# Email Auth Checker: Bulk SPF, DMARC, DKIM & MX + Monitor (`jwaiworks/email-auth-checker`) Actor

DMARC SPF DKIM checker for any domain list via public DNS, plus MX. Each domain gets a 0–100 score, grade and plain-English problems. Sends no email. Monitor mode outputs only changes. Not affiliated with Google or Yahoo.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/jwaiworks/email-auth-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [JW AI Works](https://apify.com/jwaiworks) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Marketing
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 domain checkeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

**Email Auth Checker** bulk-checks the **SPF, DMARC, DKIM and MX** records of any list of domains using public DNS. It gives each domain a **0–100 email-authentication score**, a letter grade and a plain-English list of problems, such as SPF over the 10-DNS-lookup limit, `+all`, DMARC stuck at `p=none`, or no DMARC reporting. Turn on **monitor mode** to get only the domains whose results changed since your last run.

*Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cloudflare, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, or any email provider named in the results; names are used only to describe compatibility or identify mail providers.*

It reads public DNS records only, through DNS over HTTPS (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 or Google Public DNS) or the system resolver. It sends no email, opens no SMTP connections, uses no proxies, and doesn't output any email address it finds.

### What does the SPF and DMARC checker test?

- **SPF:** the record is present and unique; the `all` qualifier (`-all`, `~all`, `?all`, `+all`); DNS lookups counted recursively against the RFC 7208 limit of 10; void lookups; includes with no SPF record; the deprecated `ptr`; include loops; overlong records.
- **DMARC:** present and unique; policy `p` and subdomain policy `sp`; `pct`; alignment (`adkim`, `aspf`); whether aggregate (`rua`) and forensic (`ruf`) report addresses are present. The addresses themselves are never output.
- **MX:** mail servers, a guess at the mail provider (e.g. Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Proofpoint), and null MX.
- **DKIM:** about 28 common selectors (`google`, `selector1`, `selector2`, `k1`, `s1`, `default`, …) with key type, RSA key size and revoked keys. DNS can't list selectors, so "not found" is only informational and may mean the domain uses a custom selector. You can add your own selectors.

### Who uses a bulk email authentication checker?

Email deliverability consultants and agencies auditing clients, MSPs and IT teams watching their customers' domains, security teams checking vendors for spoofing risk, and sales teams qualifying leads for email-security services.

### How to check SPF, DKIM and DMARC for a list of domains

1. Paste your domains into **Domains**. Full URLs and email addresses are reduced to their domain.
2. Optional: add your own **DKIM selectors** if a domain uses a custom one.
3. Run it and download the results as JSON, CSV or Excel. Each domain gets a 0–100 score, a grade and a plain-English list of problems.

```json
{ "domains": ["github.com", "example.com"], "monitorMode": true, "monitorStateName": "clients" }
```

### Output: email authentication score per domain

Real, unedited results from the Nov 1, 2026 test run. The table shows selected fields; "DKIM selectors found" is the number of selectors in `dkimSelectorsFound`, and "issues" lists the `code` of each entry in `problems`.

| domain | score | grade | SPF all | SPF lookups | DMARC policy | DMARC reports | DKIM selectors found | issues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| microsoft.com | 95 | A | -all | 6 | reject | true | 1 | DKIM_1024 |
| github.com | 93 | A | ~all | 10 | quarantine | true | 8 | SPF_SOFTFAIL, SPF_NEAR_LOOKUP_LIMIT |
| intel.com | 73 | C | -all | 3 | none | true | 1 | DMARC_P_NONE, DKIM_1024 |
| zendesk.com | 93 | A | ~all | 6 | reject | false | 6 | SPF_SOFTFAIL, DMARC_NO_RUA |
| notion.so | 63 | C | ~all | 0 | quarantine | true | 0 | MX_MISSING, SPF_SOFTFAIL, DKIM_NOT_FOUND |

