If you received an email from MailPoet with the subject line “Action Required: Your MailPoet Emails Are At Risk of Failing,” “Reminder: Your emails are at risk of being marked as spam,” or “Final Reminder: Your emails are at risk of being blocked,” it means your sender domain is missing required DNS authentication records. This article explains what these reminder emails mean, why you are receiving them, and how to fix the issue.
Why MailPoet Sends These Reminders
Major email providers like Google, Yahoo, Outlook, and Hotmail now require all senders to authenticate their domains using DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) records. Without these records, your emails are more likely to bounce, land in spam folders, or be blocked entirely.
When MailPoet detects that your sender domain has missing or invalid DNS authentication records, it sends a series of reminder emails to give you time to fix the issue before it affects your email delivery.
The Reminder Sequence
MailPoet sends three reminder emails over the course of several weeks:
| Reminder | Timing | Subject Line |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Reminder | 3 days after the issue is detected | “Action Required: Your MailPoet Emails Are At Risk of Failing” |
| 2nd Reminder | 1 week after the 1st reminder | “Reminder: Your emails are at risk of being marked as spam” |
| Final Reminder | 1 week after the 2nd reminder | “Final Reminder: Your emails are at risk of being blocked” |
Each reminder includes a link to your MailPoet account where you can take action.
What Happens if You Do Not Take Action
Seven days after the final reminder, your domain will be automatically revalidated. If the DNS records still need attention at that time, your domain’s sending status will be updated accordingly, which may prevent future email deliveries through the MailPoet Sending Service.
To avoid any disruption to your emails, we strongly recommend setting up the required DNS records as soon as possible after receiving the first reminder.
How to Fix the Issue
To resolve this and stop receiving reminder emails, you need to authenticate your sender domain by adding the required DNS records. Here is what to do:
- Go to the My Sender Domains tab in your MailPoet account.
- Add your sender domain if you have not already. Your sender domain is the domain of the email address you use in the “From” field. For example, if you send emails as newsletter@example.com, your sender domain is example.com.
- You will be shown four DNS records to add. These include two DKIM records, one DMARC record, and one return-path record.
- Add these records in your hosting provider’s or domain registrar’s DNS settings.
- Return to the My Sender Domains tab and click Verify DNS records.
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, though it often takes just 15 minutes to a few hours.
For detailed, step-by-step instructions, including troubleshooting tips for common issues, see our full guide: Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM, DMARC.
Common Questions
I do not have access to my domain’s DNS settings. What should I do?
Contact your hosting provider or domain registrar and ask them to add the DNS records for you. You can share the records shown in the My Sender Domains tab of your MailPoet account with them.
I already set up my DNS records, but I still received a reminder. Why?
Your records may not have propagated yet or may contain an error. Go to the My Sender Domains tab in your MailPoet account and click Verify DNS records to check the status. If the records still show as invalid, review the troubleshooting section in our authentication guide for common issues such as duplicate domain names in record values or incorrect record types.
Is this the same as authorizing my email address?
No. Authorizing an email address and authenticating your sender domain are two different steps. Authorizing an email address confirms that you own the “From” address. Authenticating your sender domain adds DNS records (DKIM and DMARC) that verify your domain’s identity and protect your emails from being marked as spam or rejected. The reminder emails are about domain authentication, not email address authorization.
Why is domain authentication required?
Starting in 2024, Google, Yahoo, and other major email providers began enforcing stricter requirements for all email senders. Without proper authentication, your emails are more likely to bounce or be marked as spam. MailPoet enforces these requirements to protect your deliverability and the overall reputation of the MailPoet Sending Service. You can learn more in our article on Google, Yahoo, and other Big Email Service Provider Requirements.