Should I send email from a client's primary domain or a subdomain?

Summary

The consensus leans heavily towards using a subdomain, especially for marketing or high-volume emails, to protect the primary domain's reputation and deliverability. While technically feasible to use the primary domain if authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is properly configured and the client understands the implications, subdomains offer better isolation, control, and testing capabilities. Crucially, a proper return-path subdomain is vital for DMARC alignment. Brand consistency and potential dilution of brand perception are important considerations. Clear communication with the client regarding their goals and shared reputation risks is essential.

Key findings

  • Reputation Protection: Subdomains protect the primary domain's reputation and deliverability.
  • Control & Isolation: Subdomains offer better control over sender reputation and isolate email streams.
  • DMARC Alignment: A subdomain for the return-path is critical for DMARC alignment.
  • Testing Advantage: Subdomains allow for safer testing of new email programs and vendors.
  • Authentication Key: Proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication are crucial regardless of domain choice.

Key considerations

  • Client Goals: Understand the client's goals and desired 'From' address display.
  • Shared Reputation Risks: Assess the risks of sharing reputation with other email streams from the primary domain.
  • Branding Consistency: Maintain consistent branding across subdomains to avoid diluting brand perception.
  • Authorized Branding: Avoid using unauthorized brand names in subdomains to prevent filtering issues.
  • Volume: High email volume is a strong indicator a sub-domain is needed.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

The provided responses overwhelmingly suggest that using a subdomain for email sending, especially for marketing or cold outreach, is a best practice. The primary reason is to isolate and protect the reputation of the main domain. A subdomain allows for better management and control over sender reputation, preventing deliverability issues from impacting business-critical communications. However, considerations around consistent branding and potential dilution of brand perception need to be carefully managed.

Key opinions

  • Reputation Isolation: Using a subdomain isolates your email marketing reputation from your primary domain.
  • Reputation Management: A subdomain allows for managing and protecting sender reputation separately.
  • Deliverability Protection: Using a subdomain prevents deliverability issues from impacting business-critical emails.
  • Brand Authentication: Subdomain setup and authentication help verify sender legitimacy with email providers.
  • Strategic Long-Term: Subdomains allow you to establish, monitor, and maintain a healthy sender reputation over time, which is a long-term strategy.

Key considerations

  • Branding Consistency: Ensure consistent branding across subdomains to maintain a professional look.
  • Brand Perception: Be aware that subdomains might dilute brand perception if not implemented carefully.
  • Long-Term Strategy: Consider if using a subdomain aligns with your long-term email marketing strategy.
Marketer view

Email marketer from GMass responds by explaining that using a subdomain is a common way to send emails and protect the main domain's sender reputation. This ensures that if your marketing emails face deliverability issues, your primary domain is unaffected.

September 2022 - GMass
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost shares that using a subdomain allows you to manage and protect your sender reputation separately from your main domain, which is crucial for maintaining deliverability and avoiding impact on business-critical emails.

October 2024 - SparkPost
Marketer view

Email marketer from Moosend shares the importance of using a subdomain to protect your main domain’s reputation. This helps prevent potential harm from marketing campaigns affecting your brand's overall email communications.

November 2022 - Moosend
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit mentions in a thread that when sending cold emails, using a dedicated subdomain is important. This protects the primary domain's reputation, which is essential for main business communications.

June 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign responds by explaining that using a subdomain as part of a long-term strategy. This is because it allows you to establish, monitor, and maintain a healthy sender reputation over time.

November 2021 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that using a separate subdomain to send promotional emails allows marketers to protect their primary domain's sender reputation. This means that the important business emails are safe from any negative impacts.

June 2021 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Web Hosting Talk Forum shares that subdomains might dilute brand perception if not implemented carefully. It's important that branding is consistent across the business to maintain the professional look of communications.

March 2022 - Web Hosting Talk Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot shares that one of the best practices is setting up a subdomain and authenticating it, as this helps protect your brand's reputation and improve deliverability by allowing email providers to verify the sender's legitimacy.

May 2023 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid explains that using a subdomain can allow you to maintain more granular control over sender reputation, which is essential for optimizing email deliverability and troubleshooting issues without affecting primary business email.

January 2025 - SendGrid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that using a subdomain isolates your email marketing reputation from your primary domain, protecting your main website's deliverability if your email campaigns encounter issues.

April 2023 - Mailjet

What the experts say
8Expert opinions

The responses provide a nuanced perspective on choosing between a primary domain and a subdomain for sending email. While there's no definitive reason *not* to use a primary domain if authentication is properly set up and the client's goal is simply to have their domain in the 'From' header, several factors favor using a subdomain. These include isolating sender reputation, ensuring DMARC alignment with a proper return path, and facilitating testing of new email programs or vendors. A key consideration is clarifying the client's goals and risk tolerance regarding shared reputation. Proper SPF record setup is crucial, and unauthorized brand names in subdomains should be avoided.

