Are custom sending domains worth the money and effort?

Email marketer from SparkPost shares that custom sending domains improve deliverability by aligning the 'From' address with the sender's website domain. This alignment builds a consistent brand identity and reduces the chances of emails being flagged as phishing attempts.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that it is recommended to use your own domain, for the reasons already mentioned. When using a shared domain you're sharing reputation with all customers of that domain, and are at risk of poor deliverability if one of those senders makes a mistake. Sending from your own domain will give you more control over your deliverability and allow you to move between providers more easily.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that having a custom domain for email is crucial for building a solid sender reputation. ISPs are more likely to trust emails coming from a domain that is properly authenticated and has a history of sending legitimate mail.

Email marketer from SendPulse explains that using a custom domain improves email deliverability by allowing you to implement authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This signals to mailbox providers that you are a legitimate sender and reduces the likelihood of your emails landing in the spam folder.

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that with a custom sending domain, you have greater control over your sender reputation, authentication protocols, and overall deliverability strategy, all of which contribute to higher engagement rates.

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum says that building and maintaining a positive sender reputation is essential for email deliverability. Using a custom domain allows you to establish your own reputation, separate from shared hosting or ESP domains.

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that a custom sending domain reinforces brand consistency by ensuring your brand name is prominently displayed in the 'From' address. This enhances brand recognition and helps recipients easily identify and trust your emails.

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that using a custom domain enhances brand recognition and trustworthiness. It helps recipients immediately identify the sender and builds confidence in the email's legitimacy, reducing the likelihood of it being marked as spam.

Email marketer from GMass shares that with a custom sending domain, you're in control of your sending reputation. You don't have to worry about the actions of other senders on a shared domain negatively affecting your deliverability.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that if your domains match then you don’t get the “via” in Gmail. Also explains that some of the webmail providers are looking at DMARC style alignment even in the absence of a DMARC record.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that custom sending domains are required if you are ever going to deploy DMARC.

Expert from Email Geeks shares custom domains are good practice and recommends them for everyone, even in the absence of a clear deliverability bonus.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that owning your own domain is valuable because it allows you to control your online identity and reputation. It's like owning property in the digital world, giving you more control over how your brand is perceived.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that moving to your own IPs and custom domain can provide a significant deliverability benefit if you're experiencing issues with a shared IP address space, especially if other senders on that shared space are negatively impacting your reputation.

Documentation from AuthSMTP explains how a custom domain allows better brand control when using authentication methods like SPF/DKIM/DMARC, and a stronger sending reputation to be built and maintained.

Documentation from RFC-Editor explains that sender ID uses the Purported Responsible Address (PRA) to determine the domain responsible for sending an email. It emphasizes domain ownership verification through DNS records as crucial for authentication.

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC relies on domain alignment between the 'From' address and the domain used for SPF or DKIM authentication. This alignment is a core requirement for DMARC to function correctly and protect against email spoofing.

Documentation from Google explains that DKIM signing your emails with a custom domain adds a digital signature that verifies the message's authenticity and integrity. This helps prevent tampering and assures recipients that the email genuinely came from you.

Documentation from Microsoft explains that using a custom domain allows you to create an SPF record that specifies the mail servers authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. This helps prevent spammers from forging your 'From' address.