Symptoms#
- Messages landing in spam despite previously good placement
- Bounces mentioning policy, authentication, or reputation
- Provider dashboards showing a drop in reputation or authentication pass rate
Diagnosis steps#
- Confirm the configuration is live: query DNS from an external resolver and check the sending platform's settings page.
- Send to a seed mailbox and read the full headers, especially Authentication-Results.
- Compare the domains in From, Return-Path, and DKIM d= for alignment.
- Check provider dashboards (Google Postmaster Tools, Microsoft SNDS) for reputation and error rates.
- Review recent changes: new vendors, DNS edits, list imports, volume spikes.
Likely causes#
- Sharing one login instead of using delegated access.
- No visibility into who replied.
Fix and re-verify#
- Assign an owner to every incoming thread automatically or by rule.
- Track status: open, waiting, resolved.
- Set response-time targets and alert on breaches.
- Draft replies with AI using the team's past answers as style reference.
Frequently asked questions#
Should we use a shared mailbox or a helpdesk?
Under a few hundred messages a week, a well-managed shared inbox works. Beyond that, ticketing adds needed structure.