Simply.com Email Authentication Guide: SPF, DKIM, And DMARC Setup

Key Takeaways

Properly configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC ensures that emails sent through Simply.com’s servers (e.g., smtp.simply.com) are authenticated and reach your recipients’ inboxes.
You must never publish more than one SPF TXT record on your domain. If you already have one, simply append Simply.com’s include statement (include:spf.simply.com).
Simply.com handles DKIM signing automatically for outgoing mail, provided you publish their two specific CNAME records in your DNS.
Simply.com heavily advocates for a strict p=reject DMARC policy. You can use their default CNAME record or configure a custom TXT record to receive PowerDMARC aggregate reports.

When you host your domain and email with Simply.com, your outbound messages are dispatched through their designated mail servers.
Without proper DNS authorization, major inbox providers like Google and Yahoo may flag your emails as suspicious or route them to the spam folder. By implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, you cryptographically prove your identity, drastically lowering bounce rates and securing your domain against unauthorized spoofing.

Why Authenticate Your Domain for Simply.com?

If you are using Simply.com’s webmail or SMTP servers (port 587) to send business communications, configuring these protocols yields immediate benefits:

Bypasses Spam Filters: Alignment of SPF and DKIM ensures your emails bypass automated spam traps and arrive safely in the inbox.
Secures Your Brand: DMARC enforcement defends your domain name against phishing and spoofing attacks.
Centralized Management: Simply.com maintains the backend DNS keys for you. By using their CNAME records, your authentication stays up-to-date automatically if they rotate their server IPs or encryption keys.

Steps to Configure Simply.com SPF

SPF tells receiving servers which IP addresses and domains are permitted to send mail on your behalf.

Scenario A: If you DO NOT have an existing SPF record

If your domain does not yet have an SPF record, access your DNS hosting provider’s console (e.g., Simply.com DNS Administration, Cloudflare, GoDaddy) and add a new TXT record:

Type: TXT
Host/Name: @ (or leave blank for the root domain)
Value:

None v=spf1 include:spf.simply.com ~all

(Note: Simply.com’s default example uses -all (strict fail), but ~all (soft fail) is the industry standard starting point to prevent legitimate mail from bouncing during initial setup).

Scenario B: If you DO have an existing SPF record (Most Common)

If you send emails through Simply.com as well as a marketing platform (like Mailchimp) or a CRM, do not create a second SPF record. Multiple SPF records will cause an immediate PermError and break your authentication.

Instead, edit your existing TXT record and insert include:spf.simply.com right before the final mechanism.

Before:

None v=spf1 include:servers.mcsv.net ~all

After:

None v=spf1 include:spf.simply.com include:servers.mcsv.net ~all

Pro Tip: If you use many third-party email tools, you may hit the strict 10-lookup limit for SPF. Consider utilizing PowerDMARC’s Hosted SPF to automatically flatten your records and prevent deliverability failures. You can check your lookups with the help of PowerDMARC’s SPF checker.

Steps to Configure DKIM for Simply.com

Simply.com automatically signs all emails sent via websmtp.simply.com, smtp.simply.com, and their webmail client. To validate these signatures, you simply need to point two DNS records to their servers.

Publish the DKIM Records in Your DNS

Record 1:

Type: CNAME
Host Record / Name: simplycom1._domainkey
Value: dkim1.simply.com

Record 2:

Type: CNAME
Host Record / Name: simplycom2._domainkey
Value: dkim2.simply.com

Important Note for Cloudflare Users: If you manage your DNS via Cloudflare, ensure the "Proxy status" for these CNAME records is toggled to DNS Only (Grey Cloud). Proxied records will break DKIM validation.

(Historical Note: Older domains may have previously used unoeuro._domainkey. If you are setting up a new configuration, strictly use the simplycom1 and simplycom2 selectors provided above).

You can see whether your key is active and correctly formatted with PowerDMARC’s DKIM checker.

Steps to Configure Your DMARC Record

With SPF and DKIM in place, you must configure DMARC. DMARC tells receiving servers how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.

Simply.com uniquely recommends moving straight to a strict p=reject policy. You have two ways to configure this:

Option 1: The Simply.com Default (No Reporting)

Simply.com provides a standard CNAME record that automatically applies their recommended reject policy.

Type: CNAME
Host/Name: _dmarc
Value: dmarc.simply.com

Option 2: The PowerDMARC Best Practice (With Reporting)

The drawback of Option 1 is that you get zero visibility into who is trying to spoof your domain. We highly recommend using a custom TXT record so you can receive XML aggregate reports (rua) to monitor your email traffic.

Use PowerDMARC’s free DMARC Record Generator to build your record.

1. Access your DNS settings and create a new record:

Type: TXT
Host/Name: _dmarc
Value: v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected];

2. Save your new TXT record.

(If you are nervous about rejecting emails immediately, you can safely start with p=none or p=quarantine while you monitor your initial reports).

Verify Your Setup

DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours to fully propagate. Once published, validate your configuration using PowerDMARC’s free DMARC Record Checker.

A successful check will display:

DKIM: Pass / Aligned
DMARC: Policy detected
SPF: Pass

Final Words

Ready to maximize your email security? The PowerDMARC team can help you confidently monitor your Simply.com traffic, transition safely to DMARC enforcement, and display your brand logo in customer inboxes with BIMI.
Reach out to our team or book a PowerDMARC demo today to secure your business communications!

About
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Yunes Tarada

Domain & Email Security Expert at PowerDMARC

Yunes is an Operations Team Lead at PowerDMARC with expert knowledge in email authentication and security. Yunes is a Microsoft-certified Azure Administrator Associate with certifications in CompTIA A+ and many more.

Simply.com Email Authentication Guide: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC