Google Postmaster Tools is a free Google dashboard that shows how Gmail treats email from your domain, including your spam rate. You set it up once in your Google account by adding your domain and proving you own it with a DNS record.
How to Add Your Domain to Google Postmaster Tools
You need a Google account to sign in. A regular Gmail account and a Google Workspace account both work.
Sign in to the Google account you want to use.
Open Google Postmaster Tools.
Click Add new domain.
Enter the domain you send email from in VipeCloud. This is the same domain you verified as your sending domain.
Click Create.
Google keeps its own steps for these screens in its Get started with Postmaster Tools help article. Your sending domain setup in VipeCloud is covered in Email Sync & Domain Setup.
How to Verify Your Domain With a DNS Record
Google shows no data for a domain until you verify it. You add the record wherever your domain's DNS is managed, such as your domain registrar, and that screen looks different for each provider.
On the Manage Domains page in Postmaster Tools, click More options next to your domain.
Click Verify domain.
Copy the CNAME or TXT record Google shows.
In a separate tab, sign in to your DNS provider and open the DNS records for your domain.
Add a new record of the same type, using the record values below.
Save the record at your DNS provider.
Return to Postmaster Tools and click Verify.
Record values:
CNAME - For the name or host, paste only the part of Google's value that comes before your domain, because most providers add your domain to the end automatically. Paste Google's full target as the value.
TXT - Enter @ as the name or host, which points to your domain itself. Paste Google's full verification string as the value.
TTL - If your provider lets you set one, choose the lowest option. TTL is the longest the record can take to become publicly visible.
We find the CNAME record the more straightforward of the two. Verification is usually immediate, but the status can take up to 10 minutes to update, so wait a few minutes and try again if it doesn't verify on the first attempt.
How to Check Your Gmail Spam Rate
Once your domain is verified and you've sent email to Gmail recipients, Postmaster Tools reports on that mail.
Open Google Postmaster Tools.
Click your verified domain.
Review the spam rate and the other reports for that domain.
Google explains each report in its own help center. If you'd like a second opinion, send us a screenshot of the report and we'll share any guidance we can. VipeCloud also tracks spam reports on your own sends, covered in How to Check for Warning Signs of Email Reputation Issues.
Key Notes
Postmaster Tools is free and works with a regular Gmail account or a Google Workspace account.
Reports only cover email sent to personal Gmail addresses (@gmail.com and @googlemail.com), not other inbox providers.
Days with low sending volume can show no data.
Not every sender needs it. We recommend it if you've had reputation issues or are concerned you might, and avoiding risky sending is still the best protection, as covered in Mass Emailing Best Practices.
After verifying, you can give a teammate access from More options, then Manage users. Google doesn't notify them, so let them know.