Business email delivery in Hong Kong

Last updated: 2026-10-24

Where should a Hong Kong organisation start?

Staff mailboxes, website forms and campaign platforms can use different sending providers. List each source and its owner, then compare actual bounces, message headers and service setup details. This is general troubleshooting context, not a named client case.

Company email missing or rejected by Gmail? An SPF, DKIM and DMARC checklist

Keep the bounce and actual message headers, then check SPF, DKIM and DMARC alignment for the service that actually sent the message. DNS records alone are not enough; p=none does not stop Gmail filtering or rejection.

1. List every sender for example.org.hk, including staff mailboxes, website forms and sending platforms.
2. SPF lists the servers allowed to send for a domain; a sender not listed fails. DKIM is signed by each sending service; a service that does not sign has no DKIM. DMARC needs SPF or DKIM to pass and align with the From domain. p=none does not stop Gmail filtering or rejection.
3. Compare Authentication-Results, From, Return-Path and DKIM d= in actual headers; confirm a pass and alignment, and keep Gmail’s rejection reason.
4. Gmail’s sender requirements apply to everyone sending to Gmail: SPF or DKIM for all senders; SPF, DKIM and DMARC for bulk senders, with one-click unsubscribe for marketing and subscription messages.

Common causes

A web server sending directly is usually outside the email provider’s SPF and unsigned. Other causes include a new sending platform without authentication, or From not aligning with the authenticated domain.

When should you get help?

Send website mail through the organisation’s email service or a transactional email service with its own DKIM. Use a fixed From address on the organisation’s domain; put the visitor’s address in Reply-To, never From. Do not add a shared web server to SPF.

Record examples

Illustrative only: do not copy these into production settings. Use the values supplied for your organisation.

From: forms@example.org.hk
Reply-To: visitor@example.net
_dmarc.example.org.hk TXT "v=DMARC1; p=none"

References

• Gmail sender guidelines

Website form email going to spam? Set up the sending path correctly

Send website mail through the organisation’s email service or a transactional email service with its own DKIM. Use a fixed From address on the organisation’s domain; put the visitor’s address in Reply-To, never From. Do not add a shared web server to SPF.

1. Send a form message in a test environment and identify the actual sending service; inspect From, Reply-To and the message headers.
2. SPF lists the servers allowed to send for a domain; a sender not listed fails. DKIM is signed by each sending service; a service that does not sign has no DKIM. DMARC needs SPF or DKIM to pass and align with the From domain. p=none does not stop Gmail filtering or rejection.
3. Send website mail through the organisation’s email service or a transactional email service with its own DKIM. Use a fixed From address on the organisation’s domain; put the visitor’s address in Reply-To, never From. Do not add a shared web server to SPF.
4. Test with a fixed example.org.hk address, confirm that service’s DKIM signature and DMARC alignment, then review the delivery outcome.

Common causes

Common causes are direct sending from the web host, missing DKIM signing or placing the visitor’s address in From, causing authentication or alignment failures.

When should you get help?

If website code, SMTP or transactional email integration needs changes, involve the website developer and email provider. iGears can review and quote fixes separately.

Record examples

Illustrative only: do not copy these into production settings. Use the values supplied for your organisation.

From: forms@example.org.hk
Reply-To: visitor@example.net
DKIM-Signature: ... d=example.org.hk; s=website; ...

References

• Gmail sender guidelines

Microsoft 365 email settings: SPF, DKIM, DMARC and delivery

A working Microsoft 365 mailbox does not mean the website and other platforms use the same sending path. List all services, then check SPF, DKIM and From alignment for each source.

1. Send a test message from Microsoft 365, retain headers and any bounce, and note the example.org.hk From address.
2. Compare SPF and DKIM records with the actual values supplied for Microsoft 365; do not copy another tenant’s DKIM values.
3. SPF lists the servers allowed to send for a domain; a sender not listed fails. DKIM is signed by each sending service; a service that does not sign has no DKIM. DMARC needs SPF or DKIM to pass and align with the From domain. p=none does not stop Gmail filtering or rejection.
4. Test the website and other sending platforms separately and record the results. Start diagnosis with read-only views or a screen-share.

Common causes

A common gap is configuring the mailbox service while overlooking the website sender, missing DKIM signing or DMARC alignment with From.

When should you get help?

If you lack access or cannot identify senders, ask your IT provider to arrange temporary Global Reader access or a screen-share. Do not share passwords.

Record examples

Illustrative only: do not copy these into production settings. Use the values supplied for your organisation.

From: support@example.org.hk
_dmarc.example.org.hk TXT "v=DMARC1; p=none"

References

• Microsoft email authentication

How to use Google Postmaster Tools: what it can and cannot show

Verify your domain with a DNS TXT record before using Google Postmaster Tools. Data appears only with enough Gmail volume; blank data or 0% alone does not establish reputation or inbox placement.

1. Add example.org.hk and ask the DNS administrator to publish the verification TXT value supplied by the tool; do not copy the example token.
2. After verification, review compliance status, spam rate, authentication, encryption and delivery errors.
3. Check the date range and Gmail sending volume. Read the available compliance, authentication, delivery-error and reputation dashboards together; their data is not real-time.
4. Read charts alongside actual bounces and headers. Rejected mail never reaches the inbox, so 0% user-reported spam does not prove inbox placement.

Common causes

Missing data can reflect low Gmail volume or reporting delays. A blank chart or 0% reported spam alone does not establish reputation or delivery.

When should you get help?

Ask the DNS administrator and email provider to help if verification or bounce interpretation is unclear. The free check reviews data only with access granted.

Record examples

Illustrative only: do not copy these into production settings. Use the values supplied for your organisation.

example.org.hk TXT "google-site-verification=EXAMPLE_TOKEN_DO_NOT_COPY"

References

• Google Postmaster Tools
• Postmaster Tools dashboards