Why does the From Email Address show instead of the From Name in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC)?

This occurs when the Sender Profile's From Name field is empty, uses a dynamic personalization string that resolves to nothing, or if there are email authentication issues (like a failed DMARC check) that cause the receiving email client to display the email address as a security fallback. There are various best practices for sender email addresses .

Can email authentication issues affect the From Name display?

Yes, it can. Email clients may display the email address instead of the name if they detect inconsistencies in authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) or if the sender's reputation is poor. This is a measure to protect recipients from potentially spoofed or malicious emails. You can also review whether changing the sender name impacts deliverability .

What are the first steps to troubleshoot this issue in SFMC?

Check your Sender Profile settings in SFMC to ensure the From Name field is correctly populated. Verify that your Send Classification is linking to the correct Sender Profile. Additionally, ensure your domain's SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are properly configured and aligned with your sending practices.

Can I guarantee the From Name will always display for all recipients?

While you cannot control how every individual email client is configured on the recipient's side, ensuring your Sender Profile is correct and your domain is fully authenticated significantly increases the likelihood that your From Name will display as intended. Some recipients may have specific client settings that override sender preferences.

Why is the From Email Address showing instead of From Name in SFMC? - Troubleshooting - Email deliverability - Knowledge base

It can be frustrating when you send an email from Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) and recipients see your email address instead of the friendly From Name you carefully set up. This often leads to confusion, impacts brand recognition, and can even raise spam flags. I've seen this issue come up frequently, and it's usually due to a combination of SFMC configurations, email client behaviors, and sometimes, email authentication factors.

While SFMC provides robust tools for managing your sender identity, the way an email client displays the From Name can vary significantly. This guide will explore the common reasons why this happens and provide actionable steps to ensure your From Name displays consistently across different inboxes.

Understanding email headers and display

When an email is sent, it carries various pieces of information in its header. The From header field is crucial here, as it contains both the friendly name (display name) and the email address. For example, it might look like From: "Suped Support" <support@suped.com>. The email client is responsible for interpreting this information and deciding what to show the recipient. Ideally, it should display Suped Support, but sometimes it defaults to the email address.

The sender profile in SFMC is where you define these critical elements. It specifies the From Name and From Email Address for your emails. A misconfiguration here is a primary suspect when the display name isn't appearing correctly. Ensure that your sender profile explicitly defines a friendly name and that it's associated with a properly authenticated domain.

Another factor is how email clients interpret the From header field itself. Older email clients, or those with strict security settings, might prioritize the email address over the display name, especially if they perceive any inconsistencies or potential spoofing attempts. This behavior is often designed to help users identify potentially suspicious emails. We've written more about why Gmail may not display a friendly From name in a separate article.

Example email header fragmentplain

From: "Suped Marketing" <marketing@example.com>
Reply-To: support@example.com
Subject: Our latest newsletter!

Common causes in SFMC

Within SFMC, there are several settings that directly influence how your From Name appears. The primary culprit is often the Sender Profile. While you might have set a name, dynamic sender profiles or misconfigured default settings can override it. Always double-check these areas.

Sender Profile configuration

The Sender Profile is central to defining your email identity. If the From Name field is left blank, or if it uses a personalization string that resolves to an empty value, the email address will likely be displayed instead. Additionally, if you're using a dynamic sender profile, ensure the AMPscript or personalization strings correctly pull the intended From Name for all recipients.

Email authentication

Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is vital for deliverability and sender reputation. When these protocols are not correctly configured, or if there's an alignment issue, email clients may flag your email as suspicious. To protect recipients, they might display the raw email address instead of the friendly name, or even route the email to the spam folder. For example, if Google Workspace's guidelines on display names indicate misuse, it can affect deliverability.

This is especially true for large mailbox providers. A mismatch in SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment between your sending domain and the From Email Address can trigger this behavior. SFMC utilizes a Sender Authentication Package (SAP) to manage these, and if SAP is not fully configured or is misaligned, it could be a contributing factor. You can learn more about SPF failure and return paths in SFMC.

Review sender profile

Ensure your SFMC sender profile has a clearly defined and consistent From Name. Avoid leaving it blank or using dynamic values that might resolve incorrectly. Verify dynamic sender profile settings if used.

Check authentication status

Confirm that your Sender Authentication Package (SAP) is fully implemented and correctly configured. Pay close attention to your DMARC monitoring and ensure email authentication records are valid and aligned.

Email client behavior and anti-abuse measures

The way an email appears in the recipient's inbox isn't solely determined by the sender. Email clients play a significant role in how information is presented. Some clients have more aggressive spam filtering or anti-phishing measures that might cause them to display the raw email address, especially if the sender's reputation is unknown or if specific authentication checks fail.

For instance, an email client might decide to show the email address if the domain isn't authenticated, or if the email comes from a shared IP that has a poor reputation (is on a blocklist or blacklist). This is a protective measure to warn recipients about potentially untrustworthy senders. It's a key reason why consistent domain reputation and proper authentication are paramount. You can verify your sender's reputation using Google Postmaster Tools.

