Should sending domains resolve to the same IP addresses as mail servers?

Email marketer from EmailOctopus Blog shares that the sending domain is primarily used for authentication (SPF, DKIM) and reputation building. It doesn't necessarily need to resolve to the same IP as the mail server; proper authentication is more crucial.

Email marketer from StackOverflow answers question clarifying that the 'sending domain' is primarily for identifying your brand, whereas SPF/DKIM records associated with your actual mail servers handle authentication. The two aren't directly linked IP-wise.

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog responds that the sending domain's primary function is to authenticate your emails and establish sender reputation. While it's beneficial to have a valid A record, it's not strictly required to match the mail server's IP address. Focus should be on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Email marketer from Neil Patel Blog explains that sending domains do not need to resolve to the same IP addresses as mail servers. The A record of your sending domain is less critical for email deliverability than proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that the IP addresses sending domains resolve to are unrelated to the IP addresses that email is sent from, so domains don't need to have the IP addresses they resolve to included in their SPF records.

Email marketer from Super User shares that reverse DNS (PTR records) for your mail server IPs is more important than the A record of your sending domain. A consistent reverse DNS helps with deliverability.

Email marketer from SendPulse Blog shares that the primary role of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is to verify the sender's authenticity and prevent spoofing. They note that focusing on these protocols is more crucial than ensuring the sending domain's IP matches the mail server's IP.

Email marketer from GlockApps suggests building a positive sending domain reputation by ensuring consistent sending practices and domain authentication. They say the IP address resolution of the sending domain is less important than consistent authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Email marketer from MailerLite explains that when setting up DNS records for email, the focus should be on configuring SPF and DKIM to authorize MailerLite's servers to send email on your behalf. The A record of the sending domain is a separate concern and less relevant to email deliverability.

Email marketer from Reddit answers in a thread that it's more important to have a proper SPF record that includes your email service provider's servers than it is to have your sending domain resolve to those same IPs. The SPF record is what mail servers check.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that the goal is to authenticate email communications by using SPF to publish a list of authorized IP addresses for a domain. It also says if you add multiple domains in your from header, you must make sure you include all of the parent domains in the SPF record to authenticate the email.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that relying on IP whitelisting leads to updating issues when IPs change. He highlights that SPF and DKIM exist to avoid IP-based sender authentication.

Expert from Email Geeks advises, assuming SPF and DKIM are correctly set up, to ask customers to whitelist authenticated mail from the domain. Including DKIM d= and SPF authenticated return path hostnames may add detail.

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that a key element in email authentication and deliverability is ensuring that your sending IPs have proper reverse DNS (PTR records) that map back to your sending domain. This is more crucial than the forward DNS (A record) matching the mail server's IP.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that sending domains (return path/bounce address) need not resolve to any IP address, and if they do, it often doesn’t have anything to do with where the mail is sent from. He suggests the advice being given to the client is likely confused.

Documentation from DKIMProxy.org details that DKIM relies on cryptographic signatures verified against a public key published in DNS for the sending domain. It is designed to address sender authentication without requiring direct IP address correlation.

Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that SPF records authenticate sending sources for a domain. The focus is on authorized mail servers, not necessarily requiring the sending domain's A record to match those servers' IPs. SPF validates the sending server, not the sending domain's host IP.

Documentation from Google Workspace explains the requirements for bulk email sending, emphasizing domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). While a valid sending domain is important, the IP address alignment isn't specifically mentioned as a requirement. The focus is on valid authentication signals.

Documentation from RFC Editor explains that while mail servers need resolvable domain names, the 'MAIL FROM' domain (often the sending domain) is primarily used for identifying the sender. Resolving to the mail server's IP is not a requirement, but the domain must be valid for authentication purposes.

Documentation from DMARC.org shares that DMARC focuses on domain alignment between the 'From:' header, SPF, and DKIM. The underlying IP address of the sending domain is not directly relevant to DMARC evaluation, as long as SPF and DKIM pass and align with the domain.