When we send emails using a custom address (e.g., hr@yourcompany.com) but route them through our own mail servers (e.g., notifications.greythr.com), some email providers see this as possible spoofing.

Why does this happen?

• Email providers (like Gmail, Outlook) look for DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to verify that the sending server is authorized to send mail on behalf of the domain in the “From” address.

• If these checks fail (because the DNS is missing or incomplete), receiving mail providers may treat the message as spam—or outright reject it—as a security measure.

Potential issues

• Lower deliverability: Emails may go directly to the recipient’s spam folder.

• Damage to brand reputation: If your domain is flagged for repeated spoofing, it can hurt your domain’s email reputation.

• Security warnings: Recipients might see warnings like “This message might not be from the sender claimed.”

2. The Impact of spoofing concerns

1. High Spam/Quarantine Rates

Legitimate messages can get lost in spam filters, hurting communication and user trust.

2. Recipient distrust

If an email appears suspicious, recipients may ignore or delete it. In extreme cases, they might even report it as phishing.

3. Compliance and liability risks

In certain industries, repeated misclassification of official communication as spam can introduce compliance and legal risks.

3. Recommended solution: configure SPF

To let us send emails on your behalf without appearing to spoof your domain, we recommend you contact your IT Team to add our sending domain (notifications.greythr.com) to your SPF record:

1. Add/Update SPF DNS record

Insert include:notifications.greythr.com in your existing or new TXT record.
Example: v=spf1 include:notifications.greythr.com -all

2. What this does

Tells email providers that recruit.greythr.com is an authorized sender for your domain.
Improves deliverability and reduces the likelihood of your emails being flagged as spam.

3. Why SPF?

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a widely accepted standard to combat spoofing.

It’s easy to set up, typically requiring just one DNS record update.

4. Simpler alternative: send emails from our domain

If you prefer not to update your SPF record, there is a simpler solution:

Send all emails from our domain (@notifications.greythr.com) instead of your custom address.

We’ll add the sender’s name so it reads “[Your Name] via greytHR Recruit” in the “From” field.

How this works

1. No SPF changes needed

Because emails originate from notifications.greythr.com, they’re already fully authorized by our DNS records.

2. Reduced risk of spam

Receiving mail servers will see the email is legitimately signed by our domain.

3. Slight branding trade-off

The sender name will include “via greytHR Recruit,” but you avoid any DNS updates or potential configuration errors.

5. Which option is right for you?

1. Configure SPF for your domain

Pros: Best brand alignment; your emails appear truly from hr@yourcompany.com.
Cons: Requires a quick DNS update to include recruit.greythr.com.

2. Use our domain

Pros: Easiest; no DNS changes needed; guaranteed authentication.
Cons: Recipient sees “via greytHR Recruit” in the sender name.

6. Summary & next steps

To maintain your own branding, add our domain to your SPF record so your emails remain “From” your domain.
If DNS changes are not feasible or you need a quick fix, let us send using our domain with the sender’s name suffixed by “via greytHR Recruit.”

Either way, these measures help ensure smooth deliverability and reduce the chance of emails going to spam or being flagged as spoofing.

Need assistance?

For help with SPF setup or enabling the “via greytHR Recruit” option, please contact our support team. We’re here to help!

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