Summary
The question of whether using the same subdomain for email and CloudPages is detrimental to deliverability in Marketing Cloud elicits varied perspectives. Some emphasize the benefits of domain consistency for brand recognition and improved sender reputation, supported by Salesforce's SAP implementation. However, a significant portion of the expert and marketer community advocates for using separate subdomains to isolate reputation risks, particularly if CloudPages host marketing content that might trigger spam filters. The consensus suggests that the optimal approach depends on a nuanced evaluation of content type, email strategy, and the potential trade-offs between brand consistency and deliverability protection.
Key findings
- Domain Consistency Benefits: Consistent domains across sending and tracking elements can signal legitimacy and improve deliverability, reinforcing brand recognition.
- Reputation Isolation Advantage: Separate subdomains effectively isolate reputation, preventing deliverability issues on one platform (e.g., CloudPages) from affecting others.
- Content Sensitivity: The nature of content hosted on CloudPages significantly impacts the decision; marketing-heavy or spam-sensitive material warrants a separate subdomain.
- Holistic Email Strategy: A well-defined email strategy, including segmentation and sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), plays a critical role regardless of subdomain choices.
- Google's Granularity: Google treats domains and subdomains as separate reputation entities meaning deliverability issues will be confined.
Key considerations
- Content Assessment: Carefully assess the content of CloudPages; if it is promotional or has a high risk of triggering spam filters, a separate subdomain is recommended.
- Segmenting Email Streams: Isolate different types of emails, such as transactional and marketing, to protect essential communications from deliverability issues.
- Authentication Protocols: Ensure robust SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations to enhance sender authentication and improve deliverability.
- Brand Recognition vs. Deliverability: Balance the benefits of maintaining consistent branding through a single subdomain with the need to protect deliverability through isolation.
- Edge Case Awareness: Be mindful of specific scenarios where separating domains might be necessary based on technical or organizational factors.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
The question of whether using the same subdomain for email and CloudPages in Marketing Cloud negatively impacts deliverability yields mixed responses. Some argue that domain consistency is beneficial, improving brand recognition and trust, and is a symptom of good overall deliverability practices. Others suggest that using separate subdomains for email and CloudPages (especially if CloudPages are primarily used for marketing content) helps isolate reputation, protecting the main domain from potential deliverability issues caused by marketing campaigns. The prevailing sentiment suggests that the best approach depends on the specific use case, the type of content hosted on CloudPages, and the overall email strategy.
Key opinions
- Domain Consistency: Maintaining consistent domains across sending addresses, reply-to addresses, and link tracking can signal trustworthiness to mailbox providers.
- Reputation Isolation: Using separate subdomains allows for the isolation of reputation, preventing deliverability issues on one subdomain from impacting others.
- Segmentation: Subdomains facilitate the segmentation of email streams, such as separating marketing and transactional emails, leading to improved tracking and management.
- Brand Consistency: Using subdomains can maintain brand consistency and build trust with customers, making your brand more recognizable.
Key considerations
- Content Type: If CloudPages primarily host marketing content, separating them onto a distinct subdomain from transactional emails might be beneficial to safeguard the deliverability of critical communications.
- Overall Email Strategy: Aligning the subdomain strategy with the overall email marketing goals is crucial, ensuring that branding, tracking, and deliverability are all optimized.
- Sender Reputation: Establishing a strong sender reputation through consistent sending practices, engaged subscribers, and low complaint rates is fundamental, regardless of the subdomain structure.
- Domain management: Using dedicated IP addresses and properly configured DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is key for good deliverability.
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot.com mentions that using subdomains will enable you to maintain brand consistency. It is easier to recognize and builds more trust between the customer and the business.
11 May 2025 - HubSpot.com
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks believes that if using the same subdomain for both email and CloudPages was a problem, all SFMC users who use both would be having deliverability issues across the board.
16 Dec 2023 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
The provided answers present a nuanced view on whether using the same subdomain for email and CloudPages in Marketing Cloud harms deliverability. Some sources suggest that domain consistency generally benefits deliverability, while others emphasize the value of separate subdomains in isolating reputation risks. The potential for CloudPages content to trigger spam filters is also a key concern.
Key opinions
- Domain Consistency Benefits: Domain consistency in email and link tracking is often seen as a positive signal, potentially improving deliverability.
- Reputation Isolation: Separate subdomains can isolate reputation, preventing deliverability problems on one (like CloudPages) from impacting others.
- Spam Filter Risk: Using the same subdomain could increase the risk of deliverability issues if CloudPages content is perceived as spam.
- Context Matters: There could be specific edge cases where using different domains for CloudPages versus SAP is preferable.
Key considerations
- Content of CloudPages: Assess the content of your CloudPages. If it's likely to be flagged as spam, separation is crucial.
- IP Addresses: Consider using dedicated IP addresses to further isolate email streams.
- Configuration: Ensure correct configuration of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
- Edge Cases: Be aware of potential edge cases where separating domains might be necessary due to specific organizational or technical requirements.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource indicates that using dedicated IP addresses and separate subdomains enables you to isolate email streams and protect your core domain. Therefore, using the same subdomain might increase the risk of deliverability issues if CloudPages content triggers spam filters.
7 Jul 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that separate subdomains can be useful to isolate reputation. If one subdomain has deliverability problems, it won't necessarily impact the deliverability of emails sent from other subdomains.
27 Apr 2024 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
The documentation suggests a mixed approach to subdomain usage for email and CloudPages deliverability. Salesforce's documentation on SAP emphasizes domain consistency, implying that using the same subdomain is acceptable and even beneficial. Conversely, Mailjet and Google's documentation highlight the advantages of using separate subdomains to isolate reputation and protect the main domain. SparkPost emphasizes the importance of proper configuration of DNS records and authentication protocols, regardless of subdomain structure.
Key findings
- Domain Consistency (Salesforce SAP): Salesforce SAP aims for domain consistency, which suggests using the same subdomain is a valid approach.
- Reputation Isolation (Mailjet, Google): Mailjet and Google documentation indicate that using separate subdomains can protect the main domain's reputation by isolating email sending activities.
- DNS Configuration (SparkPost): Proper DNS configuration and authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are critical for deliverability, regardless of the subdomain strategy.
- Granular Reputation Tracking (Google): Google tracks reputation at both the domain and subdomain level, implying that deliverability issues on one subdomain may not impact others.
Key considerations
- Branding vs. Isolation: Weigh the benefits of brand consistency from using the same subdomain against the potential for reputation isolation by using separate subdomains.
- Configuration: Ensure proper DNS configuration and authentication protocols are in place, no matter the chosen subdomain structure.
- Content Sensitivity: Assess the content hosted on CloudPages. If it's likely to trigger spam filters, consider separate subdomains.
- ESP Recommendations: Follow the recommendations and best practices outlined by your Email Service Provider (ESP), such as Salesforce, SparkPost, and Mailjet.
Technical article
Documentation from Google states that it provides reputation data at the domain and subdomain level. This implies Google treats subdomains as separate entities, so deliverability problems on one subdomain may not impact another. Using subdomains for email and cloudpages may not be bad.
20 Oct 2022 - Google
Technical article
Documentation from Salesforce Help explains that SAP wraps all links and images with your branded domain, providing domain consistency which can improve deliverability. It doesn't explicitly forbid using the same subdomain, implying it's acceptable.
15 Feb 2022 - Salesforce Help
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