Key opinions

  • No Hard Rule: There's no definitive reason not to use a primary domain if authentication is correctly configured and the client wants the domain in the 'From' header.
  • Reputation Isolation: Using a subdomain helps isolate sender reputation, preventing issues from impacting the primary domain.
  • DMARC Alignment: A subdomain is crucial for ensuring proper DMARC alignment with a correct return path and SPF setup.
  • Testing Advantage: Subdomains enable testing of new email programs, IPs, and vendors with less risk to the primary domain.
  • SPF Importance: The client should not add Mailgun to their main SPF record; a separate SPF record for the subdomain is necessary.

Key considerations

  • Client Goals: Clarify the client's objectives; what they want in the From: header and their understanding of the implications.
  • Shared Reputation: Using the primary domain means sharing reputation with all other email streams from that domain, assess the risk.
  • Authentication: Ensure the ESP supports proper authentication if the primary domain is used.
  • Unauthorized Branding: Avoid including unauthorized brand names in subdomains to prevent filtering issues.
  • 821.From: You have to have a subdomain of the brand in the 821.From for any of that to work well.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks notes that using the primary domain means sharing reputation between the client's mail stream and other mail using their main domain, which might be a problem if the client isn't conscientious.

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises to clarify that the client wants their domain in the From header, mention shared reputation as a reason for subdomains, and if they're okay with it, move forward with aligned authentication.

June 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that you have to have a subdomain of the brand in the 821.From for any of that to work well.

April 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that if the ESP supports authentication, there is no definitive reason why the client shouldn't send email from their primary domain, but it is important to clarify the client's goal is to have their main domain in the From header.

April 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource explains that setting up a subdomain is a good idea if you are separating out different streams of email traffic, but be sure not to include a brand name in the subdomain that you are not authorised to use. This will potentially cause filtering issues.

April 2023 - Spamresource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise notes that a benefit of using subdomains is that you can test new programs, IP addresses, and vendors. This allows for a more conservative approach to email, which minimizes possible deliverability damage.

January 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that the client shouldn't add Mailgun to their main SPF record and ideally should have a return path that’s a subdomain of theirs, with SPF set up for that subdomain to ensure DMARC alignment.

October 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks answers that .org domains are not excluded from the new email rules and that the rules have been in place since February, with enforcement ramping up.

August 2021 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

The documentation provides a balanced view. While RFC 3834 emphasizes clear sender identification and consistent use of the domain for building trust (without specifically recommending primary or subdomain), Google Workspace Admin Help and MailChannels highlight the strategic benefits of using subdomains. These include segmenting email streams, testing purposes, and, most importantly, protecting the main domain's reputation, particularly for high-volume sending. DMARC.org underscores the importance of domain authentication to protect against unauthorized use.

Key findings

  • Sender Identification: RFC 3834 emphasizes the importance of clear sender identification through the domain name.
  • Consistency & Trust: Consistent domain usage builds trust with recipients.
  • Strategic Use of Subdomains: Google Workspace Admin Help points to the benefits of subdomains for segmentation and testing.
  • Reputation Protection: MailChannels highlights that subdomains protect the main domain's reputation, particularly for high-volume sending.
  • Domain Authentication: DMARC.org underscores the importance of domain authentication to prevent spoofing.

Key considerations

  • Trust Building: Prioritize building trust through consistent domain usage, regardless of primary domain or subdomain.
  • Email Volume: Consider using a subdomain if sending high volumes of email to protect the main domain's deliverability.
  • Email Segments: Subdomains are a good choice for segmenting email streams.
  • Security: Regardless of the domain choice, proper domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that you can add a subdomain to your Google Workspace account and set up custom email addresses with it. This can be beneficial for segmenting email streams or testing purposes, thereby suggesting a strategic use of subdomains.

April 2023 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article

Documentation from MailChannels shares using a subdomain for high-volume email sending to avoid negative impact on the main domain's reputation and deliverability. If there are issues with the email being sent, it won't stop other important emails being sent from the main domain.

August 2022 - MailChannels
Technical article

Documentation from RFC 3834 specifies that the domain name used for sending email should clearly identify the sender and be consistently used to build trust with recipients, without explicitly recommending a subdomain or primary domain.

June 2021 - RFC 3834
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC allows domain owners to protect their domain from unauthorized use, such as spoofing. While it doesn't explicitly prefer subdomains, it does show the importance of domain authentication for email security.

December 2024 - DMARC.org