DKIM for MailEnable: AccuWeb Hosting Setup Guide

This guide is part of our Email Providers series.

If you're running MailEnable on AccuWeb Hosting, your outgoing emails may be landing in spam folders or getting rejected entirely. The most common reason is a missing DKIM record. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to every email you send, proving it actually came from your domain and wasn't tampered with in transit. Setting it up on MailEnable takes a few minutes and makes a real difference in whether your messages reach the inbox.

MailEnable is a Windows-based mail server bundled with AccuWeb Hosting's Windows shared and VPS plans. Unlike some hosted email providers, MailEnable does not generate DKIM keys for you automatically. You need to create a key pair externally, then configure MailEnable to use the private key for signing and publish the public key in DNS.

How DKIM Works with MailEnable

DKIM uses a pair of cryptographic keys: a private key and a public key. Your mail server (MailEnable) uses the private key to sign every outgoing message. The receiving mail server looks up your public key in DNS and uses it to verify the signature. If the signature checks out, the email passes DKIM authentication.

MailEnable supports DKIM signing through its Administration console. Once you provide a private key and configure a selector, MailEnable attaches a DKIM-Signature header to every outgoing message for that domain. The selector is a label that tells receiving servers which DNS record contains the matching public key.

Because MailEnable does not include a built-in key generator, you need to generate the key pair separately. DKIM Creator handles this instantly in your browser, and your private key never leaves your machine.

Step-by-Step: Set Up DKIM on MailEnable (AccuWeb)

Generate a DKIM key pair

Go to DKIM Creator and generate a 2048-bit RSA key pair. Enter your domain name and choose a selector name. A selector like mail or mailenable works well. Download both the private key file and copy the DNS TXT record value.

Log into AccuWeb Hosting

Sign into your AccuWeb Hosting control panel. If you have a VPS plan, you can connect via Remote Desktop to access the server directly. For shared hosting, use the AccuWeb client area to access your MailEnable settings.

Open MailEnable Administration

Launch the MailEnable Administration console. On a VPS, this is available through the Windows Start menu or as a desktop shortcut. Navigate to your domain under Messaging Manager and then Domains.

Configure DKIM signing

Right-click your domain and select Properties. Go to the DKIM tab (available in MailEnable Professional and Enterprise editions). Enable DKIM signing, paste your private key into the private key field, and enter the selector name you chose in Step 1.

Save and restart the mail service

Click Apply and OK to save your settings. Restart the MailEnable SMTP service to ensure the new DKIM configuration takes effect. You can restart the service through the MailEnable Administration console or Windows Services.

Add the public key to DNS

Log into your DNS provider (this may be AccuWeb's DNS management panel, or a third-party provider like Cloudflare or Namecheap). Create a new TXT record using the values from DKIM Creator.

DNS Record Configuration

Add a TXT record at your DNS provider with the following values:

Field	Value
Host/Name	`selector._domainkey` (e.g., `mail._domainkey`)
Type	TXT
Value	`v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgkq...` (your public key from DKIM Creator)
TTL	3600

Replace selector with the exact selector name you configured in MailEnable. The Host/Name field format varies by DNS provider. Some require the full record name (mail._domainkey.yourdomain.com), while others only need the subdomain part (mail._domainkey). Check your provider's documentation if you're unsure.

Generate your DKIM keys

Create a 2048-bit key pair for MailEnable. Keys are generated locally in your browser.

Open DKIM Creator

Choosing a DKIM Selector

The selector is a label that identifies which key pair to use. MailEnable lets you configure any selector name you want. Common choices include:

mail or mailenable for simplicity
2026q1 or a date-based format for easy key rotation tracking
selector1 if you prefer a generic naming convention

Whatever you choose, make sure the selector in your MailEnable DKIM configuration matches the selector in your DNS record exactly. A mismatch will cause DKIM verification to fail silently.

Verifying Your DKIM Setup

After adding the DNS record, allow up to 48 hours for propagation. Once propagated, verify your configuration:

Check your DNS record at dkimtest.com by entering your domain and selector. The tool confirms whether the public key is published correctly.
Send a test email to an external address (like a Gmail account) and inspect the email headers. Look for dkim=pass in the Authentication-Results header.
Monitor ongoing deliverability using deliverabilitychecker.com to confirm that DKIM, SPF, and DMARC are all working together.

Quick header check

In Gmail, open a message you sent from MailEnable, click the three dots menu, and select "Show original." Search for Authentication-Results and look for dkim=pass.

Troubleshooting

DKIM signature not appearing in outgoing emails

Confirm that DKIM signing is enabled in the MailEnable domain properties under the DKIM tab
Verify the SMTP service was restarted after applying the configuration
Check that your MailEnable edition supports DKIM (Professional or Enterprise is required)

DKIM verification fails at the receiving server

Make sure the private key in MailEnable and the public key in DNS were generated as a pair. Regenerate both using DKIM Creator if you're unsure
Confirm the selector name in MailEnable matches the DNS record exactly (case-sensitive)
Check for extra spaces or line breaks in the DNS TXT record value

DNS record not found

Verify the TXT record hostname includes ._domainkey (e.g., mail._domainkey.yourdomain.com)
Allow up to 48 hours for DNS propagation. Use dkimtest.com to check
Ensure you're editing the correct DNS zone if your domain uses external nameservers

MailEnable DKIM tab is missing

The DKIM tab is only available in MailEnable Professional and Enterprise editions. The Standard edition does not support DKIM signing natively. Contact AccuWeb support to confirm your MailEnable edition or inquire about an upgrade.

References

RFC 6376 — DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) Signatures
MailEnable official documentation — DKIM signing configuration

Using MailEnable on AccuWeb Hosting? Generate your DKIM keys in seconds and start authenticating your outgoing email.

Generate DKIM keys for MailEnable

Create a secure 2048-bit key pair for your MailEnable server. Free, instant, and your private key never leaves your browser.

Generate DKIM Keys