Connect and verify an Email Marketing sending domain

Connect an Email Marketing sending domain

This guide is for an Email Marketing sending domain. It authenticates email sent through PledgeBox. To change the web address of a backer survey instead, use the survey-domain guide.

1. Add your sending domain

  1. Open Email Marketing → Custom Domains.
  2. Click Add Domain.
  3. Enter the domain you control and follow the dialog to add it.
  4. Open DNS Config for that domain.

2. Copy every required record

The current DKIM configuration shows three CNAME records. Copy each record’s Type, Name and Value from your own domain configuration.

DNS Configuration with all three DKIM CNAME types outlined in red.

The red box highlights the record type. Your domain will have its own names and targets. Do not copy this example’s values.

3. Add the records at your DNS provider

  1. Open the DNS records at the provider that manages the authoritative DNS for this domain.
  2. Add each CNAME with its exact Name and Value from PledgeBox.
  3. Use the default TTL if your provider supplies one.
  4. Save the records and preserve the records used by your website, email and other services.

Some providers append your domain to a short hostname. Check the resulting full hostname so the domain is not added twice. Do not replace a CNAME target with an RSA public key or an SPF policy.

4. Check verification

Return to Custom Domains → DNS Config. Check the status of each record and the domain. The current interface shows Verified when verification is complete.

DNS changes require propagation. Do not assume verification finishes within a fixed number of minutes.

If verification remains pending

  • Check that you edited the authoritative DNS provider, not only the registrar.
  • Compare all required record names, types and values with PledgeBox.
  • Check for a duplicated domain suffix or a conflicting record at the same hostname.
  • If a DNS service offers proxying, ensure the verification hostname resolves to the supplied DNS target.
  • Wait for DNS propagation, then check the status again.

Keep unrelated MX and TXT records. If another sending service already uses the domain, do not overwrite its authentication records without checking the existing configuration.

After verification, use the sending address available for that domain in your campaign. Review a test message before a live campaign. Domain verification alone does not guarantee inbox placement.

See SPF, DKIM and CNAME record types for troubleshooting.