Authenticating your domain

Why it matters

Every major inbox provider - Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, and others - runs incoming mail through filters designed to catch spam, forgery, and phishing. If your emails are sent from a domain that hasn't proven it's a legitimate sender, those filters have no reason to trust it, and your messages are far more likely to land in spam or get blocked outright - regardless of how good the content is.

Domain authentication is how you pass that trust check. It doesn't change what your emails look like; it changes whether they arrive. This is the single biggest lever most properties have over inbox placement, and it's also a prerequisite for sending transactional emails to external guests at all.

Domain authentication is not the same as domain verification. Verification simply confirms you have access to the sending email address (via a confirmation link or code) - it's a required first step, but on its own it does nothing for deliverability. Authentication is the additional DNS-level step that actually protects your sender reputation.

Step-by-step: authenticating your domain

1. Verify your email domain first. Mailchimp requires this before authentication can start - you'll confirm access via a link or code sent to the address you're verifying.
2. Go to Account & billing → Domains, and click 'Start Authentication' next to the domain you want to work with.
3. Choose your DNS provider from the list (or select "Other" if it's not listed), then pick one of two setup methods:
4. Automatic (recommended): Mailchimp uses a tool called Entri to connect directly to your DNS provider and configure the required records for you. You'll simply log in to your DNS provider when prompted, and Entri handles the rest.
5. You'll be given 2 CNAME records and 1 TXT record to copy into your DNS provider's settings yourself.
6. If setting up manually, add the records exactly as provided. This is probably a task for the person taking care of your website (IT, web agency or similar):
   1. 2 CNAME records - these handle DKIM signing, which cryptographically proves the email wasn't altered in transit.
   2. 1 TXT record - this handles DMARC, which tells inbox providers what to do if a message fails authentication.
7. Save the changes in your DNS provider's dashboard.
8. Wait for validation. Most records are picked up within minutes, but DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate. You'll get a notification once validation completes.
9. Confirm the result. An "Authenticated" label will appear next to your domain once successful. If it fails, you'll see an option to Resolve the issue or Restart authentication.

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Additional Material

Mailchimp Help Center 

• Set Up Email Domain Authentication
• About Email Domain Authentication