Some email clients (like certain versions of Microsoft Outlook) allow users to configure whether they see the From Name or the From Email Address by default, or to show both. If a recipient has configured their client to always show the email address, there's little you can do as a sender to change that specific behavior. However, this is less common than configuration issues on the sender's side.

Email client rendering

Different email clients (e.g.,

Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail) have their own rendering rules and security heuristics. If an email seems suspicious, some clients may default to showing the raw email address for transparency or security reasons. This can happen even if your From Name is correctly set.

SFMC configuration error

The primary cause often lies within SFMC's Sender Profile or Send Classification settings. If the From Name field is empty, malformed, or using personalization strings that resolve to nothing, SFMC will defer to the From Email Address. This is easily fixable by verifying your setup.

Troubleshooting and resolution steps

Resolving the issue of your From Email Address showing instead of your From Name in SFMC involves a systematic check of your configurations and email authentication. Start by reviewing the most common culprits.

Inspect Sender Profile: Navigate to Email Studio > Admin > Sender Profiles. Open the sender profile used for the problematic email sends. Verify that the From Name field is populated correctly and is not empty. If using personalization strings (e.g., %%MemberID%%), ensure that the data extensions or subscriber attributes contain valid values for all recipients.
Check Send Classification: Ensure the correct Sender Profile is selected within the Send Classification used for your email. Mismatched or incorrect classifications can lead to unexpected sender information being used. This is a common oversight.
Verify email authentication: Confirm that your Sender Authentication Package (SAP) is fully configured and that all associated DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are correctly published and passing authentication checks. Issues with authentication can cause email clients to display the email address as a security fallback. You can test your deliverability with a free online email testing tool.
Test across email clients: Send test emails to various email clients (Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo Mail). If the issue is isolated to a few clients, it might indicate a client-specific display behavior or a reputation issue affecting only certain providers. We also have an article on why Apple Mail shows the email address instead of the name.
Review email content: While less common, highly promotional content or certain HTML structures can sometimes trigger stricter parsing by email clients, potentially affecting how the From Name is displayed. Reviewing your email's content for spam triggers is a good practice.

By diligently checking these areas, you should be able to identify and rectify the cause of your From Email Address showing instead of the From Name in SFMC.

SFMC setting	Impact on From Name display	Resolution
From Name field in Sender Profile	If blank or invalid, email address shown.	Populate with desired name.
From Email field in Sender Profile	Must be associated with an authenticated domain.	Use your SAP-enabled domain.
Send Classification selection	Incorrect Send Classification points to wrong Sender Profile.	Ensure correct Send Classification is chosen.
Dynamic Sender Profile AMPscript	If AMPscript fails, name may not render.	Validate AMPscript for correct data retrieval.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Always use a consistent and recognizable From Name for all your email campaigns to build brand trust and recognition with recipients.

Regularly review your Sender Profiles and Send Classifications in SFMC to ensure all settings, especially dynamic ones, are correct.

Prioritize email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and ensure your domain is properly configured and aligned to prevent display issues.

Send test emails to a variety of email clients and providers to catch any display inconsistencies early on before live sends.

Maintain a healthy sender reputation, as a poor reputation can cause email clients to strip the From Name and display the address.

Common pitfalls

Leaving the From Name field blank in the Sender Profile, leading to the email address being displayed by default.

Using dynamic personalization strings for the From Name that resolve to null or empty values for some subscribers.

Overlooking email authentication issues (like SPF or DKIM failures) that prompt email clients to show the raw email address.

Not testing emails across different email clients and devices, leading to unawareness of inconsistent From Name displays.

Having a poor sender reputation, which can trigger aggressive anti-spam measures from ISPs, affecting From Name visibility.

Expert tips

Check the email headers thoroughly if the From Name isn't displaying correctly. The 'From' header should explicitly include both the name and address. If it doesn't, the issue is on your sending side.

If the 'From' header looks correct, the problem is likely client-side. Many email applications have internal settings or anti-abuse features that might hide the friendly From Name.

Misconfigurations in SFMC send classifications are a frequent cause. Ensure the classification used maps to the correct sender profile with a populated From Name.

A common issue is using a dynamic From Name based on data that might be missing for some recipients. Validate your personalization strings against your data extensions.

Recipient email clients are becoming more strict due to phishing concerns. If your domain's authentication is weak, clients might default to showing the raw email address to highlight potential risk.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says checking the email headers is crucial to diagnose if the 'From' header correctly contains both the name and the address, otherwise it is likely a client-side issue.

2022-08-30 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks says confirming send classifications are set up correctly can resolve display issues.

2022-08-30 - Email Geeks

Ensuring your brand is always visible

The appearance of your From Email Address instead of your desired From Name in SFMC emails is a common deliverability challenge. It typically stems from misconfigurations within your sender profile or send classifications, or occasionally, from email client behaviors influenced by authentication issues or strict anti-spam measures. A consistent brand identity and good deliverability rely heavily on your From Name being correctly displayed.

By diligently checking your SFMC settings, ensuring proper email authentication, and understanding how different email clients (and their blacklists/blocklists) might interpret your sender information, you can resolve most instances of this issue. Maintaining a strong sender reputation is key to ensuring your emails arrive with the intended branding intact.