Summary
Changing your domain name for email marketing requires a multi-faceted approach to maintain deliverability and protect your sender reputation. Experts recommend buying the new domain in advance but not immediately using it, allowing it to age. Warming up the new domain is crucial, involving a gradual increase in email volume sent to highly engaged users first. Running both the old and new domains concurrently while slowly shifting the volume helps minimize disruption. Informing subscribers about the change and updating email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are essential. Monitoring sender reputation, blocklists, and deliverability metrics using tools like Google Postmaster Tools is vital. Segmenting your audience and implementing a planned sunsetting strategy for the old domain, including continued monitoring and MX records for bounces, are also recommended. Consider using a subdomain to isolate email traffic. Finally, it's important to recognize new domains have heavily reduced email capacity by ISPs for up to 6 months.
Key findings
- Domain Aging & Resting: Purchase the new domain ahead of time, allow it to age, and rest it for about 30 days before use.
- Domain Warming: Gradually warm up the new domain by sending low volumes of emails initially to engaged users.
- Subscriber Notification: Inform subscribers about the upcoming domain change and ask them to update their contact lists.
- Concurrent Operation: Run both old and new domains simultaneously, slowly transitioning email volume.
- Technical Configuration: Update SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for the new domain.
- Performance Monitoring: Actively monitor sender reputation, blocklists, and deliverability metrics.
- Volume Reduction: Be aware of the heavy ISP volume limits on new domains for the first 6 months.
Key considerations
- Gradual Transition: Implement a well-planned, phased approach to minimize disruptions and maintain deliverability.
- Reputation Management: Prioritize building and maintaining a positive sender reputation on the new domain.
- Audience Segmentation: Start by sending to your most engaged audience segments to establish a good reputation.
- Old Domain Management: Develop and execute a sunsetting strategy for the old domain, continue to monitor old domain metrics and consider to auto-reply.
- Subdomain Strategy: Evaluate if using a subdomain could help isolate email traffic and protect your main domain's reputation.
- ISP limitations: Plan email sends within email capabilties for new domains for 6 months.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
Changing your domain name for email marketing involves several critical steps to maintain deliverability and sender reputation. Experts recommend warming up the new domain gradually, starting with low volumes to engaged users and increasing over time. It's important to inform subscribers in advance about the change, asking them to update their contact lists to avoid confusion and spam complaints. Monitoring sender reputation and blocklists is also crucial, using tools like Google Postmaster Tools. Furthermore, consider using a subdomain to isolate email traffic, and update email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). A planned sunsetting strategy for the old domain, continuing monitoring, and maintaining MX records for bounce messages, is also key.
Key opinions
- Domain Warm-up: Gradually warm up the new domain by sending low volumes of emails initially, primarily to engaged users.
- Subscriber Notification: Inform subscribers in advance about the domain change and encourage them to update their contact lists.
- Reputation Monitoring: Actively monitor sender reputation and blocklists using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Sender Score.
- Authentication Updates: Update email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to ensure proper email authentication with the new domain.
- Gradual Transition: Transition email sends gradually, increasing volume as you monitor deliverability metrics and positive results.
- Volume Reduction: New domain email capacity will be heavily reduced by ISPs for up to 6 months after domain creation.
Key considerations
- Volume and Engagement: Begin sending emails with the new domain to only your most engaged users.
- Timing: Consider keeping the same IP address.
- Subdomain Usage: Consider isolating email traffic using a subdomain strategy.
- Sunsetting Strategy: Plan a sunsetting strategy for the old domain, including monitoring bounce messages and setting up auto-replies.
- Deliverability Impact: Recognize that changing domain name has heavy email deliverability risks.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests considering using a subdomain for your email marketing activities. This allows you to isolate your email traffic from your main domain and protect your primary domain's reputation. They recommend setting up separate authentication records for the subdomain.
