DKIM: What It Is and How to Set It Up for Email
Learn what DKIM is and how to set it up for email authentication. Understand DKIM signatures, DNS records, and how DKIM improves email deliverability.
Message Transfer Agent (MTA)
Also known as: MTA, Mail Transfer Agent, Mail Server
A Message Transfer Agent is the server that moves email from one mail system to another. It takes outgoing messages from your email tool and hands them off to the next mail server using SMTP until they reach the right inbox.
An MTA is the behind the scenes mail truck for email. When you send a message, the MTA accepts it, checks where it should go, and passes it to the next mail server on the route. It speaks SMTP, which is the standard way servers send mail to each other. You almost never see it directly, but it runs every send in the background.
MTAs matter because they affect how fast your campaigns go out and how often they reach the inbox instead of spam. Things like sending speed, bounce handling, and retry logic all live at this layer. Good MTA setup supports warm up, handles large bursts of traffic, and respects limits from providers such as Gmail. That protects your sender reputation and makes results more stable.
For most teams, the easiest path is to use an email platform that manages the MTA for you. Platforms such as Bento handle routing, authentication, and reputation so your team can focus on content and strategy. If you ever change providers or add a dedicated sending domain, remember that the MTA will need time to warm up with slow, clean sends.
Related Terms
SMTP
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard way email servers send messages to each other. It handles the handoff from your email tool to the recipient's mail server so messages can land in the inbox.
Learn more →Shared Server(Shared IP)
A shared server is an email server and IP address that many companies use to send their emails. Your messages go out from the same place as other senders, so you share the same reputation.
Learn more →From Address(From Field)
The email address people see as the sender in their inbox. It tells them who the message is from and helps them decide whether to open it.
Learn more →Bulk Mail(Bulk Marketing)
Bulk mail is sending one email to a large group of people at the same time, usually without segmentation or deep personalization. It is a simple way to reach many subscribers with one message.
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