Setting Up Your Dedicated Email Domain
Overview:
A dedicated email domain improves your deliverability, maintains brand professionalism, and separates marketing from transactional emails. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to set one up step-by-step.
Learning Objectives:
Understand what a dedicated email domain is and why it matters
Choose and register a subdomain
Add your domain to your account
Configure DNS records (TXT, CNAME, MXA, MXB)
Verify your setup to ensure success
Transcript
In this video, we’ll explore the concept of setting up a dedicated email domain and why it’s crucial for your business. We’ll guide you through the process, ensuring that your email communication remains seamless and professional.
A dedicated email domain, or sending domain, is an exclusive domain used solely for sending emails. The main benefit is that it separates your personal or regular email traffic from your email marketing or automation. Users typically use services like Mailgun, Lead Connector, or SendGrid as their email sending providers, any of which you can choose to connect to your account.
Why do you need a dedicated email domain? Here are the key reasons:
Deliverability: Email service providers, including Gmail and Outlook, have stringent rules to filter out spam. A dedicated domain enhances your email’s chances of landing in the recipient’s inbox.
Professionalism: A dedicated email domain reinforces your brand’s professionalism. It ensures that your marketing and automated emails are distinct from your regular communications.
Separation of Concerns: By using a separate domain, you avoid mixing transactional emails like administrative conversations with marketing or automation emails. This separation simplifies email management.
Setting up a Dedicated Email Domain:
Step 1: Choosing a Subdomain
Choose a subdomain for your dedicated sending domain. A subdomain is a secondary part of your root domain, such as email.yourbrand.com. Examples of subdomains are mail, reply, replies, email, or mg.
Step 2: Adding the Domain
Open your account settings and look for the option labeled “Email Services.” Click on it and find the option for “Dedicated Domain.” Click the “Add Domain” button to start the setup process.
Step 3: Configuring DNS Records
To ensure proper email delivery, add DNS records to your domain host. These include TXT, CNAME, MXA, and MXB records. Each record serves a specific purpose in authenticating and routing your emails.
Step 4: Adding TXT Records
In your domain host’s DNS settings, select TXT as the record type. Enter your chosen subdomain as the name and copy the content provided in your account. Save the record.
Step 5: Adding CNAME Record
Select CNAME as the record type. Enter your subdomain as the name and copy the content from your account. Save the record. If using Cloudflare, turn off the proxy.
Step 6: Adding MX Records
Add MXA and MXB records. Select MX as the record type. Enter your subdomain as the name, copy the content from your account, and set the priority to 10. Save the records.
Step 7: Verification and Completion
Once all DNS records are added, double-check their accuracy and ensure they match your email address domain. Save changes in your domain host’s DNS settings. Remember, these steps may vary slightly depending on your domain host, so refer to their specific guides if needed.
You’ve now successfully set up your dedicated sending domain. Your email communication will benefit from improved deliverability and a professional brand image. By following these steps, you ensure your automated emails are effective and trusted by recipients.
That’s it. Make sure to follow any lesson instructions below and mark this as complete to keep moving forward.