Each entry in `problems` has a severity, a code and a plain-English message. This is the `problems` list for intel.com from the same run:

```json
[
  {
    "severity": "warning",
    "code": "DMARC_P_NONE",
    "message": "p=none only monitors; spoofed mail is still delivered."
  },
  {
    "severity": "info",
    "code": "DKIM_1024",
    "message": "1024-bit RSA key; 2048-bit is recommended: cm"
  }
]
```

Each record also has `spfRecord`, `spfIncludes`, `dmarcSubdomainPolicy`, `dmarcPct`, `dmarcAdkim`, `dmarcAspf`, `mxHosts`, `mxProviders`, `nullMx`, `dkimDetails` (selector, key type, key bits, revoked), `checkedAt`, and in monitor mode `changeType`, `changedFields` and `previousScore`.

**Scoring (100 points):** SPF 30 (single valid record 10, `-all` 10 / `~all` 8 / `?all` 2, within 10 lookups 10); DMARC 40 (valid 10, `reject` 20 / `quarantine` 15 / `none` 3, pct 100 5, rua present 5); DKIM 15 (2048-bit key found 15, 1024-bit 10); MX 15. Grades: A ≥ 90, B ≥ 75, C ≥ 60, D ≥ 40, F below.

### Run it on a schedule

Turn on **Monitor mode** and give each watch list its own **Monitor state name**. Then schedule the Actor daily with an Apify schedule. Each run outputs only the domains whose results changed since the last run. Unchanged domains are checked and billed at the lower unchanged rate, but not output. If a lookup fails, that domain is not charged and its saved state stays as it was.

### Pricing: how much does a bulk DMARC check cost?

- **$0.002 per domain checked and output** (every domain in a normal run; new and changed domains in monitor mode)
- **$0.0005 per unchanged domain** in monitor mode (checked again, found unchanged, not output)

Example: a one-off check of 1,000 client domains costs **$2.00**. A daily monitor of the same 1,000 domains where 20 change on a given day costs 20 × $0.002 + 980 × $0.0005 = **$0.53** for that day, about $16 a month. Lookup failures are never charged.

Users on the free Apify plan can check up to 100 domains per run.

### Is it legal to check SPF, DMARC and DKIM records?

It's built to use only public data. SPF, DMARC, DKIM and MX records are published in public DNS precisely so that any mail server on the internet can read them, and a lookup is the same query a receiving mail server makes. No website is crawled, so robots.txt doesn't apply. Queries go to public resolvers (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 / Google Public DNS over HTTPS) at a polite pace (at most about 40 queries per second and 4 domains at a time) and are cached within a run. **Personal data:** DMARC `rua`/`ruf` tags contain mailbox addresses. The Actor outputs only whether they are present, never the addresses. Raw DMARC and DKIM records aren't output. This isn't legal advice.

### FAQ

**How do I check DMARC for a list of domains?** Paste the domains and run the Actor. Each row shows the DMARC policy, whether report addresses are set, and any problems found. The report addresses themselves are never output.

**What do Gmail and Yahoo require from bulk senders?** Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to authenticate with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and every sender needs at least SPF or DKIM. This Actor shows which of those records each domain has in public DNS (DKIM is checked at common selectors and any you add).

**Does it send email or log in to anything?** No. It reads public DNS records only. It sends no email and opens no SMTP connections.

**Why does a domain show "DKIM not found"?** DNS can't list DKIM selectors, so the Actor tries about 28 common ones. The domain may use a custom selector, which you can add under DKIM selectors. Missing DKIM costs score points and is listed as an info-level note, since the domain may use a custom selector.

**What counts as an SPF lookup?** `include`, `a`, `mx`, `ptr`, `exists` and `redirect`, counted through every nested include. More than 10 makes SPF fail with a permanent error.

**Does `~all` hurt the score?** Slightly (8 of 10 points). With DMARC at `p=reject`, `~all` is common and fine.

**What happens if a lookup fails?** That domain is skipped, not charged, and its monitor state stays as it was.

### Troubleshooting

- *Domain shows DOMAIN_NO_DNS*: the domain doesn't resolve. Check the spelling.
- *Results differ from another tool*: other tools try different DKIM selectors, and DNS caches update within the record's TTL.