8 Feb 2025 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor Blog explains the importance of warming up your new domain. They suggest starting with low volumes and gradually increasing the number of emails sent each day. They also recommend sending to your most engaged subscribers first to build a positive sender reputation.
10 Jul 2024 - Campaign Monitor Blog
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
When changing your domain name for email marketing, experts recommend a phased approach focused on warming the new domain and carefully managing the transition. Crucial steps include purchasing the new domain well in advance but avoiding immediate email use, allowing it to age. Once ready, domain warming is essential, similar to IP warming, and involves gradually increasing email volume. Running both the old and new domains concurrently, while slowly shifting volume, minimizes disruption and informs subscribers of the change. It's also advised to 'rest' the domain for about a month before active use. Post-transition, implementing a sunsetting strategy for the old domain, monitoring for bounces, and updating contact information are important. Continuous blocklist monitoring is vital for maintaining deliverability throughout the process.
Key opinions
- Domain Aging: Purchase the new domain in advance and allow it to age before sending email.
- Domain Warming: Warm up the new domain gradually, increasing email volume over time.
- Concurrent Operation: Run both old and new domains simultaneously, slowly migrating email volume.
- Sunsetting Strategy: Implement a plan to eventually sunset the old domain while maintaining monitoring and communication.
- Blocklist Monitoring: Continuously monitor blocklists to ensure deliverability of the new domain.
- Rest Period: Let the new domain rest for a period (e.g., 30 days) before starting to send emails.
Key considerations
- Phased Approach: Implement a gradual and well-planned transition to minimize disruption.
- Reputation: Take careful steps for both IP and Domain reputation.
- Subscriber Awareness: Keep subscribers informed about the domain change.
- Continuous Monitoring: Regularly check blocklists.
- Old Domain Management: Plan to Sunset the Old Domain.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests running both domains in email at the same time and slowly moving volume from the old to the new domain over time. They also recommend introducing the concept of the domain change to people and slowly moving them over to avoid impacting existing reach and daily volumes/fundraising efforts.
14 Nov 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks recommends resting the domain for at least 30 days before using it.
30 Dec 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
When changing your domain name for email marketing, technical documentation emphasizes several key steps. Updating DNS records, specifically SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, is critical for proper email authentication. Implementing a DMARC policy, starting with 'p=none' for monitoring, helps protect against spoofing. Migrating email accounts involves creating new user accounts, transferring data, and updating client settings, requiring careful planning. Continuous monitoring of deliverability metrics (open rates, bounce rates, complaints) and blocklists is also crucial for identifying and addressing any issues promptly.
Key findings
- SPF Record Update: Update SPF records to include the new domain and all authorized sending sources.
- DKIM Implementation: Generate a new DKIM key pair, add the public key to DNS, and configure email servers to sign messages.
- DMARC Policy: Implement a DMARC policy, starting with 'p=none' for monitoring and gradually increasing stringency.
- Email Account Migration: Migrate email accounts by creating new user accounts and transferring data.
- Performance Monitoring: Continuously monitor deliverability metrics and blocklists.
Key considerations
- DNS Configuration: Pay careful attention to updating and testing DNS settings for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- DMARC Enforcement: Incrementally increase DMARC policy to ensure legitimate emails are properly authenticated before enforcing stricter policies.
- Planned Migration: Plan the email account migration carefully to minimize disruption for users.
- Constant Vigilance: Requires ongoing monitoring of email metrics.
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft support explains the steps involved in migrating your email accounts to the new domain. This includes creating new user accounts, transferring existing email data, and updating your email client settings. They recommend planning your migration carefully to minimize disruption to your users.
15 Mar 2022 - Microsoft Support
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org explains about implementing DMARC policy for your new domain, in order to help protect your domain from spoofing and phishing attacks. They recommend starting with a 'p=none' policy to monitor your email traffic and gradually increasing the stringency of the policy. They emphasize the importance of analyzing DMARC reports to identify and resolve any authentication issues.
6 Jun 2025 - DMARC.org
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