to a different email service
Switching email service, for example from your hosting provider's email to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace? Then the order matters. That way no email goes missing in the meantime.
- First create all mailboxes with the new service, before you change anything in the DNS.
- Move your old email, calendar and contacts with the new service's migration tool.
- Only then change the MX records, ideally at the end of the day.
- Update your SPF record: remove the old service and add the new one.
- Turn on DKIM with the new service and check that DMARC reports show no errors.
- Keep the old mailboxes for a few more weeks, in case anything is left behind.
Emails going to spam: common mistakes
- No SPF, DKIM or DMARC set up. Large email providers give this more and more weight.
- A new service, such as an online store or quoting tool, that sends from your address but isn't in your SPF.
- Two SPF records side by side after a switch.
- Setting DMARC straight to reject without monitoring first.
- Your contact form sends email from the visitor's address. Have the form send from your own domain and set the visitor's address as the reply-to address.
Email from your website not arriving? That's often down to this last point. Read more about forms that work well in our article on a contact form that converts.
Help with email and your website
When we build a website or web application for you, we make sure forms, confirmation emails and notifications are sent properly from your own domain and arrive reliably. We also look at your SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Read more about how we build websites at websites and apps. A custom website starts at €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT).
Not sure whether your email is set up correctly, or want to know what your website needs? Book a free quickscan. It's a 30-minute conversation, online or at your location. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How long does business email setup take?
The setup itself usually takes an hour or two. After that it can take a few hours before DNS changes are visible everywhere. So don't plan a switch just before a busy day.
What happens if I don't have DMARC?
Then it's easier for someone to send email that looks like it comes from your domain. Your own email also lands in spam more quickly, because recipients are less sure that you're the sender.
Can I get email on my own domain for free?
Sometimes a few mailboxes are included in your hosting package. For fuller packages with calendar, storage and good spam filters, you usually pay per user per month.
How do I check whether SPF and DKIM are set up correctly?
Send an email to a Gmail address and open the original message details there. You'll see whether SPF, DKIM and DMARC passed. There are also online tools that check your DNS records.
