How to Enable DKIM from DirectAdmin?

Domain keys identified mail (DKIM) is a method of verifying email transactions. It was developed to check the sender’s identity in emails. It lets the recipient of an incoming email confirm if an email purporting to come from a specific domain actually came from that organization. 

This knowledge-based article aims to help users of the DirectAdmin control panel follow certain steps when setting up DKIM for their domains.

Why Enable DKIM?

Enabling DKIM offers several benefits:

Minimizes Spam: Emails that are verified have a lower chance of being classified as spam.

Safeguards Brand: Stops illegal usage of your domain to send phony emails.

Boosts Security: Gives your email correspondence an additional degree of protection.

Prerequisites

Before enabling DKIM in DirectAdmin, ensure you have:

- DirectAdmin Access: Login credentials for the DirectAdmin panel.

- Domain Management: Ability to manage DNS records for your domain.

Enabling DKIM in DirectAdmin: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Login to DirectAdmin

1. Open your web browser and navigate to your DirectAdmin URL. This is typically https://yourdomain.com:2222.

2. Enter your username and password.

3. Click "Login" to access the DirectAdmin interface.

Step 2: Navigate to Email Settings

1. Select the domain for which you want to enable DKIM.

2. Click on the Email Manager option in the main menu.

Step 3: Enable DKIM

1. In the Email Manager, locate and click on the DKIM Management or Email Authentication option.

2. Find the Enable DKIM button or checkbox.

3. Click or check it to enable DKIM.

If your DNS is managed through DirectAdmin, DirectAdmin will generate the DKIM keys and update the necessary DNS records automatically.

Step 4: Verify DKIM Configuration

Once the DNS changes have propagated:

1. Use a DKIM validator tool to verify that DKIM is configured correctly. Online resources like DKIMCore, Mail-Tester, and MXToolbox are available.

2. Send an email from your domain to a testing address provided by the tool.

3. Check the results provided by the tool to ensure that DKIM is properly configured and working.

Step 5: Test Email Delivery

To confirm that DKIM is functioning correctly:

1. Send an email to a variety of recipients, including your own address on different mail providers.

What are Troubleshooting Common Issues?

Issue: DKIM Signature Missing

- Solution: Ensure that DKIM is enabled in DirectAdmin and that the DNS TXT record is correctly added and propagated.

Issue: DKIM Verification Fails

- Solution: Double-check the DKIM DNS record for accuracy. Verify that the key does not contain extra spaces or line breaks.

Issue: Email Delivery Problems

- Solution: Check that the email content is not triggering spam filters. Ensure that other authentication methods like SPF and DMARC are also properly configured.

Conclusion

Other than that, it is advisable to enable DKIM in DirectAdmin since it will help protect the domain from email forgery and overall improve the security of its email correspondence. Ensuring the emails you send are authenticated will help downplay the chance of them being considered spam or phishing attempts, and the steps highlighted in this guide will help achieve that for you. Periodically check the configuration of the DKIM and ensure that the DNS records are correct in order to help possibly break down email security.

For more details on DirectAdmin, visit the DirectAdmin manual. For DNS control, visit your domain registrar and check their DNS manual.