Should my reply-to email address use the same domain or subdomain as the from email address?
Summary
What email marketers say14Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that having a reply-to domain on the same level as the From: domain isn't necessarily a best practice, nor is it bad. It doesn't really matter as long as they're sharing the same organizational domain.
Email marketer from SparkPost shares that keeping the same domain for From and Reply-to builds trust and sender reputation. If you change the Reply-to domain then this can reduce trust.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that while not strictly required, using a subdomain for marketing emails (and aligning the 'Reply-To') can help segment reputation and protect the primary domain's deliverability.
Email marketer from StackExchange User responds that if you use different domains then you are risking that people will not reply to your email address. Therefore using the same domain builds trust.
Email marketer from Prospect.io explains that using a consistent reply-to domain that aligns with your 'From' domain can significantly improve your sender score, leading to better deliverability rates.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that consistent branding, including aligning the 'Reply-To' domain with the 'From' domain, can reinforce brand recognition and positively influence deliverability.
Email marketer from Gmass responds that using the same domain on your from and reply-to address enforces brand recognition and consistency. This reduces confusion and enforces trust with your customers.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that a consideration for Gmail logo with mail@list.domain.com is the process requires this be a working email account (for the verification code)
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that using a consistent domain for both the 'From' and 'Reply-To' addresses can improve sender reputation and build trust with recipients and ISPs.
Marketer from Email Geeks states that sending addresses should, at the very least, exist and never bounce.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that full alignment usually consists of MAIL FROM, visible From: and DKIM's d= domain. Some also consider the domains used in the content (in the URI) are better if aligned, but it might not make a big deliverability improvement.
Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailNoob shares that keeping the reply-to address on the same domain provides a cleaner and more trustworthy look to recipients, potentially improving engagement.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign responds that it makes sense for branding to keep the domain the same, as it builds sender reputation, and is consistent. If you don't keep the same domain, customers may not trust the email.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that aligning your 'Reply-To' domain with your 'From' domain enhances email authentication, making it easier for mailbox providers to verify your legitimacy.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares it gives reputation a solid identity to hang off of.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the most important thing is the consistency and reputation of your sending domain. Using the same domain or subdomain for the reply-to address is less critical than ensuring a good sending reputation.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from RFC Editor specifies that the 'Reply-To' field provides an address where replies should be sent, which may differ from the 'From' address. While not mandating the same domain, it highlights the flexibility in directing replies.
Documentation from Microsoft responds that domain alignment is the idea that the domain that's used to authenticate email messages matches the sender's email address. So keeping them the same is best practice.
Documentation from DMARC.org responds that the two types of alignment are strict and relaxed, with strict meaning that they are identical. If you use relaxed then the domains need to be the same. This means that it is best practice to keep them aligned.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help emphasizes the importance of domain alignment (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for improved deliverability. Aligning 'From' and 'Reply-To' domains contributes to a stronger authentication posture.