Can authentication replace engagement signals?

Authentication and engagement serve different purposes:

Authentication proves identity. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC confirm that mail genuinely comes from your domain. This is a prerequisite for reputation building.

Engagement proves value. Opens, clicks, and replies demonstrate that recipients want your mail. This determines whether authenticated mail reaches the inbox.

Perfect authentication with poor engagement means providers know exactly who is sending unwanted mail. They filter it confidently because they trust your identity and distrust your value.

Both layers are required. Without authentication, reputation cannot attach to your domain. Without engagement, authenticated mail gets filtered as confirmed unwanted.

Authentication is your verified passport. Engagement is your invitation. You need papers to enter the country, but without an invitation, you are still turned away at the door.