Using Your Own Domain for Email Sending

Overview

Using your own domain for sending emails helps establish brand consistency and improves deliverability rates. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up and verifying your custom domain for use with our email marketing platform.

Benefits of Using a Custom Domain

• Improved deliverability: Emails from your own domain are less likely to be flagged as spam

• Enhanced brand recognition: Recipients see your domain in the sender address

Prerequisites

• Access to your domain's DNS settings (through your domain registrar or hosting provider)

• Admin access to our email marketing platform

Setup Process

Step 1: Access the Email Sender Settings

1. Log in to your SiteVibes account

2. In the left nav, go to Settings > Branding > Email and click the "EMAIL SENDER" tab.

3. Scroll down to find the "Branded Domain" section and expand it if collapsed

Step 2: Enter Your Domain Information

1. In the "Root Domain" field, enter your main domain (e.g., example.com)

2. In the "Sending Domain" field, enter the subdomain prefix you want to use for sending emails

   • Recommended: Use send, mail, or email (e.g., send.example.com)

   • The system will automatically append your root domain to create the full sending domain

Step 3: Save Your Settings

1. Click the "Create" button to save your domain settings

2. The system will generate the necessary DNS records you'll need to add to your domain

Step 4: Configure DNS Records

After clicking "Create", you'll see a screen showing the specific DNS records you need to add. These will typically include:

1. Sending Subdomain CNAME Record:
   

Type: CNAME

Host: send.yourdomain.com

Value: [provided sendgrid endpoint, e.g., utest23425.wltest.sendgrid.net]

2. DKIM CNAME Records: Two records that add digital signatures to your emails for authentication
   

Type: CNAME

Host: sv._domainkey.yourdomain.com

Value: [provided value, e.g., sv.domainkey.utest23425.wltest.sendgrid.net]

Type: CNAME

Host: sv2._domainkey.yourdomain.com

Value: [provided value, e.g., sv2.domainkey.utest23425.wltest.sendgrid.net]

Each record will show a "PENDING" status until it's properly configured and verified.

Note: The exact values will be unique to your account and will be displayed on the DNS configuration screen as shown above.

Step 5: Verify Domain Ownership

1. After adding the required DNS records to your domain's DNS settings (through your domain registrar or hosting provider)

2. Return to our platform and click the "Verify DNS Records" button

3. The system will check if all DNS records are correctly configured

4. If successful, the status for each record will change from "PENDING" to "VERIFIED"

5. If any records fail verification, double-check your DNS settings and try again after DNS propagation (which can take 24-48 hours)

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Domain Not Verifying (Records Staying "PENDING")

• DNS changes can take 24-48 hours to propagate globally

• Ensure you've added all required CNAME records exactly as shown in the interface

• Verify that you've entered the full host name correctly (including any subdomains)

• Check that you've entered the host name without your root domain if your DNS provider automatically appends it

• Verify you have proper permissions to modify DNS settings

Best Practices

• Use a dedicated subdomain for marketing emails (e.g., send.example.com)

• Don't use critical subdomains like "www" or "mail" that might be used for other purposes

• Regularly monitor your domain reputation through the analytics dashboard

• If you need to change your email sending configuration, you can click "Remove Branded Domain" and start over

• Keep a record of your DNS changes for future reference

Need Additional Help?

If you encounter any issues during setup, please contact our support team at [email protected]!