SCORING METHODOLOGY
How the MailTested 0–10 score is calculated
Every report starts at 10.0. Points are deducted for objective failures found in the received message and the sending infrastructure.
SPF failure
−3 points
The connecting IP is not authorized for the envelope sender domain, or SPF cannot produce a passing result.
DKIM failure
−3 points
The message has no valid DKIM signature or signature verification fails.
Blocklist finding
−1 to −3 points
The penalty is weighted according to the DNS-based blocklists that report the connecting IP.
PTR / reverse DNS
Up to −2 points
Missing or inconsistent PTR, forward lookup, and HELO signals reduce the score.
SpamAssassin threshold
−3 points
A penalty applies when the SpamAssassin score reaches or exceeds the configured spam threshold.
Final range
0.0 to 10.0
The total is rounded to one decimal place and constrained to the published range.
Signals shown separately
DMARC policy and alignment, message headers, DNS records, content structure, SpamAssassin rules, and related diagnostics appear in the report even when they do not create a separate top-level penalty.
What the score means
The score is a repeatable technical risk indicator for the message received by MailTested. It is useful for finding configuration errors and comparing changes between tests.
Reproducibility and updates
Run a new test after changing DNS, mail-server configuration, message content, or sending infrastructure. DNS caches and blocklist data can change between tests. Material changes to scoring should be recorded on this page with a new review date.
Methodology reviewed: August 21, 2026