How to setup DNS for sending clean emails from my site?

You have an SPF record… however it is wrong

celica.ro text = "\"v=spf1 a mx ~all\""

Don't put the " " in the record.

Hi Stephen and thanks for answering, that helped but I still got -3 points for this:

__We didn't find a mail server (A Record) behind your hostname li196-8.

We check if there is a mail server (A Record) behind your hostname li196-8.

You may want to publish a DNS record (A type) for the hostname li196-8 or use a different hostname in your mail software.__

The link in the first post is still availble. How could I solve this? thanks in advance.

As the error message states, setup a real hostname (like mail), put a A record for that hostname in DNS (i.e. setup a A record point MAIL at your IP), make your rDNS (or PTR) match the hostname.domain.name, and setup DKIM.

Depending on who you are sending your email to, even a "clean" email might not be enough, many (MANY) western hosts block everything from RO, RU, CN, IN, PK because such a large percentage of Malware comes from those domains.

the .ro domain is just fot testing, is lifetime once paid. I usualy use .com domain or .it (italy). Maybe I should mention first, is the first time I am using an unmanaged vps and I choosed ServerPilot.io to configure it as I don't have knowldge to do it. The linode managed plan is out of my budget. The vps will be used to host a forum based on Xenforo.

Just take do each step one at a time, and don't move forward until the previous step is complete and tested.

Use Google and Forums to clarify the instructions for each step.

I am not familiar with Serverplot.io, for a simple forum site, seems like an overkill. Also, many control panels change the config files such that it's impossible to do things the normal way (i.e. command line - without the control panel) without breaking something. Personally, I don't like being restricted and tied to a subsystem that prevents me from managing my system any way I want.

> I am not familiar with Serverplot.io, Also, many control panels change the config files such that it's impossible to do things the normal way (i.e. command line - without the control panel) without breaking something. Personally, I don't like being restricted and tied to a subsystem that prevents me from managing my system any way I want.
it's not a control panel, it only install php, mysql and nginx in front of apache. The only options I got into Serverpilot are: create new database, choose which version of php and add a new domain. I immagine that you do have the knowledge to manage a VPS, things that I don't have, and imho is easier to do "troubles" than bring vantages to a vps for a newbie like me. They (serverpilot) also say that their service keep my vps secure and updated and I repeat I don't have knowledge to do that.

I know that in my case maybe a vps unmanaged is not the best solution, but for now I am doing just tests, there is no website hosted for now.

@vonskippy:

Use Google and Forums to clarify the instructions for each step.
I'l try and let you know if I am having problems. Thanks for answering

The problem is that your host thinks it is called "li196-8"; this can be see in header lines

eg

X-Spam-Last-External-HELO: li196-8

Received: from li196-8 (celica.ro [178.79.140.8])

Received-SPF: None (no SPF record) identity=mailfrom;

client-ip=178.79.140.8; helo=li196-8; envelope-from=bounce@celica.ro;

and so on.

Basically when your host sends email it starts the conversation saying "HELO li196-8". And that's not a good thing for it to say.

You either need to change the hostname to be a real fully qualified name, or change your mailserver config to have a full name.

https://www.mail-tester.com/web-OyWFkc

I changed in /etc/postfix/main.cf the "myhostname = li196-8" to "myhostname = celica.ro" That helped, but what about if I want to add a second domain? I saw there is a way to add multiple virtual domains in postfix, how could I do that?

p.s. I think this post should be moved to Email/SMTP Related Forum

Doesn't matter what your "From" address is; you just need to have the server say "Hi, I am XXXXX" and have the XXXXX be valid.