Summary
Selecting a subdomain for marketing emails is primarily about isolating your sending reputation to protect your primary domain's deliverability. While the subdomain name itself has limited direct impact, it offers branding opportunities. Common choices include 'mail', 'email', 'mkt', 'e', 'msg', but creative branded names can enhance engagement. Proper authentication via SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial, along with gradually warming up the subdomain and continuous reputation monitoring. Separating marketing and transactional emails onto distinct subdomains is also recommended. The key is focusing on email practices and authentication rather than the specific name chosen.
Key findings
- Reputation Isolation: A dedicated subdomain isolates your marketing email reputation, safeguarding your primary domain.
- Authentication is Crucial: Proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup is vital for subdomain deliverability.
- Limited Direct Impact: The specific subdomain name has limited direct impact on deliverability.
- Branding Opportunity: Subdomains offer a chance for branding and engagement.
- Warming Up: Gradually increasing sending volume is key to building a positive reputation.
- Monitoring: Continuous reputation monitoring is important for identifying issues.
- Separate Subdomains: Using separate subdomains for transactional vs. marketing emails is recommended.
Key considerations
- Subdomain Name Choices: Common choices include 'mail', 'email', 'mkt', 'e', 'msg', but consider branded options.
- DNS Record Configuration: Ensure all DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are properly configured.
- Existing Domain Reputation: Your existing domain reputation impacts new subdomain deliverability.
- Email Practices: Good email practices are critical for maintaining a positive sending reputation.
- Regular Monitoring: Regularly monitor your sending reputation with tools like Google Postmaster Tools
What email marketers say
14 marketer opinions
Selecting a subdomain for marketing emails involves several best practices and considerations related to deliverability and branding. A key advantage is isolating your marketing email reputation, preventing deliverability issues from impacting your primary domain's transactional emails. While the subdomain name itself has limited direct impact on deliverability, it can indirectly influence it through branding and engagement. Common subdomain choices include 'mail,' 'email,' or 'mkt,' but creative, branded options can also be effective. Regardless of the name, proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial. After setup, gradually warming up the subdomain by increasing sending volume helps build a positive reputation. Continuous monitoring of the subdomain's reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools is also recommended. Separating subdomains for different types of emails (marketing vs. transactional) is a common practice.
Key opinions
- Reputation Isolation: Using a dedicated subdomain isolates your marketing email reputation, protecting your primary domain's transactional email deliverability.
- Authentication is Key: Proper authentication via SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for subdomain deliverability, regardless of the name chosen.
- Branding Opportunity: Subdomains offer a branding opportunity, and creative or branded names can improve engagement.
- Warming Up: Gradually increasing sending volume ('warming up') is essential for establishing a positive subdomain reputation.
- Monitoring: Continuously monitoring the subdomain's reputation is vital for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.
Key considerations
- Subdomain Name: While not directly impacting deliverability, the subdomain name should be recognizable and avoid being offensive. Common choices are 'mail,' 'email,' or 'mkt'.
- Authentication Records: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are properly configured for the subdomain to authenticate your emails.
- Separation of Email Types: Consider using separate subdomains for marketing and transactional emails to maintain distinct reputations.
- Brand Recognition: Consider a branded subdomain to enhance brand recognition and foster trust with recipients
- Reputation Management: Actively monitor the subdomain's sending reputation and take proactive steps to address deliverability issues
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that it does not directly impact deliverability, but it can impact it in a non-direct manner. You can choose a subdomain that could be part of a branding strategy, which would drive engagement and in return would impact filtering decisions and gives an example of using a fun subdomain for a pet clinic.
21 Apr 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email on Acid states that one key reason for using a subdomain is to keep your main domain's reputation safe. If your marketing emails suffer from deliverability problems (due to spam complaints, for example), it won't directly impact your transactional emails.
21 Oct 2022 - Email on Acid
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
When selecting a subdomain for marketing emails, the primary benefit is isolating sending reputation. A dedicated subdomain protects your primary domain's reputation from any deliverability issues arising from marketing practices. While the subdomain name itself may not directly impact deliverability, common choices include 'mail,' 'e,' 'msg,' and 'marketing'. Separating different types of messages (marketing vs. transactional) onto distinct subdomains is also recommended.
Key opinions
- Reputation Isolation: Using a separate subdomain isolates your marketing email reputation, protecting your primary domain.
- Subdomain Variety: Common subdomain choices include 'mail', 'e', 'msg', and 'marketing'.
- Separation of Messages: Consider separate subdomains for marketing and transactional emails.
- Email Practices: Deliverability impact is more related to email practices than the subdomain name.
Key considerations
- Overall Domain Reputation: The existing domain reputation impacts deliverability on a new subdomain.
- Usage of Subdomain: Deliverability is affected by how the new subdomain is used.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that they see a lot of e.* and m.*, too.
15 Dec 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource, Laura Atkins, explains that using a separate subdomain for marketing allows you to isolate your sending reputation. If your marketing practices lead to deliverability issues, it won't negatively impact the deliverability of your transactional emails sent from your primary domain.
7 Jan 2025 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
The documentation consistently emphasizes the critical role of proper authentication for marketing email subdomains. This involves setting up DNS records such as MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. SPF records prevent spammers from forging your 'From' address, while DKIM confirms your authorization to send emails from the subdomain. DMARC provides an extra layer of security against spoofing and phishing, indirectly enhancing deliverability. The 'From:' field, as defined by RFC 5322, is particularly important for authentication and deliverability.
Key findings
- DNS Records: Setting up MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records is essential for authenticating your subdomain.
- SPF Importance: Configuring SPF records prevents spammers from forging your 'From' address.
- DKIM Verification: DKIM records confirm you're authorized to send emails on behalf of your subdomain.
- DMARC Security: DMARC provides an extra layer of security against email spoofing and phishing.
- From: Field Relevance: The 'From:' field is critical for authentication and deliverability, as highlighted by RFC 5322.
Key considerations
- Proper Setup: Ensure that all DNS records are configured correctly for the subdomain.
- Ongoing Maintenance: Regularly review and update authentication records to maintain deliverability.
- Security Implications: Implement DMARC to protect your brand from email spoofing and phishing.
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org details how implementing DMARC on your subdomain provides an extra layer of security and helps protect your brand from email spoofing and phishing attacks, which indirectly improves deliverability.
12 Feb 2025 - DMARC.org
Technical article
Documentation from Mailjet emphasizes the importance of authenticating your subdomain with SPF and DKIM records. This confirms to email providers that you're authorized to send emails on behalf of your subdomain, boosting deliverability.
22 Sep 2024 - Mailjet
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