Domain Addition & Verification

ZeptoMail allows you to send your transactional emails using verified domains. The domain is verified after completing the SPF and DKIM validation. Verifying your domains will help us to restrict spammers, so it is mandatory to do it. Also sending emails from a verified domain improves your domain reputation. In this section you will learn how to add and manage your domains.

Note:

  • Mandatory Records to be configured:
    •  SPF and DKIM validation are configured for domain verification.
    • CNAME record is configured for bounce address setup. Once the bounce address is created, use this bounce address in your SMTP/ API. 
  • Total number of domains that can be added in your account is 100. 

Table of Contents

Add your Domain

In the Domains section you can add domains; view the list of added domains, domain verification status, domain specific SPF, DKIM, and CNAME records; add bounce address(es) for a domain; complete the domain verification process; associate/ dissociate Mail Agents for a domain; and delete domains.

Follow the steps given below to add your domain in your ZeptoMail account:

  1. From the left panel, click on Domains. The Domains section will open up.
  2. Click on Add Domain. A pop-up will appear.
  3. Enter your domain name.
  4. Add the subdomain name. This will serve as your bounce address. 
  5. Select the Mail Agent(s) to which this domain has to be associated. You can select multiple Mail Agents too.
  6. Click on Add to complete the domain addition process. 
  7. The new domain is successfully added. 

Edit your Domain

If you have mis-spelled any of your un-verified domains, you can edit it. To edit your domain, follow the below steps:

  1. From the left panel, click on Domains.
  2. Hover on the domain that is not verified. You will see the edit icon located next to the domain name.
  3. Click on the edit icon.
  4. Enter the new domain name and click on the save icon.
  5. You have successfully edited your domain name.

Verify your Domain

After you add your domain, the Domains section will provide the SPF, DKIM, and CNAME values for the added domain. You can add these records in DNS and complete the domain verification process. The Verification status shows whether the domain verification is completed or pending. The Verification status is marked as complete only if all the three records (SPF, DKIM, & CNAME) are verified. 

Note:

  • It may take 24-48 hours for the records to be published in the DNS. So your domain will not be verified until that time and you will not be able to send any emails.

You can authenticate your domain using any of the below methods:

Self Authentication

  1. From the left panel, click on Domains.
  2. Click on any domain from the domains list. A section will appear with the SPF, DKIM, and CNAME details.
  3. Select your DNS provider by clicking on the drop-down. The Host Value will be populated according to your DNS provider. Refer here for instruction specific to popular DNS providers like GoDaddy. If your DNS provider is not listed, you can select Other from the drop-down. 
  4. Copy SPF Record, DKIM Record and CNAME Record and publish them to DNS. Refer here for general instructions to add SPF and DKIM records in the DNS.
  5. If your domain has a pre-existing SPF TXT record then you should not create another SPF TXT record. For such cases, the Value field for the SPF record in the table will be updated as "View SPF value".​ When you click on View SPF value, a pop-up will appear with the updated SPF value. Update this value in your DNS.
  6. After these records are published, click on Verify.
  7. The Verification Status for your domain will change to Verified. It may take 24-48 hours for the records to be published in the DNS. So your domain will not be verified until that time and you will not be able to send any emails.

Authentication with the help of IT administrator

Sometimes you may not be handing your domains. In that case, you can get help from your IT administrator or your colleague to publish DNS Records. Follow the below steps to share your records:

  1. From the left panel, click on Domains.
  2. Click on Share records with colleague for help.
  3. You will get an email template pop-up.
  4. You can enter the email address of your IT administrator or the colleague and all other related email IDs who must be notified to get your SPF Record and DKIM Record published to the DNS. Add additional information in the body text. Click on Send.
  5. After these records are published, click on Verify.
  6. Your new domain is successfully Verified. It may take 24-48 hours for the records to be published in the DNS. So your domain will not be verified until that time and you will not be able to send any emails.

Note:

  • The share record feature is available only for users with Postmaster and Engineer role.

One click verification 

ZeptoMail also supports one click verification for accounts hosted with certain DNS providers. This allows you to automatically verify the domains added to your ZeptoMail account without having to manually add them.

You can refer our guides on Go-daddy and 1&1 DNS providers to use the one click verification.

Overview

Once your account has been verified, you will be able to view the overall stats of the emails sent from a particular domain. The overview section gives you this comparison of the details of your emails sent over a period of time.