### Example input / example output

**Example input**

```json
{
  "domains": ["github.com", "cloudflare.com"],
  "monitorMode": false
}
```

**Example output** (one domain)

```json
{
  "domain": "github.com",
  "score": 92,
  "grade": "A",
  "problemCount": 1,
  "spfAllQualifier": "~all",
  "dmarcPolicy": "reject",
  "dkimSelectorsFound": ["google", "selector1"],
  "mxProviders": ["Google Workspace"]
}
```

### Use it with Make, Zapier, n8n, or AI agents (Apify MCP)

- **Make:** In Make, add the Apify module, connect your Apify account, then run this Actor (or an Actor task) and map dataset items into your scenario. See [Make integration](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/make).
- **Zapier:** In Zapier, use Apify as a trigger (finished Actor/task run) or action (Run Actor / Run Task / Fetch dataset items). See [Zapier integration](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/zapier).
- **n8n:** Install the Apify node, authenticate, then use **Run an Actor** or **Run an Actor and get dataset**. See [n8n integration](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/n8n).
- **AI agents (Apify MCP):** Connect your MCP client to `https://mcp.apify.com`, then use `search-actors`, `fetch-actor-details`, and `call-actor`. Pull results with `get-dataset-items`. See [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/mcp).

**Related actors:** [ATS Jobs Feed](https://apify.com/jwaiworks/ats-jobs-feed) · [SEC Form D Funding Monitor](https://apify.com/jwaiworks/sec-form-d-funding-monitor) · [Texas New Business Entities Feed](https://apify.com/jwaiworks/texas-new-business-entities) · [PageSpeed & Core Web Vitals Monitor](https://apify.com/jwaiworks/pagespeed-cwv-monitor) · [Podcast Activity Monitor](https://apify.com/jwaiworks/podcast-activity-monitor) · [SAM.gov Opportunities Monitor](https://apify.com/jwaiworks/samgov-opportunities-monitor) · [USPTO Trademark New Filings Feed](https://apify.com/jwaiworks/uspto-trademark-new-filings) · [Copycat Store & Lookalike Domain Suspect Checker](https://apify.com/jwaiworks/copycat-store-checker)

### Disclaimer

Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cloudflare, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, or any email provider named in the results; names are used only to describe compatibility or identify mail providers.

# Actor input Schema

## `domains` (type: `array`):

The domains to check with this DMARC SPF DKIM checker, one per line, for example `github.com` or `example.com`. Full URLs and email addresses are accepted; the domain is extracted automatically.

## `monitorMode` (type: `boolean`):

Turn this on to output only domains that are new or whose results changed since the last monitor run, for example a daily check of your clients' domains. Each domain's last result is saved in a named key-value store.

## `monitorStateName` (type: `string`):

A name for this watch list's saved results, for example `clients` or `vendors`. Use a different name for each separate watch list so they don't overwrite each other.

## `dkimSelectors` (type: `array`):

Extra DKIM selectors to try, for example `mail` or `s2024`. Leave empty to try about 28 common selectors (google, selector1, selector2, k1, s1, default, …). DNS can't list selectors, so a domain with a custom selector shows as "not found" unless you add it here.

## `dnsResolver` (type: `string`):

The public DNS resolver to query, for example Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 over HTTPS (the default). Choose Google Public DNS for a second opinion, or the system resolver to use the run's own DNS.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "domains": [
    "github.com"
  ],
  "monitorMode": false,
  "monitorStateName": "default",
  "dnsResolver": "doh-cloudflare"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Default dataset items in the overview view.

## `results` (type: `string`):

Default dataset items with every field.

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

RUN_SUMMARY record in the default key-value store (counts, warnings, free-plan cap).

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "domains": [
        "github.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("jwaiworks/email-auth-checker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "domains": ["github.com"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("jwaiworks/email-auth-checker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "domains": [
    "github.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call jwaiworks/email-auth-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,jwaiworks/email-auth-checker"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/GbYNjfHGVzddc2PHK/builds/l5TjUTrulMiDMWWak/openapi.json