How many subdomains should I create for my email sending, and what naming conventions should I use?
Summary
What email marketers say14Marketer opinions
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign answers that Subdomains should be named clearly so recipients can easily understand their purpose (e.g., 'promotions.yourdomain.com'). There is no recommended number, just appropriate names for email streams.
Marketer from Email Geeks advises against using potentially problematic subdomain names like virus.domain.com or spam.domain.com. They emphasize the importance of understanding how to warm up a new subdomain, even on a shared IP pool.
Email marketer from SparkPost explains that a subdomain allows for segmentation of email traffic and building of separate reputations for different email streams. They suggest starting with a few key subdomains based on function.
Marketer from Email Geeks warns against fragmenting subdomains so much that individual subdomains cannot build reputation.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains they are a fan of using function-based subdomains like marketing or transactional to separate concerns.
Email marketer from ReturnPath answers by stating that the primary benefit of subdomains is to isolate email traffic and protect your main domain's reputation. Consider your needs when choosing a number of subdomains, starting with a small amount and expanding as needed.
Marketer from Email Geeks answers question about decentralized global teams needing subdomains. If the teams are decentralized and you don't have control over their email program, then using subdomains per country is appropriate.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that using subdomains for different types of emails (transactional, marketing, etc.) helps to isolate reputation and improve deliverability. They should be named based on the email type.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that there is no magic number, instead, it depends on your email program's complexity and volume for each email type. Start small and expand when necessary.
Email marketer from SendGrid explains that using subdomains allows you to isolate your sending reputation and provides best practices such as using descriptive names and keeping it simple. They suggest prioritizing email category type.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that the main goal is to separate email streams. They suggest considering subdomains for marketing, transactional, and potentially notification-based emails.
Email marketer from StackExchange explains that naming conventions should be clear and reflect the purpose of the subdomain (e.g., 'news.example.com' for newsletters). It does not limit the number of subdomains, focusing on clarity.
Email marketer from Reddit states that the number of subdomains depends on the complexity of your email program. They recommend starting with a few key subdomains for transactional and marketing emails, then expanding as needed.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that there are no limits on subdomain numbers and naming conventions are not an issue. Each subdomain should send messages signed with a matching DKIM key, allowing each to build an independent sending reputation. Segmenting traffic types via subdomains is best current practice. Volume should be sufficient to build a sending reputation, maybe 1-2k/month. Monitoring the sending reputation of all subdomains is important.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks confirms seeing Indeed use subdomains in email from addresses and that they have observed a variety of subdomain patterns in client data, such as localpart@e.whatever.example, reply.clientdomain.example, email.otherclient.example, and support.yetanotherclient.example.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that most companies need no more than 3 or 4 different subdomains and many subdomains increases maintenance.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares a summary of a presentation given regarding domain strategy. She states that she has seen many brands perform successfuly using 1 or many subdomains. The key is to maintain a high standard of deliverability from all subdomains.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from RFC 6376 explains that using DKIM signing on subdomains allows for independent reputation management. They do not limit the number of subdomains, focusing instead on proper authentication.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that using a separate subdomain for marketing emails can help protect the reputation of your primary domain. They do not specify a number, but advise on using different domains based on email purpose.
Documentation from Microsoft states that it's important to segment different types of email via subdomains. This helps the deliverability of each type of email.