How to combine SES for sending emails and Gmail for reciving

Question

Usually I use Google Apps for business to handle my domains email send/receive needs. Today I have setup SES for one of my domains to handle email sending needs. My problem is that my understanding about how the domain is going to receive emails is quite murky, because SES is only for sending emails and of course has no inbox functionality. My question is how do I configure the domain DNS settings to receive emails into my Google Apps Mail inbox, but use SES to send the emails?

SPF

"v=spf1 include:amazonses.com -all"
"spf2.0/pra include:amazonses.com -all"

EDIT

"v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:amazonses.com ~all"
"spf2.0/pra include:_spf.google.com include:amazonses.com ~all"

The domain DNS records are hosted in Route53

Solution 1

Since SES isn't receiving messages you don't have do anything with MX records. Since it is hosted by Amazon, you probably don't need to do anything with setting up any PTRs or reverse lookups.

So the only DNS change that you will have to look at changing is going to be related to the SPF record if you have one. If you have a SPF record you will need to update it to permit amazon email to be considered valid in addition to your Google Apps email. If you don't have an SPF record already, then you don't need to do anything, though you should look at setting up an SPF record.

Solution 2

All you need to do is point you domain's MX records towards Google Apps (considering you've already setup a Google Apps account).

MX records are being used to divert incoming mail exchange. That is: Tell the sending server where to send the mail messages to.

So you keep sending from AWS SES, but the reply will be automatically received by your Google Apps account.

Mind you: You should authorize the domain in SES in order to be able to send from it.

Comments

[mename]

Thanks for the answer! I have edited my post and I wonder if you can illustrate what exactly do I need to change in the SPF record.

[Zoredache]

See support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=178723 and docs.amazonwebservices.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/…. Basically you include the amazon spf, and the google spf records.

[mename]

Ok thanks, I have edited my post with what seems to be a final solution.

[mename]

Just one question. In Google apps > Advanced tools > Authenticate email there is the [Set up email authentication (DKIM)]. Do I need to enable this also, or is it enough to put the SPF records in Route53 DNS?