Why email authentication matters in Zoho Campaigns

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Welcome back to another post in Marketer's Space!

If you've recently started using Zoho Campaigns, you've probably come across terms like SPF and DKIM. You may have also noticed emails that show "via zcsend.net" in Gmail when testing or sending campaigns.

For many new users, this raises a few questions—such as:

1. Why does this happen?
2. Is something wrong with my campaign?
3. Do I really need to configure authentication before sending any campaigns?
   

These are natural questions, especially if you're setting up Zoho Campaigns for the first time.

In this post, we'll walk through what email authentication actually means, why it matters for your campaigns, and how to approach it correctly in Zoho Campaigns.

What is email authentication?

Email authentication is essentially a way for mailbox providers like Gmail or Outlook to verify that an email from your domain was actually sent with your permission.

Without this verification step, anyone could impersonate another domain and send out fraudulent messages. Authentication helps prevent this type of impersonation and protects recipients from misleading emails.

In Zoho Campaigns, email authentication mainly involves two key technologies:
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM).

When these records are configured properly, they act as verification signals for receiving email servers. Specifically, they tell receiving systems that Zoho Campaigns is authorized to send emails on your domain's behalf and that sent messages have not been altered during transit to the recipient.

What happens if you skip authentication?

Many new users start sending campaigns without first completing these authentication steps. While the platform does allow emails to be sent without authentication, skipping this step can affect how your emails are received.

Some common results include:

• Emails displaying "via zcsend.net"
• Lower inbox placement
• Reduced sender trust
• Possible delivery to spam

While this may seem like a minor concern at first, authentication affects much more than just how the sender appears in Gmail; it directly impacts deliverability and your sending domain's overall reputation. Even well-designed campaigns may struggle to reach inboxes consistently if authentication isn't properly configured.

Why it matters more today than ever 

Email providers are becoming increasingly strict when evaluating incoming messages. Their primary goal is to protect users from spam, phishing attempts, and impersonation attacks. In fact, Gmail has recently tightened its sender policy requirements, which you can read more about here.

Modern spam filters don't even check message content anymore. Instead, they're more likely to focus on the following key factors before deciding whether to deliver an email or not:

• Domain reputation
• Sender and domain co-relation
• Past engagement
• Authentication status

Because of this, even good content can struggle to reach inboxes if their technical setups are incomplete. That's why authentication isn't something you can afford to postpone any longer.

How to set up authentication in Zoho Campaigns 

Setting up authentication in Zoho Campaigns is simple, but does require a few careful steps.

Step 1: Add your sending domain.

The first step is to add your sending domain in Zoho Campaigns and verify it. Follow the instructions detailed in this help article to complete the domain verification process.

Once your domain is added, Zoho Campaigns will generate the authentication code required for the next step.

Step 2: Configure SPF and DKIM.

After adding your domain, you'll need to update in your domain's DNS settings with the records Zoho provides, which include your SPF and DKIM records. Complete this step in your domain hosting provider, as DNS settings are managed there.

If you need detailed guidance, follow the step-by-step instructions in this help article.

Step 3: Complete the manual verification.

Once you've added your SPF and DKIM records to your domain's DNS settings, you'll need to return to Zoho Campaigns and manually verify the authentication from the Domain Authentication section. Only after this step will the system confirm that the authentication setup has been completed successfully.

Step 4: Test it out before sending campaigns

After your authentication is verified, it's always a good idea to run a quick check before sending a full campaign.

First, go to the Settings section and open Domain Authentication. The status should look something like the example shown below: 

Once everything appears correctly configured, send a small test campaign and review the results; carefully verify that no "via" tag appears in Gmail and your inbox placement looks normal.

Common misconceptions about authentication 

There are a few common assumptions that often cause confusion regarding email authentication.
"My email was sent successfully—so the authentication must have worked."

Not necessarily. Emails can still be sent even if authentication isn't properly configured. However, sending successfully doesn't guarantee good deliverability.

"Authentication only affects branding."

While the "via" tag is the most visible indicator, authentication affects much more than appearance; it influences sender reputation, inbox placement, and how mailbox providers evaluate your domain.

"I can just configure it later."

This is another common mistake. Your sender reputation starts forming the moment you send your very first campaign. Delaying authentication can make it harder to build a strong reputation later.

Authentication + good practices = strong foundation 

Authentication is important in its own right, but it works best when combined with good sending practices—such as:

• Maintaining clean contact lists
  
• Gradually increasing sending volume
• Creating engaging and relevant content
• Sending campaigns at a consistent frequency
  

When you combine these practices with proper authentication, you create a much stronger foundation for long-term deliverability.

Final thoughts 

If you're just getting started with Zoho Campaigns, it's worth taking a moment before sending your first major campaign to check a few basics first: 

1. Is your domain authenticated?
   
2. Are SPF and DKIM properly verified?
   
3. Have you tested everything with a small campaign? 

Email authentication helps build long-term trust—not just with inbox providers, but with your recipients.

If you've faced authentication-related challenges or have questions/suggestions about SPF or DKIM setup, feel free to share them below. Your experience might help someone else avoid the same confusion.

Until next time, happy campaigning!

 

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