sendgrid.com
The three core checks pass. What is missing is the transport and trust layer around them.
5 of 8 checks pass · 3 tools visible in DNS · nothing urgent
1 · Authentication and transport
SPF
PassValid, soft failAnything not on the list is accepted but marked. Google recommends ~all; with DMARC enforced it is as strong as -all.
v=spf1 include:sendgrid.com._nspf.vali.email include:%{i}._ip.%{h}._ehlo.%{d}._spf.vali.email include:stspg-customer.com ip4:167.89.60.95 ip4:50.31.36.205 ~all
DKIM
Pass2 keys foundSelectors s1, s2 publish a public key. 2 of them point at a vendor by CNAME.
s1._domainkey, s2._domainkey
DMARC
PassEnforced (p=reject)Failing mail is rejected. This is the finish line.
v=DMARC1; p=reject; sp=reject; pct=100; adkim=r; aspf=r; rua=mailto:dmarc_agg@vali.email,mailto:dmarc_rua@sendgrid.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc@sendgrid.com; fo=1; rf=afrf; ri=86400
MX
Pass1 hostOne host, but it is a provider endpoint that is redundant behind the name.
10 smtp.google.com
MTA-STS
ReviewNot publishedSending servers cannot tell that this domain requires TLS, so inbound mail can be downgraded to plain text by anyone on the path.
TLS-RPT
OptionalNot publishedNobody is told when TLS to this domain fails. Cheap to add once MTA-STS is in place.
BIMI
PassPublishedLogo record found and DMARC qualifies. Yahoo shows it from the record; Gmail and Apple Mail also need a VMC or CMC certificate (the a= tag).
v=BIMI1; l=https://amplify.valimail.com/bimi/twilio/qMjF7wPTroQ-twilio_inc_1020931307.svg; a=https://amplify.valimail.com/bimi/twilio/qMjF7wPTroQ-twilio_inc_1020931307.pem
DNSSEC
OptionalNot signedOptional. Signing the zone protects every record in this report from tampering.
2 · Tools visible in DNS
| Layer | Tool | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Mailbox | Google Workspace | MX smtp.google.com |
| Transactional | SendGrid | DKIM s1._domainkey → s1.domainkey.u298828.wl079.sendgrid.net |
| DMARC reporting | Valimail | DMARC rua=mailto:…@vali.email |
Only tools that leave a DNS trace appear. A shared DKIM selector is attributed only when its CNAME target names the vendor.
3 · Sender requirements (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft)
| Requirement | Applies to | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authenticate with SPF or DKIM | GoogleYahooMicrosoft | Verified | At least one method is in place. |
| Bulk senders: both SPF and DKIM | GoogleYahoo | Verified | Both are present. |
| Publish a DMARC record (p=none is enough) | GoogleYahooMicrosoft | Verified | Policy is p=reject. |
| From: domain aligns with SPF or DKIM | GoogleYahooMicrosoft | Not checkable here | Needs a real message. The Send-a-Test report will check this. |
| Valid forward and reverse DNS for sending IPs | GoogleYahoo | Not checkable here | Depends on the sending server, not the domain. |
| Encrypt in transit (TLS) | GoogleYahoo | Not checkable here | Outbound TLS depends on your sending tool; MTA-STS would cover inbound. |
| One-click unsubscribe (RFC 8058) for marketing mail | GoogleYahoo | Not checkable here | A message header, not a DNS record. Microsoft recommends it rather than requiring it. |
| Spam complaint rate under 0.1% (0.3% is the hard limit) | GoogleYahoo | Not checkable here | Read it in Google Postmaster Tools and Yahoo Sender Hub. Google’s target is 0.1%; 0.3% is where enforcement starts. |
4 · What to fix, in order
-
P3
Publish MTA-STS (record and policy file)
Tells sending servers to require TLS to your MX hosts, which prevents downgrade attacks. The TXT record alone does nothing: the policy file must be served over HTTPS at mta-sts.sendgrid.com. Start in testing mode, watch TLS-RPT, then switch to enforce.
Publish at_mta-sts.sendgrid.com and https://mta-sts.sendgrid.com/.well-known/mta-sts.txtTXT v=STSv1; id=2026100401 mta-sts.txt: version: STSv1 mode: testing mx: smtp.google.com max_age: 86400
-
P3
Publish TLS-RPT
You get a report when TLS delivery to your domain fails; this is what notices a downgrade that MTA-STS is meant to prevent. The address must exist.
Publish at_smtp._tls.sendgrid.comv=TLSRPTv1; rua=mailto:tls-rpt@sendgrid.com
-
P3
Sign the zone with DNSSEC
Protects every record in this report from being swapped in transit. Two steps: enable signing at your DNS host (one switch at Cloudflare and most others), then add the DS record it gives you at your registrar.
Publish atsendgrid.com
Appendix · Raw DNS answers
| Name | Type | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| sendgrid.com | MX | 10 smtp.google.com |
| sendgrid.com | A | 18.143.23.186 35.73.28.67 18.140.219.140 3.113.251.57 52.194.152.104 13.115.113.96 47.130.27.239 35.72.228.222 57.181.230.105 |
| sendgrid.com | TXT | v=spf1 include:sendgrid.com._nspf.vali.email include:%{i}._ip.%{h}._ehlo.%{d}._spf.vali.email include:stspg-customer.com ip4:167.89.60.95 ip4:50.31.36.205 ~all (+ 15 other TXT records: site-verification tokens and the like, omitted) |
| _dmarc.sendgrid.com | TXT | v=DMARC1; p=reject; sp=reject; pct=100; adkim=r; aspf=r; rua=mailto:dmarc_agg@vali.email,mailto:dmarc_rua@sendgrid.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc@sendgrid.com; fo=1; rf=afrf; ri=86400 |
| <selector>._domainkey.sendgrid.com | TXT | s1 → CNAME s1.domainkey.u298828.wl079.sendgrid.net s2 → CNAME s2.domainkey.u298828.wl079.sendgrid.net |
| _mta-sts.sendgrid.com | TXT | no record |
| _smtp._tls.sendgrid.com | TXT | no record |
| default._bimi.sendgrid.com | TXT | v=BIMI1; l=https://amplify.valimail.com/bimi/twilio/qMjF7wPTroQ-twilio_inc_1020931307.svg; a=https://amplify.valimail.com/bimi/twilio/qMjF7wPTroQ-twilio_inc_1020931307.pem |