Setting up custom domain email with PHPMailer through Gmail SMTP

Other Questions Gmail
1

I’m having trouble with my email setup and hoping someone can help me out.

Here’s what I did:

  1. Set up PHPMailer library in my website’s root directory
  2. Connected my custom domain email to Gmail for sending

The issue I’m running into is that when I send emails using my domain address through Gmail’s SMTP with PHPMailer, recipients see a red question mark icon instead of a proper sender image or avatar.

I’ve been reading that this might be related to email authentication like SPF records or DKIM signatures, but I’m not sure exactly what needs to be configured. Has anyone dealt with this before? What specific steps do I need to take to fix the sender reputation and get rid of that question mark icon?

2

I encountered a similar problem when using Gmail SMTP with my custom domain. The red question mark typically indicates an authentication issue due to improper SPF or DKIM records. To resolve this, ensure you add Google’s SPF record to your DNS settings and enable DKIM through your email provider’s dashboard. Additionally, maintaining a consistent sending pattern helps build a good sender reputation, which can take time to establish. Lastly, don’t forget to check your reverse DNS settings with your hosting provider, as that can impact email deliverability.

3

yeah, same thing happened to me last month. Gmail flags your emails as suspicious when authentication isn’t set up right. go to your hosting cPanel, find the DNS zone editor, and add TXT records for SPF and DKIM. most hosting providers have guides for this. also make sure your ‘from’ address in PHPMailer matches your authenticated domain exactly - that tripped me up for weeks!

4

That red question mark? It’s an authentication problem. Had the same issue two years back with my business email through Gmail SMTP. Usually, it’s missing or wrong SPF and DKIM records in your DNS settings. You’ll need to add Gmail’s SPF record to your DNS zone and turn on DKIM signing in Google Workspace or Gmail. Check that your domain’s MX records are set up right too. Setting up a DMARC policy helped me out, though that’s more for building reputation over time. Authentication takes 24-48 hours to propagate after you make the DNS changes. Once everything’s authenticated properly, the question mark disappears and you’ll get your domain’s favicon or a generic sender icon instead.