The MAIL FROM subdomain in Email Center: your own return path and SPF aligned for DMARC

E-mail·· 31 views· 3 min read

The short answer: MAIL FROM is the return path, where bounces go. By default it is ours. If you set a subdomain of yours, such as bounce.yourcompany.com, SPF aligns with your domain and DMARC gets stronger. It is optional: the domain is verified and sends fine without it.

Two senders in one e-mail

Every e-mail has two sender addresses: the one the customer sees in the From field, and the return path, which only servers read. SPF checks the return path; DMARC wants that address on the same domain as From. With our return path, DMARC passes through DKIM. With a return path on your own subdomain, it passes through DKIM and SPF.

No MAIL FROM of your own Your own MAIL FROM
Return path Ours A subdomain of yours, like bounce.yourcompany.com
DMARC passes through DKIM DKIM and SPF
Extra records None One MX and one TXT on the subdomain

How to set it

1 Pick a subdomain you use for nothing else, such as bounce. Do not use the main domain: the subdomain MX is only for bounces and must not touch your company mail.
2 Save it on the domain in Email Center, or with PUT /v1/email/domains/{domain}/mail-from and the body {"subdomain": "bounce"}.
3 Publish the two new records that appear in dns_records: one MX and one TXT, on the subdomain.
4 To go back to our return path, save an empty value.
Leave the MX of your main domain alone. The new MX record goes on the subdomain only. Put it on the main domain and the mail for your mailboxes stops arriving.
Want to know whether SPF aligns yet? Send an e-mail to one of your own mailboxes, open the original and look at the SPF and DMARC results. How to do it is in reading an e-mail header.

Want help setting MAIL FROM without touching your company mail? Get in touch.

Open a support ticket

SEE ALSO

Adding a sender domain to Email Center: the DKIM, SPF and DMARC records to publish

Sender domain not verified in Email Center: propagation, the found field and usual mistakes

Creating your DMARC record, and reading what it sends back

Reading an e-mail header: did SPF, DKIM and DMARC pass?

SPF, DKIM and DMARC: why your e-mail lands in spam

Someone is sending e-mail in the name of your domain: what SPF, DKIM and DMARC do about it

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