The count of the below-mentioned parameters will be shown :

  • Sent - Total number of emails processed. If your email has 1 recipient in the 'to' field, 1 recipient in the 'cc' field, and 1 recipient in the 'bcc' field; then the total count of emails sent is 3.
  • Delivered - Number of emails that have been delivered to the recipient's inbox.
  • Hard Bounces - Number of emails that did not deliver due to permanent reasons like invalid recipient address.
  • Soft Bounces - Number of emails that did not deliver due to temporary reasons like the recipient server being down or the recipient's inbox being full.
  • Clicks - These clicks are for the links embedded in your email body.
  • Opens - Number of times the recipient opened your emails
  • Process failed - ​Emails that have not been sent out due to various reasons.

Domain validation 

The domains associated with your account will be constantly checked for the published DNS records. If any discrepancy arises in the published records, you will be given a certain period to publish the relevant SPF and DKIM records. Failing to do so within the given time will result in the suspension of emails being sent from that particular domain.
To authenticate your domain again, follow the above mentioned verification methods.

DNS Record Summary

Domain verification typePurposeRecord typeHostValue
SPF*Domain verificationTXT@/ subdomain namev=spf1 include:zeptomail.net ~all
DKIM*TXT<selector>._domainkey.subdomainFind this value under Domains tab, while verifying a domain in your ZeptoMail Mail Agent.
CNAME*To configure bounce addressCNAMEsubdomain nameFind this value in the Domain Verification tab, while configuring your domain. 

* - mandatory DNS records

Note:

Refer here for instruction specific to popular DNS providers like GoDaddy.

Associate Mail Agents to domains

  1. From the left panel, click on Domains.
  2. Navigate to the domain to which you want to associate multiple Mail Agents.
  3. Scroll down to find Associated Mail Agents section.
  4. Choose the Mail Agent you wish to add.
  5. Now your domain is associated with multiple Mail Agents. You can use this domain as your sender domain while sending emails using any of the associated Mail Agents.

Domain setting

Domain setting allows you to restrict the sender addresses that will be sending out emails using a particular domain. This way, you can add only the email address(es) that you want to use to send emails from the selected domain. Consider the example illustrated below, for the domain finance.zcorp.in, by choosing to restrict the sender addresses, you will now be able to send emails using only the two added addresses.

You can enable this restriction only for verified domains. Follow the steps below to add the restricted addresses :

  1. Select the Domain setting option.
  2. Select the checkbox to enable sender address restriction.
  3. If you are adding this restriction for the first time, you will be able to add your first sender address within the dialog box.
  4. The subsequent sender addresses can be added by selecting the Add sender address option.
  5. Click Save.

You can disable this option at any point to use any email address associated with the domain.

Delete your Domain

Only a user with the role Postmaster can delete a verified domain from Mail Agents. You will NOT be able to send any further emails using the deleted domain. If you use a deleted sender domain in your API/ SMTP, it will show an error message. Refer here for API/ SMTP error codes. In order to send emails using this domain, you will have to verify the domain again.

Follow the below steps to delete a domain:

  1. From the left panel, click on Domains.
  2. Navigate to the domain in the listing you want to delete. Click on delete icon on the top right corner.
  3. Click on ​Yes, delete to confirm the deletion of the domain. The domain will be deleted.

DNS Missing and Domain suspension

In cases where your DNS records have been modified or deleted, you will be shown the Domain verification warning pop-up when you login. This pop-up lists the domains whose DNS settings have been changed.

There are two cases :

  • DNS missing
  • Domain suspension.

DNS missing case:

When the DNS records - SPF and DKIM, of a particular domain have been deleted or modified, a pop-up warning about the changed data will be displayed. You will also be able to view the records that have been modified. Click view button near the domain to navigate to view the details corresponding to it in your ZeptoMail account's Domains section.

The deadline before which you have to verify these records will also be shown in the pop-up. A period of time will be given to add the required data, post which email sending will be suspended from that domain. Apart from this, we will also be sending you email intimations about the modified records. 

Domain suspension case :

When you fail to add and verify the deleted or modified DNS records, email sending will be suspended for that particular domain. Further, the domains whose email sending has been disrupted will be shown in the pop-up when you login. You can add the missing data in your DNS settings and verify your domain to start sending your emails again.

Follow the steps given above to add and verify your records.

You will be able to view the information about the missing DNS record in the Domains section of your account too. The list of domains with the DNS missing case will be shown in the left pane along with the date before which they should be verified. 

Note:

Before you get started it is important to know that ZeptoMail is for sending transactional emails like welcome emailers, password resets emails, OTPs. We do not support sending of bulk emails or promotional emails like newsletters or marketing campaign emails. If you are looking for a bulk email provider, you can visit Zoho Campaigns.