Lately, many free email address providers have begun updating their DMARC Validation details in ways that can affect bulk senders.
Many domains have made these changes recently, so if you use a “From” address at one of these domains, you may start running into trouble:
- Apple Domains (iCloud, Mac and Me)
- AOL
- Yahoo
- Mail.ru
- Verizon.net
How will this affect me?
For those domains, the DMARC policy has been updated to include p=reject. This means that any mail sent through a third party (like Mad Mimi) with a “from” address at any of those domains will be rejected (bounced) by most receiving inboxes.
While this is being done in an effort to stop spammers from spoofing email addresses, it has the unfortunate side-effect of getting in the way of totally legitimate senders like you, and legitimate third-party services like Mad Mimi.
Because sending third-party bulk mail with any of those “from” domains will result in failed delivery or high bounces, you’ll see a tooltip like this whenever you try to use one of those “from” addresses:
How can I avoid these problems?
One option is to grab a new free email address from another provider (like Outlook or mail.com).
However, lately, there’s been a bit of a sea change, and many free email services have already started taking these same steps.
Your best bet is to set up an email address at your own private domain. If you don’t have your own domain yet, you can check out some affordable options with:
Having your own domain is a great idea in and of itself, too! It allows your business to have its own unique identity, makes it easier for folks to find your organization in online searches, and helps your mail deliver safely and efficiently.
What if my private domain has a strict DMARC policy?
Adding the following records to your domains DNS will help your mail pass DMARC “alignment” when sending through Mad Mimi:
- For custom DKIM, set a CNAME record for sable._domainkey.yourdomain.com (or sable._domainkey) with value dkim.em.secureserver.net
- For SPF, if your domain already has a TXT record, you’ll simply need to add our SPF host info (include:spf.em.secureserver.net) to the record. Otherwise, set a TXT record for yourdomain.com with value v=spf1 include:spf.em.secureserver.net ?all
- For custom Return-Path, set a CNAME record for bounces.em.yourdomain.com (or bounces.em) with value cbounces.em.secureserver.net
Once these records have been added to your domain’s DNS, please reach out to us at support@madmimi.com to let us know. From there, the team will help finalize these changes for your account.
Please keep in mind that this will only work for mail sent from Mimi. If you need any guidance adding these records, it’s best to consult your IT folks or domain provider, but you’ll find instructions for configuring DNS changes at some popular providers below:
- Dreamhost: How to Add DNS records
- GoDaddy: Adding CNAME, Adding SPF
- Hostgator: Changing DNS Records
- Hover: Managing DNS Records
Any questions?
Feel free to email the team directly at support@madmimi.com with any concerns at all, and we’ll be happy to help- 24/7/365!