Is it possible to point one subdomain to multiple email service providers?

Email marketer from EmailOctopus explains that by authenticating your domain, you're telling mailbox providers that you've given EmailOctopus permission to send emails on your behalf. You will need to set up SPF and DKIM records.

Email marketer from Reddit suggests its generally not best practice to use the same subdomain for multiple ESPs. He recommends using separate subdomains as it simplifies email authentication configuration and management and improves overall email deliverability.

Marketer from Email Geeks explains it is possible to use the same domain/subdomain at another ESP, depending on setup, specifically regarding the 'sending domain'. Using the same domain/subdomain as the bounce domain is not possible.

Marketer from Email Geeks states it is not possible to point a subdomain to two different systems.

Marketer from Email Geeks states it is not possible to point a subdomain to two different systems.

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that you can use multiple sending domains, but that each ESP needs its own dedicated subdomain.

Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that while technically possible using different subdomains for different ESPs (e.g., mail1.domain.com, mail2.domain.com), using the same subdomain is problematic due to SPF and DKIM configurations. He suggests using a dedicated IP address for each ESP to avoid conflicts.

Email marketer from GlockApps answers that domain reputation is the trust that mailbox providers have in your sending domain. Domain reputation influences whether your emails are delivered to the inbox or filtered to spam.

Email marketer from Litmus answers that Email authentication standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC tell email providers that you’ve authorized an email marketing service to send emails using your domain.

Email marketer from SendGrid explains that it's generally best practice to authenticate each sending source with its own dedicated domain or subdomain. This ensures clear reputation management and avoids potential conflicts.

Email marketer from SparkPost answers explains that a bounce domain, also called the Return-Path or MAIL FROM domain, is the address where bounce notifications are sent. Because the SPF record for a domain needs to be configured with the correct servers, it is not possible to have multiple bounce domains.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that using a single domain with multiple ESPs can lead to SPF (Sender Policy Framework) conflicts. SPF records have a limit to the number of DNS lookups, and using multiple ESPs could easily exceed that limit, causing deliverability issues.

Expert from Spamresource.com explains that you can use include: statements in your SPF record. These 'includes' count towards the total limits. If you’re using multiple third party senders like ESPs, those include: statements can add up quickly.

Expert from Email Geeks explains if one ESP is mail3.yourcompany.com, set up mail4.yourcompany.com to point to the new ESP.

Documentation from DKIM.org explains DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) allows an organization to take responsibility for a message in a way that can be verified by a recipient. While DKIM can be configured with multiple ESPs using selector tags, each ESP requires separate DKIM keys and proper DNS configuration for verification, making a single subdomain setup complex.

Documentation from RFC Editor outlines the technical specifications for SPF records. It states that SPF records are tied to specific domains or subdomains and define which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of that domain. This inherently limits the ability to use the same subdomain for multiple, independently managed ESPs without careful configuration to avoid SPF record conflicts.

Documentation from Google answers that to help make sure your mail is delivered to Gmail inboxes, follow the best practices in this article. The primary recommendation is Authenticate your email. Set up SPF or DKIM for your sending domain.

Documentation from DMARC.org outlines DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) works in conjunction with SPF and DKIM. If SPF and DKIM checks fail, DMARC dictates how the receiving mail server should handle the message (e.g., reject, quarantine, or deliver). Using multiple ESPs on the same domain complicates DMARC compliance because alignment between SPF, DKIM, and the From address becomes more difficult to manage.

Documentation from Microsoft answers that an SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record is a type of DNS (Domain Name System) record that identifies which mail servers are permitted to send email on behalf of your domain.