Email diagnostics

Mail Server Tools

Test your SMTP connection, send a test email, verify SPF/DMARC records, and check whether your IP is blacklisted.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Credentials are never stored
  • Results in seconds

SMTP Connection Test

Enter your mail relay, sending server or your own SMTP credentials. Connection and authentication are tested step by step.

Encryption

Your credentials are used only for this test request and are not stored.

See exactly where your connection breaks

We talk to your server the way a mail client does and report every step: what the server answered, how long it took, which TLS version and certificate it presented, and what to fix.

ConnectionTCP connection and the server greeting.
EHLOThe capabilities the server advertises.
TLSProtocol, cipher and certificate health.
AUTHWhether your username and password are accepted.

Send a Real Test Email

A real test email is sent through the SMTP server you provide.

Encryption

Left empty, the username is used as the sender address.

Your credentials are used only for this test request and are not stored.

Prove that your mail really arrives

We hand a real message to your SMTP server and tell you what it answered. Then we show you how to read the headers of the received message to confirm SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

Is your domain protected against spoofing?

The analysis takes a few seconds. For every record we show its status, the danger it creates when missing, and the most secure configuration as copy-ready DNS records.

MXVerifies which servers receive your email.
SPFChecks who is allowed to send email on behalf of your domain.
DKIMChecks the digital signature of your messages and the key strength.
DMARCReviews the policy that decides what happens to spoofed email.

DMARC Policies: none, quarantine and reject

When someone sends a fake email impersonating your domain, what happens under each policy?

Your domain is here right now
p=none Dangerous

p=none (monitor only)

Spoofed email: Lands in the inbox
What does the receiving server do?

The receiving server takes no action against mail that fails the checks; it delivers the message as usual and only sends you a report.

Remaining risk

Zero protection. A forged invoice that appears to come from "accounting@yourdomain.com" lands in your customer's inbox like any genuine message.

When to use it?

Only at the start, for 2-4 weeks: to collect reports, identify every genuine source that sends mail for your domain, and fix what is missing.

Your domain is here right now
p=quarantine Weak

p=quarantine (send to spam)

Spoofed email: Goes to the spam folder
What does the receiving server do?

Mail that fails the checks is accepted but placed in the spam (junk) folder instead of the inbox.

Remaining risk

The same forged invoice no longer shows in the inbox, but it is still in the mailbox: a user who looks in the spam folder can open it, or even mark it as "not spam".

When to use it?

As the intermediate stage, after you have fixed your genuine sources. If you overlooked a source, its mail is not lost; it can be recovered from the spam folder.

Your domain is here right now
p=reject Secure

p=reject (refuse)

Spoofed email: Rejected, never reaches the recipient
What does the receiving server do?

The receiving server turns away mail that fails the checks during the SMTP connection itself; the message reaches no folder at all.

Remaining risk

The forged invoice never reaches the recipient. The remaining risk is on your side: if one of your sending sources (CRM, newsletter service, website form) is not yet covered by SPF or DKIM, its genuine mail is rejected too.

When to use it?

This is the target end state. Move to it once the reports show all of your genuine sources passing the checks; on domains that send no e-mail at all, apply it immediately.

SPF “all” Qualifiers

The all term at the end of your SPF record tells receivers what to do with email from a server that is not on your list.

Qualifier
Meaning
Risk
-all Secure Your domain is here right now
MeaningMail from servers that are not on the list fails the SPF check outright (fail); the receiving server may reject it.
RiskThe most secure setting. Its one condition is that every genuine sending source is in the record; mail from a source you forgot fails as well.
~all Weak Your domain is here right now
MeaningServers that are not on the list are marked "suspicious" (softfail); the message is usually still accepted, at most with a higher spam score.
RiskMost forged mail is delivered. Reasonable during a rollout, weak as a permanent setting. With DMARC p=reject in force, the difference shrinks.
?all Dangerous Your domain is here right now
MeaningThe domain states no opinion about servers that are not on the list; the receiving server behaves as if there were no SPF.
RiskProvides no protection; it only makes sense for short-term testing.
+all Dangerous Your domain is here right now
MeaningEvery server on the internet counts as authorised to send e-mail for your domain.
RiskMakes SPF completely ineffective and is an open invitation to spoofers. It should never be used.

