In working with client servers, a recurring problem I often hear about is emails not reaching their intended destination.
They either end up in spam folders or don’t get sent out at all. It’s a headache no one wants, and it’s something I aim to avoid.
SMTP email relay offers a solution to this. It’s particularly useful for ensuring that emails from your server or your clients’ emails make it to the inbox, especially if you’re dealing with hosting providers that block port 25.
Improving Email Deliverability with CyberPanel
CyberPanel, built on OpenLiteSpeed, offers a user-friendly experience along with comprehensive email management tools.
Despite these strong points, users sometimes face issues with email deliverability, like emails being marked as spam or not delivered. Identifying why this happens is crucial.
By adjusting CyberPanel’s email settings and employing an SMTP Relay service, it’s possible to improve how emails are delivered.
This article will show you how to optimize email delivery in CyberPanel by implementing SMTP Relay, aiming to ensure that emails are consistently delivered to the inbox without complications.
The Role of SMTP Relay in Email Deliverability
SMTP Relay is all about moving emails from your server to another and making sure they get to where they’re supposed to go.
When you add SMTP Relay to CyberPanel, you’re taking steps to keep your emails safe, stop them from being marked as spam, and make sure you can send more as you need to, especially as your business gets bigger.
Using an SMTP Relay service helps make sure your emails in CyberPanel get delivered properly. It works by sending your emails through a server that’s known for being reliable, which helps lower the chances of your emails being tossed into the spam folder.
SMTP Relay Providers
Before we get into setting up SMTP Relay in CyberPanel, where I’ll use Brevo for demonstration, it’s crucial to acknowledge the variety of SMTP Relay providers available, suited to different needs.
Here’s a brief overview table of some SMTP relay providers that i have atleast used and tested before:
Provider | Reliability | Ease of Use | Feature Set | Cost Effectiveness | Ideal for |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brevo | High | Excellent | Comprehensive, with focus on deliverability | High | Small to Medium Enterprises focusing on marketing |
SendGrid | Very High | Good | Extensive, with advanced analytics | Moderate | Businesses of all sizes looking for scalability |
Mailgun | High | Moderate | Extensive, with strong API support | Moderate | Developers and companies needing custom integrations |
Amazon SES | Very High | Variable | Basic, with high deliverability | Low | Large volume senders with existing AWS infrastructure |
Postmark | High | Excellent | Focused, with emphasis on transactional emails | Moderate | Businesses prioritizing fast and reliable transactional emails |
SparkPost | High | Good | Comprehensive, with emphasis on marketing automation | Moderate | Marketing teams needing advanced automation tools |
Mandrill | Very High | Good | Extensive, with Mailchimp integration | High | Mailchimp users requiring transactional email services |
SMTP2GO | High | Excellent | Focused, with strong deliverability | Moderate | Businesses looking for reliable delivery with detailed reporting |
Configuring SMTP Relay in CyberPanel with Brevo
Getting SMTP Relay up and running in CyberPanel is straightforward. It mainly requires tweaking some settings in your CyberPanel dashboard to ensure emails are delivered efficiently.
You’ll be entering the SMTP server details provided by Brevo and your authentication credentials into CyberPanel.
This step is crucial for setting up a smooth link between CyberPanel and Brevo, helping your emails reach their intended recipients seamlessly.
How To Get Brevo API Key
To get your Brevo API key, you’ll need to log in to your Brevo account. Navigate to the API section in your dashboard, where you can generate or view your existing API keys. If you’re unsure, Brevo’s support documentation or their customer service can guide you through this process.
Before configuring Postfix for SMTP Relay with Brevo, it’s crucial to update your domain’s DNS records. Brevo will provide you with specific text entries to add to your DNS records to help authenticate your emails, reduce spam flags, and improve deliverability.
These entries typically include SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Here’s a general guide on what to do:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This DNS record helps to verify that the sending server is authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. Brevo will provide you with a specific SPF record entry, which usually looks something like
"v=spf1 include:_spf.brevo.com ~all"
. This entry should be added as a TXT record for your domain. - DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM adds a digital signature to emails sent from your domain, which recipient servers can use to verify that the email hasn’t been tampered with in transit. Brevo will give you a unique DKIM value to add to your DNS as a TXT record. The DKIM record is often given in the form of a selector (a subdomain) and a public key.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): DMARC uses SPF and DKIM to determine the authenticity of an email message. Brevo will suggest a DMARC record, which might look like
"v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]"
. This should also be added as a TXT record to your domain’s DNS.
DNS Records Setup for Achieving Perfect Email Deliverability Score
For optimal email deliverability scores, ensure your DNS records are correctly set up as follows:
Type | Name | Content | TTL | Proxy Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
A | yourdomain.com | IP_ADDRESS | 3600 | DNS only |
A | IP_ADDRESS | 3600 | DNS only | |
AAAA | yourdomain.com | IPv6_ADDRESS | 3600 | DNS only |
AAAA | IPv6_ADDRESS_MAIL | 3600 | DNS only | |
CNAME | www | yourdomain.com | 3600 | DNS only |
CNAME | www.mail | mail.yourdomain.com | 3600 | DNS only |
MX | yourdomain.com | mail.yourdomain.com | 3600 | 10, DNS only |
MX | mail.mail.yourdomain.com | 3600 | 10, DNS only | |
TXT | default._domainkey | v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=DKIM_KEY | 3600 | DNS only |
TXT | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=none; | 3600 | DNS only |
TXT | _dmarc.mail | v=DMARC1; p=none; | 3600 | DNS only |
TXT | _domainkey | t=y; o=~; | 3600 | DNS only |
TXT | _domainkey.mail | t=y; o=~; | 3600 | DNS only |
TXT | yourdomain.com | v=spf1 include:_spf.yourmailprovider.com ~all | 3600 | DNS only |
TXT | v=spf1 include:_spf.mail.yourdomain.com ~all | 3600 | DNS only |
Please replace the placeholders with the actual values provided by Brevo.
