When changing subdomains for email, is it better to change the 5321.from or 5322.from header for deliverability, and how does DKIM alignment affect this?

Summary

When changing email subdomains, it's generally recommended to alter the 5321.MailFrom (envelope sender) rather than the 5322.From (display sender) header to preserve deliverability. The 5322.From is vital for recipient recognition, brand consistency, and maintaining a positive sender reputation. DKIM alignment plays a pivotal role; if aligned with the 5322.From domain, changes to the 5321.MailFrom are less detrimental. Strong email authentication practices (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are crucial. Consider factors such as brand recognition, email authentication and DMARC compliance. Monitor metrics, warm up new subdomains, and stick to one verified domain if you get lost!

Key findings

  • 5322.From Importance: The 5322.From impacts recipient recognition, brand reputation, and whitelisting.
  • DKIM Alignment Effect: DKIM alignment with the 5322.From mitigates deliverability issues when altering the 5321.MailFrom.
  • Authentication Crucial: Strong email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for maintaining deliverability during changes.
  • Reputation Tied to Subdomain: Consistent use of a subdomain helps build a positive sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Maintain Brand Recognition: Avoid changing the 5322.From unless necessary to minimize disruption.
  • Ensure Proper DKIM Configuration: Check and adjust DKIM settings to maintain DMARC alignment during subdomain changes.
  • Implement Subdomain Warmup: Gradually warm up new subdomains to establish a positive reputation.
  • Continuously Monitor Metrics: Track deliverability metrics (e.g., bounce rates, complaint rates) to identify and address issues.
  • DMARC Compliance is Required: Verify DMARC compliance to ensure messages pass authentication checks.

What email marketers say
12Marketer opinions

When changing subdomains for email sending, it's generally better to change the 5321.MailFrom (envelope sender) header rather than the 5322.From (visible sender) header. The 5322.From is often tied to brand recognition and recipient whitelisting, impacting sender reputation if changed. DKIM alignment is crucial; if DKIM is aligned with the 5322.From domain, changing the 5321.MailFrom is less risky. Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is paramount for maintaining deliverability during any subdomain changes. Before making changes, ensure you have a solid plan for subdomain warmup and continuous monitoring of deliverability metrics.

Key opinions

  • 5322.From Importance: The 5322.From header is crucial for brand recognition and can impact recipient whitelisting, so changing it can harm deliverability.
  • DKIM Alignment: DKIM alignment is key. If DKIM aligns with the 5322.From, changing the 5321.MailFrom is less risky.
  • Reputation Impact: Changing either subdomain can impact sender reputation; the 5322.From has a greater impact.
  • Authentication is Key: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for maintaining deliverability during subdomain changes.

Key considerations

  • Brand Recognition: Consider the impact on brand recognition if changing the 5322.From subdomain.
  • DKIM Configuration: Ensure DKIM is properly configured and aligned with the domain you intend to use.
  • Warming Up: If changing subdomains, implement a subdomain warmup strategy to build a positive sending reputation.
  • Monitoring Metrics: Continuously monitor deliverability metrics, such as bounce rates and complaint rates, after making changes.
  • DMARC Compliance: Ensure your changes don't cause DMARC failures, which can significantly impact deliverability.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that if you have to change a subdomain, prioritize keeping the 5322.From consistent because that is what recipients see and remember. Changing the 5321.MailFrom is less disruptive, especially if DKIM is aligned. Ensure your DKIM signatures are properly configured to authenticate the emails from the new subdomain.

December 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus advises that changing the 5322.From subdomain impacts brand recognition, and can therefore harm deliverability if recipients don't recognize the new subdomain. So you should avoid this if possible. However, it depends on your specific sending infrastructure and authentication setup.

November 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass highlights that DMARC alignment is crucial. If your DKIM aligns with the 5322.From domain, changing the 5321.MailFrom is less problematic. However, if your DKIM is only aligned with the 5321.MailFrom, changing the 5322.From could cause deliverability issues because it will fail DMARC checks.

October 2021 - Gmass
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackExchange suggests that the 5322.From should remain consistent as it’s directly visible to the recipient and contributes to brand recognition. Changing the 5321.MailFrom has less impact, provided DKIM is properly aligned. Always check and update your DNS records to reflect any subdomain changes.

July 2022 - StackExchange
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares if DKIM is aligned and using the customer’s 5322.from domain, it will help a lot in keeping the reputation stable, insulating it from changing the 5321.from. Even if it’s not aligned, as long as it doesn’t _change_ it should help keep the emails from being treated as a 100% new sender.

July 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that your sender reputation is tied to your sending domain, particularly the 5322.From. Changing this domain, even at the subdomain level, can reset your reputation with mailbox providers. It is often better to change the 5321.from if you must change something. However, DKIM alignment can mitigate the impact of this change.

November 2024 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid writes that sender reputation is heavily influenced by the 5322.From address. Changing this can impact your sender reputation and thus your email deliverability. They advise ensuring that DKIM is set up correctly, aligning with your sending domain, to mitigate negative effects.

