How to Set Up DKIM for Alibaba Cloud?

DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is an email authentication method that helps protect your domain from being used in phishing or spam campaigns. By setting up DKIM on Alibaba Cloud, you ensure that the emails sent from your domain are verified and trustworthy. This blog will guide you through the process of setting up DKIM for Alibaba Cloud.

What is DKIM?

DomainKeysIdentified Mail (DKIM) is an email authentication protocol that allows organizations to verify the legitimacy of emails by digitally signing them. This signature allows mailbox providers to authenticate the message’s source using cryptographic techniques. Implementing DKIM is crucial for protecting both employees and customers from email-based threats.  

Why set up DKIM on Alibaba Cloud? 

Setting up DKIM on Alibaba Cloud provides several benefits:

Email authenticity

Check if emails sent from your domain are authentic and unaltered. This is known as email authenticity.

Improved Deliverability

Increases the chances of your emails being delivered to the inbox rather than the spam folder.

Brand Protection

This protects your brand from being exploited by spammers and phishers.

Prerequisites for Setting Up DKIM for Alibaba Cloud

Before you start setting up DKIM, ensure you have:

• Access to your Alibaba Cloud account.
• A domain registered and managed through Alibaba Cloud.
• Access to your domain’s DNS settings.

How to set up DKIM for Alibaba Cloud?

Step 1: Use Strikingly Site Editor to verify the DNS records required for your email domain authentication.

•   Go to your Strikingly site editor and click “Settings” > “Email Notifications.”.
• Add your email to the “From Email” field.
• Enter the 6-digit code sent to your email to verify it.
• Click “Authenticate Email Domain.”

• Choose “Alibaba Cloud” as your domain provider, and click “Start Configuration.”.

• You will see a popup that displays the records you’ll need to set in your domain settings.

Step 2: Register one TXT record and three CNAME records with Alibaba Cloud.

•  Log on to the Alibaba Cloud DNS console.
•  In the navigation pane on the left, select Domain Name Resolution.
• Locate the domain name for which you wish to add an A record on the authoritative  
• Click the Domain Names tab of the resulting page, then click DNS Settings in the Actions column.

•    On the DNS Settings page, click Add DNS Record.
• Under Type, select “CNAME.”.
  
• Copy and paste the first CNAME record.
  Note: Alibaba Cloud automatically populates your domain name. When copying the “Name” field from Strikingly only copy the selector (circled in red) before your domain name and paste it into the “Host” field of Alibaba Cloud :
  Copy and paste the “Value” from Strikingly to Alibaba Cloud.
  
•  Leave the TTL field at its default setting.
• Repeat steps 3-6 to add two more CNAME records.
• Add one more record and set the type to TXT.
  
  • Copy and paste the “Name” and “Value” of the TXT record.
  • Leave the TTL field at its default setting.

3: Wait for the Records to Take Effect

1. Return to the Strikingly site editor and click the “I have added, start checking” button in the popup window once you have verified the configuration described above.

2. We’ll automatically detect your DNS records. Please allow up to 48 hours for the changes in the domain records to take effect globally. 
   
   
3.  We will send you an email as soon as we identify the accurate values. Additionally, a green message will appear here to let you know that DKIM authentication for your domain has been successfully set up.
   
   
4. You will receive an email notification if, after 48 hours, we are unable to identify the correct values. Verify that you have completed steps 1-3 and try it again. As always, you can contact us for support!
   

Error Troubleshooting Guide

• Verification Failed: If the DKIM verification in Alibaba Cloud fails, ensure that there are no typos in your DNS record and that you’ve correctly entered the DKIM public key.
• DKIM Signature Missing: If you don’t see the DKIM signature in your email headers, double-check that the DNS TXT record was added correctly and has fully propagated.

Conclusion 

Adding DKIM to your Alibaba Cloud account is a crucial step toward protecting your email correspondence. By following the procedures in this article, you can easily configure DKIM for your domain, ensuring that your emails get authorized and reducing the chance of them being flagged as spam. As organizations continue to rely significantly on email for communication, using DKIM is a proactive step towards protecting your brand and improving email deliverability.

For further assistance, please refer to Alibaba Cloud’s official documentation or contact our support staff.

FAQs 

 1. What is the purpose of DKIM?

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method that helps verify the sender’s domain and ensures the integrity of the email content. It adds a digital signature to outgoing emails, which receiving servers can validate against the public key published in your DNS records. This helps prevent your emails from being marked as spam and protects your domain from being used in phishing attacks.

2. How long does it take for the DKIM changes to propagate?

DNS changes, including the addition of DKIM records, can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate fully across the internet. However, in most cases, you should see the changes take effect within a few hours. You can use online tools like DNS propagation checkers to monitor the status of your DKIM record.

3. Can I set up DKIM for multiple domains on Alibaba Cloud?

Yes, you can set up DKIM for multiple domains on Alibaba Cloud. Each domain will require its own unique DKIM key pair, which you can generate through the Alibaba Cloud console’s Email Delivery Service section.

4. What should I do if DKIM verification fails on Alibaba Cloud?

 If DKIM verification fails, follow these steps:

If the issue persists, consult Alibaba Cloud’s official documentation or reach out to their support team for assistance.

Double-check the DNS TXT record you added for any typos or incorrect entries.

Verify that the DNS record has fully propagated. You can use online tools to check the status.