Authenticate your domain with Zoho Marketing Automation

How to Authenticate your Domain with Zoho Marketing Automation

Domain authentication is a mechanism that verifies the email from the point of its origin by validating the email sender. It checks emails to rule out any possibility of spamming or spoofing thereby protecting your sender reputation. Authenticating your domain allows smooth transfer of emails through spam filters and into your recipient's inbox.

Domain authentication methods  

  1. SPF allows you to specify the mail servers (IP addresses) which can send emails on your behalf. Learn more about SPF
  2. DKIM allows email senders to authenticate their campaigns by including a digital signature in the email header. Publishing SPF and DKIM TXT records in your domain's DNS settings means you've authenticated your domain with Zoho Marketing Automation. Learn more about DKIM

Domain Authentication Steps  

Authenticating your domain in Zoho Marketing Automation is a simple four step process:
  1. Add a sender address to your Zoho Marketing Automation account.
  2. To authenticate your domain, copy SPF and DKIM record values from Zoho Marketing Automation.
  3. Go to your domain hosting website's Settings page to setup SPF and DKIM records for your domain. Paste the copied record values and publish them to the DNS servers.
  4. After your records are published, go to your Zoho Marketing Automation account and click Authenticate.

Step 1 - Add a sender address

To add a new sender address follow these steps:
  1. Click the Settings icon next to the notification icon.



  2. Under Marketing Channels, click Email.


  3. Select the Senders and Authentication tab and click Add Sender.



  4. Enter the email address patricia.b@zylker.com.



  5. Add multiple sender addresses separated by a comma, semicolon, space or enter each address on a new line.
  6. Click Save.
  7. Zoho Marketing Automation identifies the sender address as patricia.b@zylker.com and its domain as 'zylker.com' as shown below.



  8. To verify your email address, log in to your email account and open the verification email sent by Zoho Marketing Automation.
  9. Click the Verify your email address button to complete verification.
Notes
Note: If you have not received the verification email, please check all the folders / filters in your email client. If you still don't find them, please contact support@zohomarketingautomation.com.

Step 2 - Copy SPF and DKIM record values from Zoho Marketing Automation  

To copy SPF and DKIM record values,
  1. Click the Settings icon next to the notification icon.



  2. Under Marketing Channels, click Email.



  3. Select the Senders and Authentication tab.
  4. Locate your domain and click Setup.



  5. In the Setup SPF/DKIM page, click the Copy icon next to the SPF and DKIM text records.


Step 3 - Setup SPF and DKIM records for your domain  

To setup SPF and DKIM text records for your unverified domain, follow the steps given below:
  1. Go to your domain hosting website from where you have purchased your domain (GoDaddy.com, Cloudflare, BlueHost,etc).
  2. Paste the TXT record values copied from your Zoho Marketing Automation account in your domain's DNS settings. Click Publish.
  3. If the SPF record already exists in your domain's DNS settings, please add include:zcsend.net to the record and click Publish.
  4. Learn how to setup SPF and DKIM records for your domain. 
Notes
Note : DNS setup usually updates within 24-48 hours. Your sender domain will be verified only after the update is complete.

Step 4 - Authenticate your domain  

After the SPF and DKIM records for your domain have been published on the DNS servers, follow the steps given below to authenticate your domain:
  1. Click the Settings icon next to the notification icon.



  2. Under Marketing Channels, click Email.



  3. Select the Senders and Authentication tab.
  4. Locate your domain and click Setup.



  5. Click Authenticate.



  6. If the records are not published in your domain hosting site, the reason and how to fix it will be available in the same screen.

How to set up a custom return-path address    

  • Login to your Zoho Marketing Automation account.
  • Click Settings (Gear-shaped icon) at the top right corner of the screen.



  • Under the Marketing Channels section, click Email.



  • Click Senders and Authentication tab at top.
  • Click Setup against the domain for which you need to set up a custom return-path.



  • In the slide-in window that appears, type your host name (sub-domain name) – which you've used in your domain's DNS – in the Specify the Host Name field.
  • Next, copy the CNAME record and paste it in your domain's DNS. Publish the CNAME record in your domain's DNS.
  • After the record is published, come back to this page in your Zoho Marketing Automation account and click Authenticate.



  • Now, your domain will move from Incomplete to Authenticated status.
Notes
Note:
  • The CNAME will be unique for each Zoho Marketing Automation organization.
  • You can set up the custom return-path only after you've authenticated your domain by publishing the SPF and DKIM records in your domain's DNS. Learn more about authenticating your domain here.
  • It isn't possible to set up the custom return-path first and authenticate your domain after that.
  • If there are any issues with the CNAME record or if it gets deleted at your domain's DNS, the domain will move back to Incomplete status and the custom return-path should be set up again.