Mail setup

SPF, DKIM and DMARC with Postmark.

The records Postmark needs, where to find them, and the failure specific to this provider.

SPF

Add include:spf.mtasv.net to your existing SPF record. Do not create a second record: two SPF records mean neither works, and that is the most common mistake in this whole area.

DKIM

Found in the Postmark account, under Sender Signatures or Domains.

Postmark gives you a DKIM TXT record to publish, and verifies it before allowing sending. It also supports a Return-Path CNAME, which improves alignment.

Postmark publishes keys under a selector Postmark provides, commonly pm, which is what an external check looks for.

DMARC

DMARC is the same regardless of provider, because it is your instruction rather than theirs. Start at v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com, read the reports, authorise everything legitimate, and only then tighten. The DMARC guide covers the order, and the order is what stops you blocking your own invoices.

Worth knowing with Postmark

Postmark is transactional only and refuses bulk marketing mail, which is why its deliverability is unusually good. If you send both kinds, keep them on separate subdomains with separate records.

Watch the lookup count

Every include costs one of your ten SPF lookups, and so does every include inside it. Adding a third or fourth sender is where domains typically cross the limit, after which the whole record fails silently. See the lookup guide before adding another.

Check yours

Check whether your mail is actually passing.

Plain answers rather than policy strings. Free, no account.

Using a different mail provider?

The records differ per provider, and so do the mistakes.

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