How to Ensure Emails Deliver to Inbox in cPanel

Making sure emails deliver straight to the Inbox (not Spam/Junk) in cPanel involves a mix of DNS setup, authentication, server configuration, and reputation management. Below is a breakdown checklist to guide you to ensure maximum chances of delivery to the recipient’s inbox.

1. Check Email Routing

• Log in to cPanel → Email Routing.

• If your mail is hosted on the same server as your domain:

  • Set it to Local Mail Exchanger.

• If your mail is hosted elsewhere (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft 365):

  • Set it to Remote Mail Exchanger.

2. Set Up DNS Records Properly

Go to your domain DNS zone editor in cPanel or your registrar’s DNS manager. Make sure you have:

• MX Records

  • Correctly pointing to your mail server.
    Example: mail.yourdomain.com

• SPF Record (prevents spoofing)
  Example:

  v=spf1 +a +mx +ip4:SERVER_IP include:spf.yourhost.com ~all
  

• DKIM Record (cryptographic email signing)

  • In cPanel → Email Deliverability → Enable DKIM.

  • Copy the TXT record into your DNS.

• DMARC Record (tells recipients how to handle spoofed mail)
  Example:

  v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; sp=none; aspf=r;
  

  Later, you can change p=none to p=quarantine or p=reject Once stable.

3. Reverse DNS (PTR Record)

• Ask your hosting provider to set up a PTR record for your mail server’s IP.

  • IP → mail.yourdomain.com

Without this, Gmail and Outlook often push your mail to spam.

4. Enable SSL/TLS (Secure Email)

• In cPanel → SSL/TLS Status, make sure your domain and mail subdomain (mail.yourdomain.com) have valid SSL.

• Use IMAP/SMTP with SSL/TLS instead of plain ports.

  • SMTP: 465 or 587 (TLS)

  • IMAP: 993 (SSL)

5. Check Email Deliverability in cPanel

• Go to cPanel → Email Deliverability.

• It shows issues with SPF, DKIM, or PTR and gives you fixes.

6. Server Reputation & Spam Filters

• Avoid using blacklisted IPs. Check here: mxtoolbox.com/blacklists

• Don’t send bulk/spammy emails without proper list hygiene.

• Keep email content clean: avoid spam trigger words, use plain text + HTML, and add unsubscribe links for bulk mails.

7. Test Before Sending

• Use mail-tester.com

  • Send an email from your cPanel email to the test address.

  • It gives you a score and tells what’s missing (SPF, DKIM, PTR, content issues, etc.).

In summary, if you set up SPF, DKIM, DMARC, PTR, SSL, and write clean content → your cPanel emails should mostly hit Inbox.