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How to fix DKIM body hash did not verify errors on Outlook.com and prevent emails from going to spam?

Summary

The "DKIM body hash did not verify" error, especially when it occurs exclusively with Outlook.com and Hotmail.com, indicates a critical issue with your email's authenticity that can severely impact deliverability. This specific error signifies that the content of your email, or certain parts of its structure, were altered after the DKIM signature was applied, but before the message reached Microsoft's servers. While seemingly a minor technical glitch, it can lead to your emails being marked as spam or rejected entirely by Microsoft mailboxes, despite other authentication checks like SPF and DMARC passing.

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What email marketers say

Email marketers often encounter the "DKIM body hash did not verify" error as a perplexing issue, especially when it is specific to certain mailbox providers like Outlook.com. Their perspectives tend to focus on troubleshooting steps, confirming common misconceptions (e.g., about subject lines breaking DKIM), and emphasizing collaboration with their Email Service Providers (ESPs) who handle the technical aspects of email sending and signing.

Marketer view

A marketer from Email Geeks explains that the "DKIM body hash did not verify" error typically means something was modified during transit or there's an encoding problem. This is a common challenge that needs careful examination of the email's raw content.

28 Nov 2019 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

A marketer from Email Geeks indicates that the subject line itself is unlikely to be the cause of a DKIM signing breakage. They recall similar issues being related to the specific way DKIM records were being signed by their ESP.

28 Nov 2019 - Email Geeks

What the experts say

Email deliverability experts highlight that a "DKIM body hash did not verify" error primarily indicates that the email body or certain signed headers were modified in transit. This is often attributed to encoding issues, malformed messages, or unique processing by receiving mail servers, particularly Microsoft's. Experts advise a thorough comparison of the raw email as sent and received to pinpoint the exact point of modification.

Expert view

An expert from Email Geeks states that the DKIM signature breaking is likely due to an encoding issue with how the mail is sent and how Microsoft handles, or fails to handle, that encoding. This suggests a common problem with character representation.

28 Nov 2019 - Email Geeks

Expert view

An expert from Email Geeks suggests that if the DKIM signature is no longer breaking, but mail is still going to spam, the sender should investigate their audience and network neighbors. These factors are crucial for overall deliverability.

28 Nov 2019 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says

Technical documentation on DKIM outlines the specifications for signing and verifying email messages to ensure integrity and authenticity. The "body hash did not verify" error, as per RFC 6376 (DKIM Signatures), explicitly means the computed hash of the message body at the receiving end does not match the hash provided in the DKIM signature header. This is a clear indicator of post-signing alteration. Documentation also details canonicalization algorithms that dictate how strictly messages are processed for hashing.

Technical article

Documentation from Barracuda Campus indicates that a DKIM verification failure can lead to messages being blocked by default. It highlights the importance of successful DKIM authentication for email gateway defense mechanisms.

14 Apr 2023 - Barracuda Campus

Technical article

Documentation from Itechtics suggests that verifying email forwarders and gateway configurations is crucial when encountering DKIM body hash errors. Such intermediate systems can inadvertently modify email content.

01 Apr 2021 - Itechtics

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