Resolving an invalid DKIM error

How to resolve an invalid DKIM error with your custom domain

Updated over a week ago

Receiving an error when using HoneyBook's domain tester tool indicates that there is an issue with your integrated email's DKIM or SPF configuration, which can significantly impact email deliverability for your custom domain. If you received an SPF record not found error, we'll walk through the steps you can take to fix the issue below.

What this error means

What you'll need to fix it

Where you'll fix it

💡 There is a DKIM signature in your email headers, but the signature is invalid. Likely, the text found in DKIM is invalid due to a typo or omission.

A common cause of this error is that DKIM is incorrectly constructed. The DKIM value must include:

  • At the start, v=DKIM1

  • A public-key, p=

To resolve this error, you may need to reconfigure DKIM.

Information from your email service provider (ESP)

Information from your domain provider

➡️ Your email service provider's management console

➡️ Your domain provider's management console


How to resolve the error

1. First, log in to the management console for your email service provider.

📚 Tip

Not sure who your email service provider is?

2. Click MX lookup.

3. Scroll down to locate where your email service provider is listed.

2. From your email provider’s settings, locate DKIM.

📚 Tip

Make sure the status for DKIM is turned ON.

Keep this tab open–you’ll need to copy a few things from your email provider and paste them into your domain provider.

3. Next, open a new tab and log in to the management console for your domain provider.

📚 Tip

Not sure who your domain provider is?

2. Enter your domain name and click Lookup.

  • Tip: If your email address is [email protected], your domain name should be entered as: honeybook.com

3. Scroll down to the Registrar Information section. Your provider will be listed as the Name.

  • Note: If there is a Reseller Information section, your provider will be listed there, not under Registrar.

4. Locate the page where you update DNS TXT records for your domain.

5. Open the DKIM record.

While the exact process varies by provider, here are resources to reconfigure a DKIM record for some of the most common domain providers:

6. Re-enter the relevant information for DKIM: Type, Name/Host, Value/Data, and TTL.

Field name

Value to enter

Type

TXT

Note: Make sure to select TXT as the type—don't select DKIM.

Name/Host

Copy the name from your email provider.

Value/Data

Copy the full value from your email provider.

Note: The DKIM value must include:

  • At the start, v=DKIM1

  • A public-key, p=

TTL (time to live)

How long the server should cache this information. For example: 300 seconds

7. Once you've adjusted the record, remember to save your changes.

📣 Note

While HoneyBook is able to check this record for you and notify you of the error, reconfiguring a DKIM record is done outside of HoneyBook and directly in your domain provider's Domain Name System (DNS) settings, using information from your email service provider. HoneyBook is not able to complete this process for you.

If you need further assistance, please contact your email service provider and/or domain provider's support team.


Next steps

Verify your changes

It can take up to 48 hours for DNS changes to take effect. Afterwards, you can always run the deliverability test again to make sure any errors are fixed.

If you send more than 5,000 emails per day

If you send more than 5,000 emails per day, Google and Yahoo's email spam filter updates (taking effect February 2024) impact you directly. Once you've verified your DKIM and SPF configuration, you will also need to define DMARC.

📚 Tip

You can check your DMARC settings using this tool.


Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message by clicking the Question Mark icon on any HoneyBook page. Our team is always happy to help!

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