Why do I need a domain email?
A quick guide on what a domain email is, how to get one, and how it can help keep your emails out of the spam folder.
Petra Molnar avatar
Written by Petra Molnar
Updated over a week ago

Sending from an authenticated domain email is the single most important step you can take to help keep your emails out of the spam folder. We recommend using a domain email and authenticating your domain before you reach 1,000 subscribers.

What is a domain email?

A domain email is an email address hosted on a domain that you own.

For example, Flodesk owns the domain flodesk.com and one of our domain emails is hello[at]flodesk.com.

It’s important to use a domain email hosted on a domain that you own or have access to authenticate as an administrator.

  • If your sending email is a Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, or other freemail address, you may be asked to update this to a domain email if your sender reputation is damaged.

  • If you’re using a work, government, educational, or organizational email address that you do not administer, you may also be asked to change this to a domain email that you own.

How can I get a domain email?

Flodesk does not provide you with a domain email with your subscription.

If you don’t currently own a domain, you can purchase one and then set up a domain email through most providers like GoDaddy, Google Domains, and Squarespace.

We recommend doing your research and choosing the right domain host for your business needs. All will provide you with the domain email you need, so the rest depends on your preference.

What is domain authentication?

Domain authentication links your Flodesk account to your domain host, which verifies your identity. When you send emails from Flodesk, your subscribers' email providers will process your email and assess it for potential threats.

The best way to avoid being flagged as a potential threat is to send from your own domain that you have authenticated in Flodesk.

What happens if I don’t use an authenticated domain email?

Your subscribers’ email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc) have automatic filters working to screen every email and evaluate if they’re a potential threat.

Sending mass emails from a Gmail or other freemail address is commonly associated with spam and phishing emails, so you may find that your emails sent to an audience from a freemail address bounce or end up marked as spam.

This negatively impacts your sender reputation, deliverability, and can even result in your Flodesk account being paused.

Even if you use your domain email, your subscribers' email providers can also detect if your domain is authenticated or not. To their systems, this looks like a malicious attack and can lead to your emails being blocked. The result for you is more bounced emails and spam complaints.

Sending from an authenticated domain email is one of the single-most important things you can do to protect your sender reputation and improve your deliverability.

How do I authenticate my domain?

The good news is, authenticating your domain is normally a quick and simple process!

We have a detailed article on How to Authenticate my Domain via DKIM to walk you through the process. You can also find links to the most common domain hosts for help navigating your domain panel in the same article.

Let’s sum it up!

Sending from an authenticated domain email is the most important thing you can do to keep your emails out of the spam folder. Setting one up is simple and will bring your business communications to the next level.

More to learn:


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