Why email authentication matters in Zoho Campaigns

Why email authentication matters in Zoho Campaigns

​
​
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!

     


      • Recent Topics

      • Payroll and BAS ( Australian tax report format )

        Hello , I am evaluating Zoho Books and I find the interface very intuitive and straight forward. My company is currently using Quickbooks Premier the Australian version. Before we can consider moving the service we would need to have the following addressed : 1.Payroll 2.BAS ( business activity statement ) for tax purposes 3.Some form of local backup and possible export of data to a widely accepted format. Regards Codrin Mitin

      • Invalid scope choice: Workdrive integration in CRM

        Bug: There is an invalid option in the permission choices for Workdrive integration in CRM. If the entry "WorkDrive.teamfolder.CREATE" is selected, it will return a message indicating invalid OAuth scope scope does not exist.

      • What's New - February 2026 | Zoho Backstage

        February 2026 brings a major new addition and a collection of enhancements across Zoho Backstage. We thought about writing a long introduction, but the updates in this release make a strong case on their own. So we’ll skip the buildup and dive straight

      • Attaching files to emails within CRM Deals.

        Hello, We have recently started using the extension "Workdrive for CRM" (Related List) to view/store our documents for each Deal, instead of using Attachments. Overall it feels like a better way to go but the user experience is not so great when it comes

      • Anyone worked out how to export or screengrab a full heatmap?

        I'd love to be able to include a copy of a heatmap in a report but can't work out how to grab the whole thing as there doesn't appear to be an export function? Thanks in advance.

      • Establishing Relationships among contacts/leads with Reciprocal

        Is there any way to create a relationship between contacts and leads and be able to go into just one of the files and have it reciprocate the entry in the other file? For example, if I have two people say John and Jane Smith who are husband and wife.

      • Placeholder for Agent Signature in Email Templates

        Dear Zoho Team, I hope this message finds you well. We currently face a limitation when designing email templates in Zoho Desk. While we can create email templates and include a footer at the end, the agent signature is always appended by default at the

      • Custom View and Custom Fields on Zoho Books

        Hi, I have some custom fields on Estimates and Invoices. I also use Custom Views so I can have a lot of information at a glance. I want to include my custom fields as columns in my custom views of estimates / invoice, but it looks like is not possible.

      • %PaymentLink%

        Does not work. Software creates a BAD link. ....and yes payment options are turned on. Link on the invoice pdf once opened will work but this template is a joke.

      • Syncing calendar with Google Calendar doesn't work when events are sent to auto repeat

        Hi... The ZOHO CRM -- GOOGLE CALENDAR sync is broken. If I create a single event on either side, sync works, but if I create an event with auto repeat on either side it doesn't work. Furthermore, events created before the sync don't show up in the calendar.

      • Allow Global Admin to access/edit all forms without changing owners

        Hi there, Please consider adding a feature where the Global Admin of the account an automatically access/edit any form in the Company Account. I'm the Global Admin on our Zoho One plan, and we have multiple users that use/create forms. But for me to access

      • Can Zoho Marketing Automation send OTP codes via WhatsApp during user registration?

        The flow I would like to implement is: A user signs up in the mobile app and enters their phone number. The system generates a one-time verification code (OTP). The OTP is sent to the user via WhatsApp message. The user enters the code in the app to confirm

      • Where to show Customization Field ?

        Dear Sir, I have made some New Field in Item Field Customisation. Now I don't require that field in Estimate, Sales Orders etc. I just wants that field in Sales Invoice to Show/Hide... Is that possible ?

      • What's New in Zoho Analytics - February 2026

        Hello Users! We're back with another round of updates for Zoho Analytics. This month's release focuses on giving you greater flexibility in how you visualize, manage, and act on your data - with new features like custom visualizations, remote MCP server,

      • Zoho Books (and other Finance Suite Apps) - Clickable Item Name on Invoices and Reports

        Hi Zoho Books team, It would be really helpful if the Item Name on Reports were clicable to take me to the item. The same on Invoices, often I am looking at an invoice and I want to look at the deails of a product. A link here would be helpful to jump

      • ZOHO Reports are taking longer time to get refresh

        Hi Team, Since last few days, I'm facing issues in getting updated reports. For eg: right after making an expense entry or even posting a journal, it is taking longer then expected for the updated reports. Refer below: "You are viewing the report that

      • Display actual mileage on an invoice

        My users are creating expenses in Zoho expense. For example, they expense 10 miles and get paid 7 dollars (10 miles * IRS rate of .70). If I look at the expenses in Zoho Books, it does show them at 10 miles at .70 cent When I add these expense to an invoice

      • Can't change form's original name in URL

        Hi all, I have been duplicating + editing forms for jobs regarding the same department to maintain formatting + styling. The issue I've not run into is because I've duplicated it from an existing form, the URL doesn't seem to want to update with the new