Is your mail server on a blacklist?

One listing on a major blacklist is enough for Gmail, Outlook and corporate filters to reject your email. We query the lists that matter and tell you what each result means.

DNSBLThe leading DNS blacklists, grouped by how much they affect delivery.
PTRReverse DNS and forward confirmation of your IP address.
RemovalA step-by-step delisting guide with links to the removal pages.

What Are Mail Server Tools and What Do They Do?

IzHost Mail Server Tools is a free toolkit that lets system administrators, developers and businesses test the health of their email infrastructure in one place. It tests your SMTP server connection and authentication step by step, verifies delivery by sending a real test email, analyses your domain's SPF/DMARC/MX records, and checks whether your server IP is on known blacklists (Spamhaus, SpamCop, Barracuda and more).

Are your emails landing in spam, failing to send, or are you wondering "why won't my mail go through"? These tools diagnose the most common causes of email deliverability problems — misconfigured SMTP, missing SPF/DMARC records, blacklisted IP addresses — in seconds. No installation required; everything runs from your browser.

Tools and Use Cases

SMTP Connection & Authentication Test

Enter your server, port (25/465/587), username, password and encryption (Plain, STARTTLS or SSL/TLS); we test each step — connection, EHLO, STARTTLS and AUTH — separately. Instantly see whether your mail relay, sending server or your own SMTP account works, and pinpoint wrong credentials or port/encryption mismatches.

Send a Real Test Email

Using the SMTP credentials you provide, we send a real test email to the recipient you choose. Verify end-to-end whether the email reaches its destination, lands in spam, and that your server can actually send mail.

Mail Security Analysis: SPF, DKIM, DMARC & MX

Enter your domain; we analyze your MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records and give you a security score out of 100. For every record we show its status, the danger a missing record exposes you to (spoofed email, phishing, landing in spam) and the most secure configuration for your domain as copy-ready DNS records. We also explain, with examples, the difference between the DMARC p=none, quarantine and reject policies and the safe staged rollout.

Blacklist (DNSBL) & Spamhaus Check

Queries your mail server IP or domain against well-known DNS blacklists (DNSBL) including Spamhaus ZEN, SpamCop, Barracuda, Mailspike and UCEPROTECT. If your IP is blacklisted, most providers block your email — this check helps you catch the problem early.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my SMTP test fail?
The most common causes: wrong port/encryption combination (STARTTLS for 587, SSL/TLS for 465), incorrect username or password, the server refusing the connection, or a firewall block. The test steps (Connection, EHLO, STARTTLS, AUTH) show exactly where it failed.
Why are SPF and DMARC important?
SPF declares which servers may send mail on behalf of your domain; DMARC tells receivers what to do when SPF/DKIM fail. Correctly configured SPF and DMARC records keep your emails out of spam at providers like Gmail and Outlook and prevent your domain from being spoofed.
My IP is blacklisted — what should I do?
First find out why you were listed (usually spam sending, an infected device, or an open relay). After fixing the issue, use the delisting form on the relevant blacklist's site (e.g. Spamhaus). If you are an IzHost customer, our support team can help with the process.
The test email did not arrive — why?
If the email was sent but did not arrive, check the recipient's spam/junk folder, verify your SPF/DMARC records, and check whether your sending IP is blacklisted. Using these three tools together helps you narrow down the source of the delivery problem.
Are these tools free, and is my data safe?
Yes, all tools are free. The SMTP credentials you enter are used only for the test request and are not stored. For security, only standard mail ports and public IP addresses are allowed.
Which encryption option should I use?
STARTTLS on port 587 is generally recommended. If you use port 465, choose SSL/TLS (implicit). Port 25 is mostly for server-to-server transfer (plain or STARTTLS). If unsure, try 587 + STARTTLS first.