Gmail shows "via" or "sent on behalf of" next to your name

What it means

Gmail sometimes shows the sender like this: Your Name <you@yourdomain.com> via sendservice.example. Outlook may show sendservice@example.net on behalf of Your Name. Both mean the same thing: the email says it is from your domain, but it was authenticated or sent by a different domain.

Why Gmail adds "via"

Gmail checks which domain signed the email with DKIM and which domain passed SPF. When neither matches the domain in your From address, Gmail shows the other domain with "via". This is common with newsletter tools, CRMs, invoicing apps and website plugins using their default settings.

Why Outlook shows "on behalf of"

Outlook shows it when the email has a Sender header different from the From address. This happens with some sending services, and with delegated mailboxes, when someone has "send on behalf" permission rather than "send as".

Why it matters

• Recipients find it confusing or suspicious, which can mean fewer opens and more spam reports.
• It usually means DMARC is not aligned. Once your DMARC policy is quarantine or reject, these emails can be blocked.
• Your domain does not build its own reputation with Gmail.

How to check

Send an email through the service that shows "via" to your test address on the home page (/). In the report, look at the domain that signed DKIM and the domain checked by SPF. If both differ from your From domain, that is the cause. In Gmail, "Show original" gives the same information in the DKIM and SPF lines.

How to fix it

1. Set up DKIM with your own domain in the service

Almost every sending service has a "domain authentication" or "custom DKIM" setting. It gives you one or more DNS records to add, usually CNAME or TXT records like:

s1._domainkey.yourdomain.com  CNAME  s1.domainkey.sendservice.example

Add them exactly as given at your DNS provider, then click "verify" in the service. From then on, emails are signed with d=yourdomain.com and the "via" disappears.

2. Optionally, use a custom return-path

Some services also let you set a custom bounce or return-path domain, such as bounces.yourdomain.com. This aligns SPF too. It is a bonus: DKIM alignment alone is enough for DMARC and for removing "via".

3. For "on behalf of" in Microsoft 365 or Exchange

• If a colleague sends from a shared mailbox or someone else's address, ask your administrator for Send As permission instead of Send on Behalf.
• With a sending service, enable domain authentication as above; if it still adds a Sender header with its own domain, check its settings or contact its support.

4. Do not hide it with a free address

Sending "from" a Gmail or Yahoo address through another service is worse: those domains have strict DMARC policies and your emails may be rejected. Always send from your own domain.

Check that it is fixed

Wait for the DNS records to be verified, then send a new email through the service to the home page address. DKIM should pass with your own domain and DMARC should pass. Send one to a Gmail address too: the "via" mention should be gone.