Domain Verification

Verify your email domain to send professional emails with improved deliverability from your own domain name.

• Creates DNS records that prove you own the domain

Sets up email authentication

SPF, DKIM, Return-Path

Automatically creates a dedicated email server for your domain

Enables sending from workflows, campaigns, and transactional emails

From your dashboard, click Lead Generation in the sidebar, then click Domain Verification in the submenu.

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You'll see a list of domains (empty if this is your first time) and an "Add Domain" button.

Enter your domain name (e.g., "yourbusiness.com") and click "Add Domain". You will see your domain with status “Pending Verification”

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After submission, the system:

1. Creates the domain in our email delivery service
2. Generates three DNS records you'll need to configure
3. Displays a domain card with DNS configuration instructions

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After adding your domain, you'll see three DNS records that need configuration:

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DKIM Record (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

• Type: TXT
• Hostname: pm._domainkey
• Purpose: Cryptographically proves your emails haven't been tampered with in transit

Return-Path Record

• Type: CNAME
• Hostname: pm-bounces
• Purpose: Specifies where bounced emails should be sent and validates sending authorization

DMARC Record (Optional)

• Type: TXT
• Hostname: _dmarc
• Purpose: Tells receiving mail servers what to do if SPF or DKIM authentication fails

Now log in to your DNS provider (where you registered your domain) and add the three DNS records.

For Cloudflare Users:

1. Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard
2. Select your domain from the list
3. Navigate to DNS → Records
4. Click "Add record"
5. For the DKIM record:
6. Repeat for the Return-Path CNAME record

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For GoDaddy Users:

1. Log in to your GoDaddy account
2. Go to My Products → Domains
3. Click DNS next to your domain
4. Scroll to Records section
5. Click Add to create each record
6. Select record type (TXT or CNAME) and paste the values

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For Other DNS Providers:

The process is similar for Namecheap, Route53, Google Domains, and other providers:

1. Find your DNS management page
2. Add a new TXT record for DKIM
3. Add a new CNAME record for Return-Path
4. Add a new TXT record for DMARC (optional)

After adding DNS records, you need to wait for DNS propagation—the time it takes for DNS changes to spread across the internet.

Typical propagation times:

• 5-15 minutes: Most DNS providers (Cloudflare, Route53)
• 30-60 minutes: Some providers (GoDaddy, Namecheap)
• Up to 48 hours: Maximum theoretical propagation time

While waiting, you can use online DNS checkers to verify your records are propagating:

• MXToolbox.com - DKIM lookup
• DNSChecker.org - Global DNS propagation checker

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The system will:

1. Query DNS servers for your DKIM and Return-Path records
2. Check if they match the expected values
3. Update verification status for each record
4. Create an email server if all required records are verified

Verification Success

If verification succeeds, you'll see green checkmarks:

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• ✅ SPF Verified: Automatically verified
• ✅ DKIM Verified: Your DKIM TXT record is correct
• ✅ Return-Path Verified: Your Return-Path CNAME record is correct
• ⚠️ DMARC: Optional - not verified by the system

Verification Failed

If verification fails, you'll see which records are still pending:

Common reasons for failure:

• DNS hasn't propagated yet (wait longer and retry)
• DNS record value was copied incorrectly (check for typos)
• DNS provider added extra characters (some providers modify records)

Adding Sender Signature

Once your domain is verified successfully, you will be able to add Sender Signature(s) to attach to your domain. Sender signature is a verified "From" email address or domain authorized to send emails through the platform. It serves as a security measure to prevent spam and abuse, requiring verification (via a confirmation email) to prove ownership of the mailbox.

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Once you added you sender signature, your domain is now ready to send emails through:

Workflows: Automated email sequences

Email Campaigns: Broadcast emails to lead lists

Transactional Emails: Account notifications, password resets, etc.

Understanding Domain Warmup

What is domain warmup?

New email domains have no sending history, which makes inbox providers (Gmail, Outlook) suspicious. Warmup gradually builds trust by slowly increasing sending volume over time.

FiveBucks warmup schedule:

Week 1: 50 emails/day

Week 2: 100

200 emails/day

Week 3: 500

1,000 emails/day

Week 4+: Full production limits

10,000+ emails/day

During warmup:

Send emails to engaged recipients who are likely to open/click

Avoid sending to old/unverified email lists

• Monitor bounce rates (keep below 5%)
• Watch spam complaints (keep below 0.1%)

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Deleting Domains

To remove a domain you no longer need:

1. Click the "Delete Domain" button on the domain card
2. Confirm the deletion in the modal
3. The system will:

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Troubleshooting

DNS Records Not Verifying

Problem: Clicked "Verify Domain" but records still show as "Pending"

Solutions:

1. Wait longer for DNS propagation - Can take up to 48 hours for some providers
2. Check DNS with online tools:
3. Verify exact record values - Copy again from FiveBucks and re-paste
4. Check for duplicate records - Some providers don't overwrite; they add duplicates
5. Remove domain suffixes - Some providers auto-append your domain to hostnames

DKIM Record Too Long

Problem: DNS provider rejects DKIM record with "value too long" error

Solution: Some providers (especially older ones) have a 255-character limit for TXT records. You need to split the DKIM value:

1. Break the DKIM value into multiple quoted strings:
2. Or upgrade to a modern DNS provider (Cloudflare, Route53) with no limits

Domain Already Exists Error

Problem: "This domain is already verified in another project"

Explanation: Each domain can only be verified once across all FiveBucks projects.

Solutions:

• Check if you already added it in a different project
• Contact FiveBucks support to transfer the domain
• Use a subdomain instead (e.g., mail.yourdomain.com)

Verification Succeeds But Emails Bounce

Problem: Domain shows as verified, but test emails bounce or go to spam

Possible causes:

1. Domain warmup in progress - Daily sending limits may be exceeded
2. Recipient server blocking new domain - Wait 24-48 hours for reputation to build
3. Missing DMARC policy - Add the optional DMARC record for better deliverability
4. Sending to invalid addresses - Check that recipient emails are valid
5. Email content flagged as spam - Review content for spam trigger words

Solutions:

Start with small test sends to known

good email addresses

Use Mail

Tester.com to check your email's spam score

Monitor bounce reports in the Email Analytics dashboard

Can't Find DNS Management Page

Problem: Can't locate where to add DNS records at your provider

Solutions by provider:

• Cloudflare: Dashboard → Select domain → DNS → Records
• GoDaddy: My Products → Domains → DNS → Records
• Namecheap: Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS
• Google Domains: My Domains → DNS → Custom records
• AWS Route53: Hosted zones → Select domain → Create record

If still stuck, search for "[your provider name] add DNS record" in Google.