Prerequisites for adding comments, posts, and tasks through email

Prerequisites for adding comments, posts, and tasks through email

Overview

Zoho Connect enables you to add comments, posts, and tasks in your network from your email. If your organization uses a custom email domain that contains your business' domain (example: user@zylker.com), the organization admin must configure SPF and DKIM authentication in the domain manager. This ensures the content shared by members from their email accounts is posted without being flagged or classified as spam. This also prevents scammers from tampering with the 'from' address and posting in your network. 

What is SPF? 

Sender Policy Framework (SPF)  is a type of DNS record published in the domain's DNS that identifies the email servers that are permitted to send emails using the particular domain name. The main purpose of SPF records is to help the recipient email server identify the spam emails, sent using your domain name by spoofing/ forging the From email addresses. 
 
Steps to add SPF TXT record in domain manager:  
  1. Login to your DNS Manager.
  2. Select the My Account menu and choose Domains.
  3. Expand Domains and click the Manage DNS for the domain you want to verify.
  4. The DNS Manager page will open with information about existing DNS records.
  5. Scroll down to the Records section and click Add.
  6. Select TXT from the 'Type' dropdown menu.
  7. In the 'Host' field, specify @.
  8. In the 'TXT Value' field, enter v=spf1 include:zoho.com ~all and also add the SPF record from your organization's mail service provider.
 
 Email service providerSPF record to be entered in the TXT value field
Gmail

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com

include:zoho.com ~all

Outlook

v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com  

include:zoho.com ~all

 

What is DKIM? 

DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is an authentication method that uses an encryption key and digital signature to verify that an incoming email is not forged or altered and has come from an authorized domain. 
 
Steps to add DKIM signature for your email domain:

Step 1: Generate the DKIM key in email provider's admin console
  1. Log in to the admin console of your organization's email service provider.
  2. Navigate to Domains section and select the domain for which you want to configure DKIM. 
  3. Select Add new record.
  4. Provide the selector name. Example: Zoho.
  5. Click Add. The selector will be added and a TXT record will be generated and displayed across the added selector.
You need to create a TXT record with this value in the DNS Manager before you click Verify.

Step 2: Add TXT record and DKIM key in domain manager
  1. Login to your DNS Manager and navigate to the DNS records page.
  2. Scroll down to the Records section and click Add.
  3. Select TXT from the 'Record Type' dropdown menu.
  4. Create a TXT record in your DNS with the title as <selector>._domainkey.<yourdomainname.com>.  Replace the text with your custom values without the brackets. Example: zoho._domainkey.zylker.org should be the name of the TXT record if the selector you choose is Zoho and the domain name is zylker.org. If your DNS is hosted with GoDaddy/ WIX/ Squarespace/ Namecheap etc, provide the TXT record name as zoho._domainkey as these providers append the domain name automatically.
  5. Copy and paste the TXT record name and TXT record value from the email service provider.
  6. Save the TXT record in the DNS Manager.
Step 3: Enabling DKIM for the domain
  1. Once the validation of the DKIM is successful, go to the admin console of the email service provider.
  2. Click Verify and enable DKIM. 

If you have any questions or need further assistance to add SPF record and DKIM signature for your email domain, please write to us at support@zohoconnect.com. We're happy to help!