Hello Marketers,
Welcome back to yet another post!
So you've added a sender address in Zoho Campaigns and later found that you're not able to select it while creating an email campaign. Has this ever happened to you? If so, don't worry—you're not alone. This is one of the most common points of confusion for Zoho Campaigns users who are just getting started with email marketing.
This doesn't usually happen because something is broken, but rather because there are other steps you've missed, like verifying your sender address, not authenticating a DMARC-approved sender domain, or using a sender address that belongs to a public domain (like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com).
Today, we'll break down why this happens, learn how to identify the issue, and discuss a quick resolution.
What is a sender email address?
A sender address is the email address that appears in the "From" section of an email campaign. It tells recipients who sent the email and helps them recognize your brand. This builds trust so that recipients are more likely to open and read your emails in the future. For example, if your business is Zylker Travels, you might send campaigns from
bookings@zylkertravels.com or
support@zylkertravels.com. Choosing the right sender address is important because it affects how professional and credible your emails look.
The common scenario
When most users face this issue, they:
- Add a sender email under Settings > Deliverability > Manage Senders > Add Senders.
- Create a new campaign.
- Try to select the newly added sender address, which turns out not to be clickable.
- Try to add it again, only to receive a message that says, "You have already added this email address."
This often makes users wonder: If the sender address has already been added, why isn't it selectable?
If you face such an issue, double-check the following:
- Whether the sender address has been verified
- Whether the sender address is DMARC approved (if not, you should complete the domain authentication process)
- Whether you're using a public domain email address like Gmail or Yahoo (we don't support sending emails from public domain addresses)
Why is sender address verification mandatory?
Sender addresses aren't just meant to inform recipients, but also to enable email service providers (ESPs) like Gmail, Yahoo, and Zoho Mail to validate the legitimacy of your emails. Because of this sensitive nature, every email marketing platform needs to ensure that the sender address used while sending an email campaign is authentic and trusted. Otherwise, if anyone could add any sender address and start sending campaigns, it would lead to impersonation and deliverability issues that tarnish brands' reputations.
That's why Zoho Campaigns has made it mandatory to verify each sender address before it can be used in campaign creation. Adding the email is just step one; verifying it completes the process.
How to check if the sender address is verified
To check whether your sender address has been verified, go to Settings > Deliverability > Manage Senders in Zoho Campaigns. There, you'll see a list of all the sender addresses added to your account. If you see a green indicator beside the address, it means the sender address has been verified and is ready to use for sending campaigns.
If there's no such indicator, that means the verification is still pending and the address won't be clickable when you're trying to select it during campaign creation.
How to resolve this issue
If you face this issue, open the inbox of the respective email address, find the verification email, and click the link to complete the process. For example, if the sender address you need to verify is support@zylkertravels.com, go to its inbox, locate the verification email, and click the link provided. Once verified, the sender address will become available for use.
If you're unable to find the verification email, please check in the spam and trash folders. If you still can't find it, please reach out to us at
support@zohocampaigns.com.
Why you need to authenticate a DMARC-approved domain
Even if your sender address is DMARC-approved, you need to complete domain authentication (SPF and DKIM). This is because DMARC works only when SPF and DKIM have been set up and match your domain. If you skip authentication, DMARC will fail, and your emails may still land in your recipients' spam folders.
Why you should avoid using public domain sender addresses
If you run a business called Zylker Traders, we'd recommend you use your own domain—@zylkertraders.com—as it's considered safer and more trusted. It also improves deliverability and makes your messages look more professional. When recipients receive an email sent from your domain, it immediately tells them the message is genuinely from your business, and makes it easier to recognize and trust.
Takeaway
If you face issues while selecting a sender address during campaign setup, first check whether the address is verified, as only verified sender addresses can be used to send emails. If the sender address is DMARC-approved, make sure you've also completed the domain authentication (SPF/DKIM) process, because without it, DMARC will fail and your emails will still land in spam. Also, avoid using public domain addresses like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com, as Zoho Campaigns doesn't support sending campaigns from these domains. Although these might feel additional steps, they protect your brand reputation and ensures that your campaigns land safely in inboxes rather than spam folders.
Kind regards,
Aiswarya Jayaprakash
User Education
Zoho Campaigns Team