August 2022 - EmailOnAcid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Postmarkapp explains that DMARC alignment is a critical factor in deliverability. If DKIM alignment is set up correctly, changing the 5321.MailFrom should have less impact than changing the 5322.From. Focus on maintaining consistent branding in the 5322.From for better recipient recognition.

December 2023 - Postmarkapp
Marketer view

Email marketer from Customer.io explains that maintaining consistent email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is key for good deliverability. Changing the 5322.From without proper authentication can cause issues. It recommends setting up DKIM alignment to minimize negative impacts. If this all looks complicated you should stick to a single verified domain or subdomain.

May 2021 - Customer.io
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid states that when warming up a new subdomain, it's essential to maintain consistent sending practices. Changing the 5322.From too drastically can negatively affect deliverability. SendGrid notes that properly configured DKIM signatures can help maintain deliverability during a subdomain change, so you should consider using DKIM alignment.

April 2023 - SendGrid
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost stresses the importance of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for deliverability. If DKIM is aligned, changing the 5321.MailFrom is less risky than changing the 5322.From. SparkPost emphasises that maintaining a consistent sending identity helps mailbox providers trust your emails.

November 2021 - SparkPost
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that the 5322.From is probably in people's address books already, suggesting it shouldn't be changed.

July 2023 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

When changing subdomains, maintaining a consistent 5322.from header is crucial to avoid losing personal whitelisting and negatively impacting sender reputation. Monitoring metrics like complaint rates and ensuring DMARC alignment are essential for deliverability. If a subdomain has a poor reputation, switching entirely and warming up a new one might be the best strategy.

Key opinions

  • Whitelisting Impact: Changing the 5322.from header can result in a loss of personal whitelisting, affecting deliverability.
  • Reputation Management: Consistently using a subdomain builds a positive reputation, while poor reputation may require switching to a new one.
  • DMARC Alignment: Proper DMARC alignment, where the domain in the 'From' header matches the DKIM signing domain, is crucial for deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Monitoring Metrics: Monitor metrics like complaint rates when changing subdomains to ensure deliverability is not negatively impacted.
  • Subdomain Warmup: If switching to a new subdomain, warm it up properly to establish a positive reputation with ISPs.
  • DKIM Configuration: Review and adjust DKIM configurations to maintain proper DMARC alignment when making subdomain changes.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains it's best to avoid changing the 5322.from header if possible, as you lose personal whitelisting.

April 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource.com states that DMARC leverages both SPF and DKIM to validate the authenticity of email messages. DKIM provides a cryptographic signature that can verify the email's origin and content integrity, regardless of forwarding. Proper DMARC alignment, where the domain in the 'From' header matches the DKIM signing domain, is essential for passing DMARC checks and improving deliverability. Therefore, changing a subdomain might affect DMARC compliance, depending on your DKIM configuration.

May 2021 - Spamresource.com
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that consistently using a subdomain for sending marketing emails helps build a positive reputation with ISPs. When changing subdomains, it’s crucial to monitor metrics like complaint rates closely. If the old subdomain has a poor reputation, it's generally better to switch entirely and warm up the new subdomain properly.

September 2021 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
3Technical articles

RFC 5322 identifies the 'From:' field (5322.From) as the author's identity, implying changes can affect recipient recognition. DMARC.org and Google Postmaster Tools emphasize the critical role of DKIM alignment for deliverability. Changing subdomains in either the 5321.MailFrom or 5322.From impacts DMARC alignment if DKIM signatures are misconfigured. Google specifically highlights that misalignment of DKIM after a 5322.From change can lead to emails being flagged as suspicious.

Key findings

  • From Header Significance: RFC 5322 defines the 5322.From as the author's identity, and changes can impact recipient recognition.
  • DKIM Alignment Importance: DMARC.org underscores that strong DKIM alignment improves deliverability.
  • Google's Stance: Google Postmaster Tools warns that changing the 5322.From without proper DKIM alignment can lead to emails being treated suspiciously.

Key considerations

  • Recipient Recognition: Be mindful of how changes to the 5322.From might affect recipient recognition of the sender.
  • DKIM Configuration: Ensure DKIM signatures are correctly configured to maintain DMARC alignment during subdomain changes.
  • Authentication Consistency: Maintain consistent authentication practices for improved trust with mailbox providers like Gmail.
Technical article

Documentation from RFC 5322 specifies that the 'From:' field contains the identity(ies) of the author(s) of the message, indicating who is responsible for the message. Changing this could impact recipient recognition.

August 2024 - RFC 5322
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org highlights the importance of DKIM alignment. Strong alignment, where the domain used to sign the message matches the domain in the From header, improves deliverability. Changing subdomains in either the 5321.MailFrom (envelope sender) or 5322.From header will affect DMARC alignment if DKIM signatures aren't configured correctly.

July 2021 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools stresses that consistent authentication practices are crucial for deliverability. Aligning DKIM with your sending domain helps build a positive reputation and improves trust with Gmail's spam filters. If the subdomain in the 5322.From header changes and DKIM isn't aligned, Google might treat emails as potentially suspicious.

January 2023 - Google Postmaster Tools