DKIM for Kit (ConvertKit): Email Authentication Setup Guide

This guide is part of our Marketing and CRM series.

If your Kit emails are ending up in spam folders or showing "via kit.com" in your recipients' inboxes, the most likely culprit is missing domain authentication. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is a standard that lets you prove your emails genuinely come from your domain and haven't been altered along the way. Without it, inbox providers like Gmail and Outlook treat your messages with suspicion. Kit - formerly known as ConvertKit before their 2024 rebrand - includes a built-in domain authentication feature that handles DKIM for you. This guide covers every step from start to finish.

How Kit Domain Authentication Works

When you send email through Kit without authenticating your domain, those messages are signed with Kit's shared domain. Recipients may see "via kit.com" or "via convertkit.com" next to your sender name, which looks unprofessional and can hurt trust. Domain authentication changes this by telling inbox providers that Kit is authorized to send on behalf of your domain.

Here's what happens behind the scenes:

1. You start the domain authentication process in Kit's settings
2. Kit generates DKIM records (CNAME or TXT) tied to your domain
3. You add those records to your DNS provider
4. Kit checks for the records and verifies them automatically
5. All future emails from Kit are signed with your domain's DKIM key

Once authentication is complete, your emails appear as coming directly from your domain - no more "via kit.com" label. This improves both deliverability and brand trust with your subscribers.

Setting Up DKIM in Kit

Kit DNS Record Format

When you authenticate your domain, Kit typically provides CNAME records for DKIM. The records follow a pattern similar to this:

Why Authentication Matters for Creators

Kit is built for creators - bloggers, newsletter writers, course creators, and small business owners. If you're building an audience, email deliverability is everything. A single missed inbox can mean a lost subscriber or a missed sale.

Here's what domain authentication changes:

• No more "via kit.com" label. Your emails look like they come directly from you, not from a third-party platform.
• Better inbox placement. Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook all favor authenticated senders. Google and Yahoo now require DKIM for bulk senders.
• DMARC compatibility. If you ever set up a DMARC policy (which is increasingly expected), DKIM authentication through Kit ensures your marketing emails pass alignment checks.
• Subscriber trust. When someone sees your domain in the sender field - not a generic platform domain - they're more likely to open and engage.

Using Kit with Other Email Services

Many Kit users also send email through other platforms. You might use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for personal and business email, or a service like SendGrid for transactional messages. Each of these services can have its own DKIM records on the same domain.

DKIM selectors make this possible. Each service uses a unique selector name, so receiving mail servers know which public key to check for each email:

All of these records coexist in your DNS without interfering with each other. Just add the records from each service and they'll work independently.

Troubleshooting Kit DKIM

Kit says verification failed

• Confirm the DNS records are entered exactly as Kit provided them
• Check that your DNS provider hasn't auto-appended your domain to the hostname, creating a doubled domain
• Wait at least an hour and retry - propagation times vary by DNS provider

Emails still show "via kit.com"

• Verification may still be in progress. Check Kit's settings page for the current authentication status
• Make sure your From address uses the exact domain you authenticated, not a subdomain or variation

DKIM was working but stopped

• Check that your DNS records haven't been removed or modified, especially if you recently changed DNS providers or migrated your domain
• Use a DNS lookup tool to verify the records still resolve correctly

Emails landing in spam despite authentication

• DKIM alone doesn't guarantee inbox placement. You also need a valid SPF record and ideally a DMARC policy
• Review your sending practices - sudden spikes in volume, low engagement rates, or spam complaints can hurt deliverability regardless of authentication
• Make sure your email content isn't triggering spam filters (excessive links, misleading subject lines, missing unsubscribe links)

References

• RFC 6376 — DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) Signatures
• Kit (ConvertKit) official documentation — Domain authentication and email setup

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Using Kit to grow your audience? Authenticate your sending domain with DKIM so every email reaches the inbox.