      • Can you create relationships BETWEEN contacts within the same module

        I am setting up my CRM, and I want to have a way to connect contacts within the same module.  Is there a way to do this?  If not - how do I decide how to split up contacts to make connections?  What are best practices for this? We have clients who need

      • Function and workflow to create customer payment and send receipt

         I am attempting to set up a workflow/custom function for the automatic creation of a customer payment and sending the email receipt, but am receiving the error "Improper Statement Error might be due to missing ';' at end of the line or incomplete expression" I've been over everything several times and cannot see where the error is (code is copied into the attached document).  I haven't used custom functions before with Deluge, so it's very likely something very simple, or I've completely mucked

      • Disable Sign Up option in Zoho Creator Portal and show only Sign In page

        Is it possible to disable the Sign Up option in a Zoho Creator portal? The requirement is to show only the Sign In page and completely remove or hide the Sign Up page, so users cannot create accounts directly from the portal login page. Is there any setting

      • Restrict Payment Methods

        Allow us to restrict certain payment methods specific for each customer.

      • How to install Widget in inventory module

        Hi， I am trying to install a app into Sales Order Module related list, however there is no button allow me to do that. May I ask how to install widget to inventory module related list?

      • Can I view the KB in the same way as a customer logged in as my Agent?

        Sorry if this seems a mad question.  I have some Articles that I want to be seen by my Agents and the status of these is set to Agents only.  We also have some that are set to Public. When I sign in with my private email address (as a customer) I can

      • What’s New in Zoho Inventory — Latest Features, Integrations & Updates | December 2025

        Zoho Inventory has evolved significantly over the past months, bringing you smarter, faster, and more connected tools to streamline your operations. Whether you’re managing multichannel sales, complex fulfillment workflows, or fast-moving stock, our newest

      • Which user's capacity is used for Shared Mailbox storage?

        We use shared mailboxes at our company, and their size is increasing daily. Which user(s)'s total mailbox limit is being used up by this space?

      • Evernote (ENEX) import limitations

        I have been with Evernote since 2010, but the latest price increase is ridiculous. I am currently testing Zoho Notebook as a replacement. I am impressed so far - if it were not for critical need to import legacy Evernote notes, I would 100% migrate to

      • Can I create a CODE 128 custom field for my items in Zoho Inventory and then use it for generating Sales Orders?

        Can anyone helps me, I don't want to use the SKU code for scanning my products.  ​Because all my products have a CODE-128 label attached.

      • Prevent duplicate with custom fields?

        I was wondering something about custom field/custom modules in Zoho Desk. For some reason you can make a custom field mandatory but not unique? For example, if I create a custom module to manage equipment and renewal and make a field serial number no

      • Zoho Books' 2025 Wrapped

        Before we turn the page to a new year, it’s time to revisit the updates that made financial management simpler and more intuitive. This annual roundup brings together the most impactful features and enhancements we delivered in 2025, offering a clear

      • Multiple Vendor SKUs

        One of the big concerns we have with ZOHO Inventory is lack of Vendor Skus like many other inventory software packages offer. Being able to have multiple vendor skus for the same product would be HUGE! It would populate the appropriate vendor Sku for

      • Create Invoice automated with Package

        Does anyone knows how to create an invoice from a SO when we have created the package? We do these manually. and validate that the product packed is the product invoiced (if the order is partially packed) Regards, JS

      • Unable to integrate Zoho Projects and Zoho Workdrive

        I'm a Zoho One subscriber. When I go to Zoho Projects > Settings > Marketplace > Zoho Apps I do not see an option for Zoho Workdrive but I do see one for Zoho Docs that does nothing. How do I get the option to integrate Zoho WorkDrive and Zoho Proje

      • Disable payment thank-you emails

        Hello, can someone please tell me how to disable sending of the "Payment Thank-You" emails? 

      • How to backdate record payment for the invoice

        I would like to record a payment which happened 2 days ago, but I am not able to select any date later than today. I backdated the invoice, too, but it doesn't change anything

      • Help with deluge script

        Hi Community, this is my first Deluge script. I've pieced it together from reading various articles I want to use it in a workflow to 1 Convert a lead to a contact 2. Create a record in a custom module Below is what I have got so far but it does not fire

      • Marketer's Space: Why email authentication matters in Zoho Campaigns

        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.

      • Feature Request: "Send Invitation" Toggle for Events

        I am writing to request a critical "Quality of Life" update for the Activities module. Currently, adding people to the Participants field in an Event triggers an automatic email invitation/acceptance tracking with no way to opt-out. For general events

      • Edit email address that appears on invoice

        Hi How do I change the email address that appears on invoices, it is showing the email address that i used to sign up to zoho with but I want to change it to another email address that we use for accounts. also is there a way to edit the position of a

      • Introducing Zoho Sprints 3.0

        Zoho Sprints is consistently evolving in steady increments. The introduction of the latest version, with its enterprise level solutions, brings to you advanced capabilities that propel your agile efforts in the right direction. Here's a quick glimpse

      • Next Page