After updating your DNS records according to the table above, proceed with configuring Postfix for SMTP Relay as detailed in the following steps. This initial setup is crucial for enhancing your email deliverability and achieving better email scores, ideally aiming for 10/10.
Step 1: Configuring Postfix for SMTP Relay
First things first, you need to configure Postfix, the mail transfer agent, to use Brevo’s SMTP Relay.
Open the main configuration file of Postfix by running this command in the terminal:
nano /etc/postfix/main.cf
In the main.cf
file, you’ll need to add the following lines. This tells Postfix to use Brevo’s SMTP server with TLS encryption and SASL authentication:
relayhost = [smtp-relay.brevo.com]:587
smtp_use_tls = yes
smtp_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtp_sasl_security_options = noanonymous
smtp_sasl_password_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
smtp_tls_CAfile = /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
Save and close the file.
Step 2: Setting Up the SASL Password File
Next, you need to set up the SASL password file. This file will store your authentication credentials for Brevo’s SMTP service.
Create and open the SASL password file by running:
nano /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
In this file, enter your SMTP Relay credentials in the following format:
[smtp-relay.brevo.com]:587 YourBrevoEmailAddres:YourBrevoAPIKey
Replace YourBrevoEmailAddress
with your actual Brevo email address and YourBrevoAPIKey
with the API key provided by Brevo. Save and close the file.
Step 3: Securing Your Credentials
It’s crucial to secure your credentials. Let’s encrypt the password file and set the right permissions.
Encrypt the password file by running:
postmap /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
Change the ownership and permissions of the password files to secure them:
chown root:postfix /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd*
chmod 640 /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd*
Step 4: Restart and Enable Postfix
Finally, apply the changes by restarting and enabling Postfix:
systemctl restart postfix && systemctl enable postfix
Configuring DNS Records for Improved Email Deliverability
Proper configuration of DNS records is crucial for the success of SMTP Relay. These records help recipient servers recognize and trust your emails, thereby improving their deliverability. Ensuring accurate DNS settings is a key step in optimizing your email services.
For example, you’ll need to add TXT records to your domain’s DNS settings. These records include SPF and DKIM, which are essential for authenticating your emails and improving their deliverability.
Troubleshooting SMTP Relay Issues in CyberPanel
Even with a proper setup, you may encounter issues such as authentication errors or misconfigured settings. Familiarizing yourself with common SMTP Relay problems and their solutions is essential for maintaining uninterrupted email communication.
When troubleshooting SMTP Relay issues in CyberPanel, it’s important to check the logs for any error messages.
This can provide clues to the underlying problem, whether it’s incorrect credentials, network issues, or misconfigured settings. Addressing these issues promptly ensures that your email services remain reliable.
Maintaining and Monitoring Your SMTP Relay Setup
Regular maintenance and monitoring of your SMTP Relay setup are necessary to prevent future issues and ensure ongoing email deliverability. Keeping your settings up to date and tracking email performance metrics are crucial for optimal email management.
It’s also important to stay informed about any updates or changes to your SMTP Relay service. Regularly reviewing your email delivery reports and making necessary adjustments to your setup can help maintain high deliverability rates.
Exploring Alternative Solutions to SMTP Relay
While SMTP Relay is an effective way to enhance email functionality in CyberPanel, there are other methods worth exploring. Adjusting server settings or using different email protocols can also contribute to improved email deliverability.
It’s important to consider these alternatives to find the best solution for your needs.
For instance, tweaking your email server’s configuration to optimize performance and security can also aid in better email deliverability.
Additionally, exploring alternative email protocols like IMAP or POP3 can provide different advantages depending on your specific requirements.
Best Practices for SMTP Relay in CyberPanel
To maximize the benefits of SMTP Relay in CyberPanel, it’s important to adhere to best practices. This includes using recommended settings, regularly monitoring email deliverability metrics, and staying informed about updates and advancements in email technology.
Implementing security measures such as encryption and authentication protocols is also crucial for maintaining the integrity of your email communications. Regularly updating your CyberPanel and SMTP Relay service to the latest versions ensures you have the latest features and security updates.
Wrapping Up
And there you have it! Your CyberPanel is now configured to use Brevo’s SMTP Relay. This setup should significantly improve your email deliverability, ensuring your emails reach their destination securely and efficiently.
Feel free to test your new setup by sending a test email. If you encounter any issues, double-check the configurations or reach out to Brevo’s support for assistance.
If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear about your experiences and any tips you might have for optimizing email delivery in CyberPanel.