DMARC, SPF, DKIM for sendmail on linux

To create DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records for your domain, you'll need to configure the DNS TXT entries for each. Here's how to do it:

1. SPF Record

The SPF record helps to identify which mail servers are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain.

Step-by-Step:

  1. Login to your DNS provider's management panel.
  2. Add a new DNS TXT record with the following value:

    v=spf1 a mx ip4:<    myserver.net> -all

2. DMARC Record

DMARC tells mail servers how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.

Step-by-Step:

  1. Add a DNS TXT record with the following value:

    v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:postmaster@myserver.net; ruf=mailto:postmaster@myserver.net; sp=none; aspf=r;

This record means that DMARC is set to "none" (no enforcement). You can change p=none to p=quarantine or p=reject once you are confident your setup is working.


3. DKIM

If you haven't installed OpenDKIM, do so:


sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install opendkim opendkim-tools


Next, generate your DKIM key pair with:


sudo opendkim-genkey -t -s default -d myhost.net


This creates two files:

  • default.private: The private key used for signing emails.
  • default.txt: The public key to be added to your DNS.


Add the Public Key to DNS

Open the default.txt file, which contains your public key:


default._domainkey IN TXT 3600 "v=DKIM1; h=sha256; k=rsa; t=y; p=ab12cd34ef56..."


Add this TXT entry to your DNS zone file, ensuring it's on a single line.

Move the Private Key to the Correct Directory

Move the private key to /etc/opendkim/keys and set appropriate permissions:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/opendkim/keys/myhost.net

sudo mv default.private /etc/opendkim/keys/myhost.net/default.private

sudo chown -R opendkim:opendkim /etc/opendkim/keys/myhost.net

sudo chmod 600 /etc/opendkim/keys/myhost.net/default.private


Configure OpenDKIM

Edit /etc/opendkim.conf to include the domain, key file, and selector:


Domain    myhost.net

KeyFile   /etc/opendkim/keys/myhost.net/default.private

Selector  default


Configure Sendmail Directly (sendmail.cf)

If you're configuring Sendmail directly via sendmail.cf, add the following line:

Xopendkim, S=local:/var/run/opendkim/opendkim.sock

This defines the filter and points to the OpenDKIM socket.

Restart Services

Restart opendkim and sendmail to apply the changes:


sudo service opendkim restart

sudo service sendmail restart


Test DKIM

After sending an email, you can verify DKIM by inspecting the headers or using tools like MXToolbox.

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