How to set up Google Postmaster Tools without owning the domain?
Summary
What email marketers say8Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Email Vendor Selection advises that in shared domain scenarios, or when using a third-party email service, you should check if the service allows you to verify a subdomain. If they do, you can add the required DNS records to the subdomain settings provided by the email service and verify via Google Postmaster Tools.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that using subdomains is a common practice for managing email sending reputation. You can set up a subdomain (e.g., `email.yourdomain.com`) and configure Google Postmaster Tools for that subdomain specifically, without needing full domain ownership.
Email marketer from Sendinblue recommends properly authenticating your subdomain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC records. Setting up Google Postmaster Tools after authentication can help with tracking the subdomain's reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus emphasizes that a good subdomain reputation is crucial for deliverability. Setting up Postmaster Tools for your subdomain lets you track metrics and improve deliverability specific to your email program.
Email marketer from Email on Acid discusses that using subdomains helps isolate your email sending reputation. By setting up Postmaster Tools on a subdomain, you can monitor the health of your email program without affecting the overall domain reputation.
Email marketer from Gmass blog recommends checking with your email service provider (ESP). Some ESPs offer dedicated subdomains as part of their service, allowing you to set up Postmaster Tools using the subdomain they provide.
Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailNoob shares their experience, stating they were able to verify a subdomain with Google Postmaster Tools after their IT department added the necessary DNS records to the subdomain. They did not need to verify the main domain.
Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that DNS delegation allows a separate nameserver to handle a subdomain. If you have DNS delegation for a subdomain, you can add the required records and verify the subdomain in Postmaster Tools. The root domain owner does the delegation.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that using subdomains is an excellent strategy for managing sender reputation, particularly when you don't own the primary domain. By setting up Postmaster Tools for the subdomain, you can monitor the performance of your email campaigns without affecting the reputation of the main domain.
Expert from Email Geeks explains you can set up Google Postmaster Tools (GPT) if you have access to DNS, which doesn’t imply domain ownership. They further clarify that someone at the company or agency must have DNS access to at least a subdomain DNS record. Having DNS access means you essentially own that bit of the domain space until the owner revokes it.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft explains for users leveraging their services details that custom subdomains can be used to brand and manage email sending reputation separately from the main domain. The specific procedures would apply, but domain verification is needed for the subdomain.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that to access and use Google Postmaster Tools, you need to verify ownership of the sending domain. However, if you're sending from a subdomain, you only need to verify ownership of that specific subdomain, not the entire domain.
Documentation from SparkPost details that if you're using a shared domain or don't have full control over the root domain's DNS records, you can still use a subdomain. You'll need to get the DNS records (TXT, SPF, DKIM, etc.) added to the subdomain's DNS settings to verify with Google Postmaster Tools.