DKIM Testing for E-commerce

Your customer just placed an order. They're waiting for that confirmation email. But if your DKIM isn't configured correctly, that email might land in spam—or never arrive at all.

For e-commerce businesses, email deliverability directly impacts revenue. Order confirmations, shipping updates, abandoned cart emails, and promotional campaigns all depend on proper email authentication.

Why E-commerce Email is Different

E-commerce businesses send a high volume of email through multiple channels:

Transactional emails: Order confirmations, shipping notifications, password resets. These are expected immediately and must arrive reliably.

Marketing emails: Promotional campaigns, sales announcements, newsletters. These need to reach the inbox, not the spam folder.

Automated sequences: Abandoned cart reminders, post-purchase follow-ups, re-engagement campaigns. These drive significant revenue.

Each type often goes through a different system—your e-commerce platform, a marketing automation tool, and possibly a separate transactional email service. Each needs its own DKIM configuration.

How DKIM Failures Hurt E-commerce

When DKIM fails, the consequences hit your bottom line:

Lost orders: Customers who don't receive order confirmations may think their purchase failed and re-order elsewhere.

Customer service overload: "Where's my order?" support tickets spike when confirmation emails don't arrive.

Abandoned cart recovery fails: Your highest-ROI automated emails don't reach customers.

Marketing campaigns underperform: Promotional emails in spam don't drive sales.

Brand trust erodes: Customers lose confidence when they can't rely on your communications.

How DKIM Testing Helps E-commerce

Common E-commerce Email Stacks

Most online stores use multiple services for different email types:

Each service needs its own DKIM selector and DNS record. Test all of them.

Shopify Stores

Shopify can send email directly or through a connected email service. If using Shopify's built-in email:

• Configure sender authentication in Settings → Notifications
• Add the provided DNS records to your domain

If using a third-party service (Klaviyo, Mailchimp), configure DKIM through that service instead.

WooCommerce Stores

WooCommerce typically relies on your hosting provider's email or a plugin like WP Mail SMTP connected to a transactional email service. Common setups:

• WP Mail SMTP + SendGrid
• WP Mail SMTP + Postmark
• WP Mail SMTP + Mailgun

Configure DKIM through whichever service you're using.

Setting Up DKIM for E-commerce

Pre-Peak Season Checklist

Before major sales events (Black Friday, holiday season, big launches), verify:

Email Authentication

• [ ] DKIM configured and tested for all sending services
• [ ] SPF record includes all sending IPs
• [ ] DMARC policy in place

Platform Configuration

• [ ] E-commerce platform email settings verified
• [ ] Marketing automation connected and tested
• [ ] Transactional email service configured

Testing

• [ ] Test order confirmation emails
• [ ] Test abandoned cart emails
• [ ] Test promotional email from each segment

Check your SPF at spfrecordcheck.com and DMARC at dmarcrecordchecker.com.

When Customers Say "I Didn't Get the Email"

Customer claims they didn't receive an order confirmation? Here's how to troubleshoot:

1. Check your email logs: Did the email actually send? Most platforms show delivery status.

2. Test your DKIM: A failing DKIM signature is a common cause of spam filtering.

3. Have them check spam/junk: Even with perfect authentication, emails occasionally get filtered.

4. Check for bounces: Hard bounces indicate invalid addresses. Soft bounces might indicate reputation issues.

5. Review DMARC reports: If you have DMARC reporting enabled, check for authentication failures.

The Full E-commerce Email Stack

For reliable e-commerce email delivery, configure all three authentication protocols:

SPF: Lists authorized sending servers. Critical when using multiple email services.

DKIM: Adds cryptographic signatures to verify authenticity. What you're testing here.

DMARC: Tells receivers what to do with failed emails and provides reporting.

All three working together protect your brand and maximize deliverability.

Monitor Your DKIM Records

Checking once is good. Monitoring continuously is better. The Email Deliverability Suite watches your SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX records daily and alerts you when something breaks.