Can authentication hurt deliverability if misconfigured?
Yes. Misconfigured authentication can hurt deliverability. Failed SPF or DKIM checks, DMARC policy violations, or syntax errors in DNS records can cause legitimate mail to be filtered or rejected.
Common misconfigurations include multiple SPF records, missing ESP includes, incorrect DKIM key publication, and DMARC policies stricter than your infrastructure supports.
Test thoroughly before deploying authentication changes. Use monitoring periods for DMARC. Validate DNS records with checking tools. Misconfigured authentication is worse than careful incremental implementation.
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