DNS configuration and useful tips for avoiding spam

Introduction

Emails are an essential communication tool, but to be truly effective, they must reach their intended recipients—a process that can be hindered by technical errors, spam filters, or incorrect settings in the content of emails or newsletters.

In this article:

• We'll explain what DNS is and how to configure them to improve the deliverability of your communications,
• Here are some tips on how to structure your email content to prevent it from ending up in spam, even with a correct DNS configuration.

Choose the option that best suits your situation:

• I don't have IT support to help me with the setup

  Follow this section if you don’t have an in-house technical specialist and need to understand what information to download from Artshell and how to share it with your domain provider.

• I have IT support to help with the setup

  Use this section if you can forward the DNS records directly to your technical contact.

What are DNS servers?

Click the boxes below to expand them and read the explanations:

How to configure DNS records

You can only configure DNS settings for custom domains that you own. Domains from free services (such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.) cannot be verified because their DNS settings are managed directly by the providers.

I do NOT have the support of an IT technician

If you don't have an IT technician, you can follow the steps listed below and contact your domain host (such as GoDaddy, Aruba, etc.) for assistance.

Step 1: Go to Email Settings

Step 2: Click "Configure DNS Now"

In the domain section, click " Configure DNS Now " on the yellow alert.

Step 3: Download the DNS records

Click " Download DNS" to get a .csv containing the records to add to your domain. If necessary, you can download the file multiple times.

Step 4: Contact your domain provider 

Contact your domain's support team (not Artshell's support team); you can send them the following email template:

Dear [Support Name], 

I need to add some DNS records to my email domain [Your Domain]
so that I can use the mailing features of the Artshell software. 

Here are the records to add:
[Paste the records here]
Can you help me with this?
Thank you,
[Your Name]

You can paste the records directly into the body of the email, as shown in the example below.

Wait for confirmation from your domain’s support team that the new DNS records have been added, after which you can proceed to check the status

Step 5: Check to see if the configuration was successful

Once your provider has confirmed that the records have been added, go back to Email Settings and click Check Status.

I have the support of an IT technician

If you have a technician or developer managing your website, they can follow these steps:

Step 1: Download the DNS records

Step 2: Log in to the domain control panel

The domain control panel is typically provided by the domain registrar (for example, Register.it, Aruba, GoDaddy). To access the domain control panel, you'll need a username and password.

Step 3: Find the DNS section

In the control panel, look for a section labeled "DNS," "DNS Management," or something similar.

This section should include an option to add new DNS records. You will be asked to provide the following details for each record:

• Record type (e.g., TXT, MX, CNAME)
• Hostname
• Value
• TTL (Time to Live)

Step 4: Add the DNS records 

Copy the records from the downloaded .csv file and enter them into the respective Type, Name , and Value fields; for TTL, you can leave the default value. When entering the records you receive, make sure to:

• Do not add extra spaces at the beginning or end of the record.
• Make sure any special characters are entered correctly.

Step 5: Save your changes

Once you've added all the records, save your changes in the DNS control panel. It may take some time for the changes to propagate (usually anywhere from a few minutes to 72 hours).

Step 6: Check to see if the configuration was successful 

Go back to Email Settings and click "Check Status" to make sure everything has been set up correctly.

Tips for preventing your emails and newsletters from ending up in the spam folder

What does it mean when an email ends up in the spam folder?

A spam email is an email that email clients automatically classify as unwanted or unsolicited by their users. For this reason, emails classified as spam are automatically sent to the spam folder—also known as "Junk Mail"—or directly to the recipient’s "Trash" folder, where they cannot be read. Email clients may classify an email as spam for various reasons, ranging from content-related issues to the sender’s reputation.

Why is it useful to know what spam is?

Ending up in a contact’s spam folder significantly reduces your chances of communicating with that contact in the future; getting out of spam is, in fact, very difficult.

Here's what you can do to prevent the emails you send from ending up in your customers' spam folders: 

Below are some general guidelines regarding database setup, campaign and newsletter design, and content creation to minimize the risk of your emails ending up in your customers’ spam folders. Specifically:

• How to manage your contact list.
• What to avoid including in the email subject line.
• Verification of your email address and content.
• Other best practices for creating emails and newsletters.

As for your contact list , we recommend that you:

✔️ Build your Contacts database Contacts , making sure to populate it with active email addresses belonging to real people;

✔️ Ensure, in accordance with GDPR regulations, that all your Contacts customers have opted in to receive your emails;

✔️ Keep your mailing list up to date by regularly removing email addresses that are no longer active or that have stopped receiving or reading your messages (bounced);

✔️ Collect personal email addresses rather than general ones when dealing with certain organizations, especially large companies, as they may have set up filters to prevent newsletters from reaching their employees’ inboxes.

Regarding thesubject line of the email , it would be best avoid:

❌ sentences written entirely in uppercase;

❌ phrases indicating special offers, such as: “Save 50%” or “Special Offer”;

❌ Phrases that convey a sense of urgency, such as: “Order now” or “Limited time offer”;

❌ Phrases that encourage you to place an order or spend money, such as: “Request a quote”;

❌ currency symbols or amounts of money expressed in figures;

❌ excessive punctuation (for example, too many exclamation points);

❌ Overused phrases like “you won’t believe your eyes” or “the secret no one knows.”

We also recommend that you check your email address and the contents of the emails:

✔️ Make sure to send your emails from a clear and visible address linked to a working and reliable email account;

✔️ Avoid sending emails that consist solely of images or links. Instead, include the right amount of text, interspersed with a few links and some multimedia content;

✔️ Use links that have been tested and are known to work, and always include their full URLs—never use shortened or abbreviated links, as these often hide potential dangers.

In this regard, we recommend that you adopt the following good habits:

✔️ Design your emails and newsletter campaigns in a clear and balanced way, without straying too far from the content that recipients already associate with your brand or name and the rest of your communications (website and social media);

✔️ Try to engage your contact or client—don’t bore them;

✔️ Do not include content that could be considered inappropriate for your audience;

✔️ Adjust the frequency of your communications to suit your goal, and avoid overdoing it.