Checking your email deliverability in cPanel

Email deliverability ensures your emails reach recipients’ inboxes without being blocked or marked as spam. cPanel helps you monitor three key authentication methods: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Why Email Deliverability Matters

Poor email deliverability can result in:

1. Emails being rejected by recipient servers (bounced)
2. Messages landing in spam/junk folders
3. Domain reputation damage

Major email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook require proper email authentication to accept incoming messages.

Accessing Email Deliverability Tools in cPanel:

Step 1: Access the Tool

• Log in to cPanel
• Navigate to the “Email” section or use the cPanel search bar and type “Email Deliverability”
• Click on “Email Deliverability”

Step 2: Review Your Domains:
You’ll see a list of domains with status indicators:

✓ Green checkmark = Valid (working correctly)
⚠ Yellow warning = Problems detected
✗ Red X = Invalid or missing

How to Fix Email Deliverability Issues:

Automatic Fix (Recommended)

1. Go to Email Deliverability in cPanel
2. Click “Repair” if the button appears
3. Click “Manage” next to the problematic domain
4. Click “Install the suggested record” for any invalid records
5. Wait for DNS propagation (within 24 to 48 hours)

Manual Fix (Advanced Users)

If using external DNS hosting:

1. Go to Email Deliverability in cPanel
2. Click “Manage” next to your domain
3. Copy the recommended SPF/DKIM/DMARC records
4. Log in to your DNS provider (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, etc.)
5. Add or update the TXT records manually
6. Wait for DNS propagation (within 24 to 48 hours)
   

If your domain uses external DNS (nameservers pointing to Cloudflare, Route 53, etc.), you must add the SPF record at your DNS provider, not in cPanel.

Example using Cloudflare:

1. Log in to Cloudflare and select your domain.
2. Go to DNS → Click “Add Record”
3. Fill out the form:
   – Type: TXT
   – Name: @
   – Content: Paste the SPF value from cPanel (don’t copy from the screenshot below—use your own value)
   
4. Click “Save”

Best Practices for Email Deliverability:

– Monitor regularly: Check the Email Deliverability after DNS changes, or server migrations.

– Keep records updated: Update SPF when changing hosts, regenerate compromised DKIM keys, and adjust DMARC policies as needed.

– Enable all three methods: Use SPF (required), DKIM (strongly recommended), and DMARC (recommended for businesses) for best deliverability.