Is using the same subdomain for email and CloudPages bad for deliverability in Marketing Cloud?

Key findings

• Consistency is key: Using a consistent domain or subdomain for both email and CloudPages (or other linked content) is generally seen as a positive for sender reputation and recipient trust.
• SFMC architecture: Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s Sender Authentication Package (SAP) bundles various branding elements, including link wrapping and image URLs, under one subdomain, which suggests this integrated approach is the intended best practice. This consolidation helps with proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment.
• Deliverability drivers: Good deliverability primarily stems from sending wanted email to engaged recipients, not from domain separation. Domain consistency is often a symptom of good deliverability practices, rather than a direct cause.
• Misinterpretation: Claims that using the same subdomain is bad for deliverability may stem from misunderstandings or specific edge cases that do not apply broadly to standard Marketing Cloud implementations.

Key considerations

• Reputation isolation: While some argue for separating subdomains to isolate reputation (for instance, marketing emails from transactional), this is typically for managing distinct sending behaviors, not for link consistency with landing pages.
• User experience: Consistent branding across email and landing pages enhances the user experience and builds trust. Users are more likely to trust links that originate from the same (sub)domain as the sending email address. This aligns with Salesforce's recommendation for custom domains for CloudPages.
• Monitoring: Regardless of subdomain strategy, continuous monitoring of your domain reputation and engagement metrics remains crucial for overall deliverability health.
• Context matters: The potential for deliverability issues generally arises when practices deviate from sending relevant and desired content, or when specific technical configurations are incorrect, not simply from sharing a subdomain for email and CloudPages.

Key opinions

• No issues observed: Many marketers state they have not experienced any deliverability problems when using the same subdomain for both email sending and CloudPages, even with high volumes.
• Consistency is beneficial: There's a strong belief that consistent branding across email and linked content (like CloudPages) fosters trust with recipients and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), potentially enhancing reputation.
• Platform intent: The design of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, particularly the SAP feature, implies that consolidating branding under one subdomain is a designed and supported configuration.
• Misinformation: Any claims about negative impacts from shared subdomains might be based on misinterpretations or isolated, unique scenarios, rather than a general rule.

Key considerations

• Reputation management: The primary factors influencing sender reputation are content quality, list hygiene, and engagement, not simply whether the email and landing page share a subdomain.
• Brand alignment: Using the same subdomain strengthens brand recognition and provides a more cohesive experience for the recipient.
• Simplicity: Managing fewer subdomains can simplify DNS configurations and overall platform setup.
• Monitoring tools: Marketers should focus on utilizing tools to monitor their subdomain reputation, regardless of whether it's shared with CloudPages. This includes checking for blocklistings.

Key opinions

• SMTP checkability: Experts tend to discount claims of deliverability issues if the alleged problem cannot be easily checked during the SMTP transaction process, which is the case for CloudPage subdomain alignment.
• Symptom, not cause: Domain consistency is viewed as a symptom of good deliverability practices, reflecting a legitimate sender, rather than a direct cause of positive inbox placement. This emphasizes that subdomain choice impacts deliverability less than recipient interaction.
• Engagement focus: The fundamental driver of deliverability is sending desired emails to engaged recipients. This foundation is far more impactful than whether a subdomain is shared with landing pages.
• Platform design: Salesforce Marketing Cloud's architecture with SAP is built to allow and even encourage using branded subdomains for both email and CloudPages, suggesting this is a secure and effective setup.

Key considerations

• IP vs. domain reputation: While an IP address blocklisting can be impactful, domain reputation for email and web content are distinct but often interlinked through consistent branding.
• Brand perception: Consistent branding across email, landing pages, and other web assets builds stronger brand authority and trustworthiness with recipients and filtering systems.
• Authentication alignment: Proper alignment of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC with the sending domain, which is typically handled by the SAP, is more critical than segmenting subdomains for links.
• Contextual advice: Always consider the context of any deliverability advice, as generalized statements may not apply to specific platform configurations or sending patterns. For example, isolating transactional emails on a different subdomain can be a valid strategy for reputation management.

Key findings

• SAP functionality: Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s SAP (Sender Authentication Package) is designed to consolidate a brand's sending domain, link wrapping, and image URLs under a single (sub)domain. This means CloudPages links will naturally align with your email sending subdomain if SAP is correctly configured.
• Authentication alignment: Using a single subdomain for all email-related assets helps ensure proper alignment for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which are critical for email authentication and deliverability. You can learn more about tracking URL subdomain alignment.
• Brand consistency: Official recommendations often stress the importance of consistent branding across all digital touchpoints to build trust and recognition with recipients.
• No stated detriments: There is no widely recognized official documentation from Salesforce or major email deliverability bodies that states using the same subdomain for email and CloudPages is inherently bad for deliverability.

Key considerations

• Reputation management: While subdomains can be used to manage different reputations for different email streams (e.g., transactional vs. marketing), this typically refers to the sending domain, not necessarily the domain for linked content. For more on this, see SAP's community guide on subdomains.
• Dedicated IP addresses: For high-volume senders, a dedicated IP address with a custom sending domain (subdomain) is often recommended to establish and maintain a strong sender reputation.
• Spam complaint rates: Regardless of subdomain structure, managing low spam complaint rates and bounces is paramount for good deliverability.
• Technical setup: Ensure that your Salesforce Marketing Cloud setup, including DNS records for your subdomain, is correctly configured according to official documentation to avoid any technical deliverability issues.