How does aboutmy.email tool work and what are its features?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 7 Jul 2025
Updated 17 Aug 2025
7 min read
As an email sender, ensuring your messages reach the inbox is a constant challenge. Mailbox providers are always updating their filtering criteria, and what worked yesterday might not work today. Staying on top of technical configurations and email best practices is essential for consistent deliverability.
I’ve been exploring aboutmy.email, a new tool designed to analyze emails for technical good practices, and I wanted to share my insights on how it works and what features it offers. It's quickly become a favorite for many in the industry, including some at Word to the Wise, because of its straightforward approach to complex email diagnostics.
Core functionality: understanding how it works
The process of using aboutmy.email is quite simple and intuitive. When you navigate to the website, you are presented with a unique, one-time-use email address. The core idea is that you send the email you wish to analyze to this unique address. This allows the tool to capture the full email, including its headers, content, and the entire SMTP session data.
Once your email is received, aboutmy.email immediately processes it and generates a comprehensive report. This report is then accessible via a unique URL, ensuring your email data remains private and is only viewable by you. I found this approach quite refreshing, as it streamlines the diagnostic process without requiring any complex setup or account creation.
Example email send to aboutmy.email
From: sender@example.com
To: unique_id@aboutmy.email
Subject: My Test Email
Hello, this is a test email.
One of the tool's most appealing aspects is its accessibility. It's free to use and isn't throttled, meaning you can run as many tests as you need without hitting usage limits or paywalls. This makes it an invaluable resource for frequent testing and iterative improvements to your email campaigns, whether you are a small business owner or part of a large enterprise.
Authentication and technical insights
Aboutmy.email shines in its ability to quickly verify crucial email authentication protocols. It provides detailed checks for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. For example, it will tell you if your SPF record is correctly configured, whether your DKIM signature is valid, and if your DMARC policy is properly set up. It’s an effective way to confirm that your email is authenticating as it should, which is fundamental to avoiding the spam folder.
It also provides valuable insights into BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification), including details about BIMI TXT record parsing and SVG certificate validation. This is a critical feature for brands looking to leverage their logo in the inbox, as correct BIMI implementation can significantly boost brand recognition and trust.
Understanding SPF results
While aboutmy.email strives for accuracy, I've noted some interesting nuances, particularly with SPF reporting. Sometimes, it might indicate SPF as "none" even when other mailbox providers, like Google, seem to accept the email. This can occur due to the SPF specification allowing receivers to check either the HELO identity or the MAIL FROM identity.
If a conclusive determination can be made based on a HELO check, some receivers might not proceed to check MAIL FROM, even if the latter might have issues. This highlights the ongoing complexity and interpretation of RFC standards in real-world email systems, a topic explored in more detail in how SPF alignment and DMARC work.
Another forward-thinking feature is its support for IPv6. The tool actually judges your email infrastructure on whether it supports IPv6, both for direct delivery and for any externally linked content within your email. Achieving full IPv6 support can earn you a "shiny certificate," indicating a modern and future-proof email setup, which can subtly influence your sender reputation.
Content and rendering analysis
Beyond authentication, aboutmy.email offers a robust rendering feature. It attempts to display how your HTML email will look, providing a visual check of your creative. While rendering HTML emails across diverse email clients can be notoriously difficult due to varying client support for CSS and HTML, the tool aims to give you a quick visual preview. I've seen it render correctly for an infinitely wide mail client, but sometimes responsive designs might appear "funky" if the iframe's screen width isn't set to a concrete value. This is a common challenge for many email testing tools.
The tool also provides a detailed look at the SMTP transaction metadata, including the MAIL FROM, RCPT TO, and HELO/EHLO commands. This information is crucial for diagnosing issues with how your email server communicates with the recipient's server. Understanding these lower-level details can help pinpoint why an email might be delayed or even end up on a blocklist or blacklist.
It’s worth noting that the rendering feature primarily focuses on the HTML part of your email. This makes sense, as the target audience of bulk mailers predominantly sends emails with HTML content. However, if your email includes a plain text version, the tool might not display it explicitly, which is a consideration for those who prioritize multi-part MIME messages for maximum compatibility. While the primary use case is HTML rendering, it's a detail worth keeping in mind.
Practical applications and user experience
From my experience, aboutmy.email is excellent for quickly identifying overlooked issues. For example, a user mentioned how it highlighted a forgotten ALT text update on an image, a small but important detail that could impact accessibility and engagement. This quick feedback loop helps email marketers catch minor errors that can collectively affect deliverability and user experience.
The tool's immediate feedback and comprehensive reporting, available through a simple unique link for each test, make it highly efficient. It provides a holistic view of an email's technical health, helping you ensure that your messages comply with modern email standards. This proactive approach to testing helps prevent potential deliverability issues before they impact your campaigns, ultimately supporting your email deliverability rates.
While it’s a powerful self-service tool, some platforms like HubSpot might require an initial verification email, adding a small extra step before you can fully utilize it. However, the benefits of the detailed analysis far outweigh such minor inconveniences, making it a valuable addition to any email professional's toolkit. It complements other tools focused on email validation services or free tools for DMARC, SPF, and email setup.
Final thoughts
Aboutmy.email is a robust and highly useful tool for anyone involved in email sending. Its focus on providing immediate, comprehensive feedback on email authentication, content rendering, and overall technical health makes it an indispensable resource. By simplifying the diagnostic process, it empowers senders to quickly identify and rectify issues, ultimately contributing to better email deliverability and stronger sender reputations.
I highly recommend incorporating aboutmy.email into your regular email testing workflow. Its ease of use and the depth of its analysis make it an excellent complement to other email deliverability best practices and tools, helping you ensure your messages always hit their intended mark.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Regularly use tools like aboutmy.email to monitor technical email health, especially after making configuration changes or launching new campaigns.
Always include a plain text version in your emails for broader compatibility, even if HTML rendering is your primary concern, to ensure all recipients can view your message.
Prioritize correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations as they are foundational for email authentication and improving inbox placement.
Implement BIMI to enhance brand presence and trust in the inbox, ensuring your logo is displayed next to your sender name in supporting clients.
Common pitfalls
Overlooking small issues like missing ALT text on images, which can accumulate and negatively impact email accessibility and overall perceived quality.
Misinterpreting SPF results, especially when relying solely on a tool's output without understanding the underlying RFC nuances regarding HELO vs. MAIL FROM checks.
Ignoring IPv6 support, as an increasing number of mailbox providers are adopting it, potentially impacting deliverability for senders who are not ready.
Not thoroughly testing email rendering across various client widths, leading to unexpected layout issues for recipients on different devices or email platforms.
Expert tips
Consider how testing tools interpret RFCs versus real-world mailbox provider behavior; sometimes, strict adherence to a non-normative RFC recommendation can lead to unexpected results.
Be aware that rendering engines in testing tools, especially those using iframes, may not perfectly replicate all email client environments, so manual checks are still valuable.
For complex email environments, always review the raw SMTP transaction data provided by analysis tools to debug elusive deliverability problems.
Remember that email authentication and technical setup are continuous processes; regular audits are necessary to maintain optimal performance and prevent issues.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they still struggle to get SPF alignment out of some email service providers, even when other checks are passing.
January 8, 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks observes that a tool might show an SPF bug, such as truncating a domain by one character, leading to a failed check.
Google, seem to accept the email. This can occur due to the SPF specification allowing receivers to check either the HELO identity or the MAIL FROM identity.
