Custom Domains vs Gmail/Outlook

Why Use Custom Domains?

Using custom domains (like yourcompany.ai or marketing.yourcompany.com) for email campaigns provides several crucial advantages:

• Higher Sending Limits: Platforms designed for custom domains (like Mailgun, SendGrid, or Instantly) allow significantly higher daily email volumes (thousands per day) compared to Gmail and Outlook, which limit sending to 100-500 emails per day.
• Better Deliverability: Custom domains facilitate the setup of proper authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), dramatically improving email deliverability and reducing the chance of emails being marked as spam.
• Reduced Risk of Blacklisting: Using separate domains for outbound campaigns protects your main business domain from being flagged as spam or blacklisted, safeguarding your primary email reputation.
• Advanced Features and Automation: Custom domain email providers offer advanced segmentation, detailed analytics, list management, personalization, and campaign tracking—capabilities not supported by standard email accounts.
• Compliance and Professionalism: Running bulk campaigns from personal or generic business email accounts violates Gmail and Outlook’s terms of service, risking suspension. Custom domains project professionalism, enhancing brand trust and customer perception.

Drawbacks of Using Gmail/Outlook for Campaigns:

• Strict Sending Limits: Gmail (100-500/day) and Outlook impose restrictive sending limits, unsuitable for bulk campaigns.
• Spam and Blacklist Risks: Sending mass emails from these accounts increases the risk of being flagged as spam, damaging your email deliverability and potentially blacklisting your domain.
• Limited Capabilities: Gmail and Outlook lack the necessary tools for effective email marketing—limited analytics, automation, list segmentation, and personalization options.
• Terms of Service Violations: Bulk campaigns may violate the terms of use, risking account suspension or permanent closure.
• Unprofessional Image: Using generic email addresses (like Gmail/Outlook) for business outreach appears less credible and can harm your brand image.

Recommended Best Practices:

• Use separate, dedicated domains for outbound campaigns (e.g., revscale.com or revscale.ai for campaigns, and getrevscale.com for internal communications).
• Regularly monitor your sending reputation and campaign analytics.
• Ensure proper domain authentication and follow best practices for sending emails.

Setting Up Your Custom Domain in Our Portal:

When setting up a custom domain for email campaigns through our portal, you’ll see requests for various DNS records. Here’s what each of these means and where to find them:

• MX Records (Mail Exchange): These records specify the mail servers responsible for receiving email messages on behalf of your domain. They help route incoming emails.
• Where to find:Your domain hosting platform's DNS settings (e.g., GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Bluehost).
• Example: mxa.mailgun.org and mxb.mailgun.org
• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This is a TXT record type that lists the servers authorized to send emails from your domain, preventing unauthorized use of your domain in spam.
• Where to find:Provided by the email sending service you use (like Mailgun or SendGrid).
• Example: v=spf1 include:mailgun.org ~all
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): This record authenticates emails, proving they're genuinely from your domain, which helps avoid being flagged as spam.
• Where to find:Generated by your email sending provider (e.g., Mailgun dashboard under "Domain Settings").
• Example:A complex string starting with k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCS...
• Tracking Domain (CNAME): Used for tracking email opens, clicks, and improving deliverability. It typically appears as a subdomain pointing to your provider’s URL.
• Where to find:Specified by your email service provider within their tracking setup area (often under “Domain Settings” or “Tracking”).
• Example: email.revscale.com points to mailgun.org

Important Tips:

• If the domain is already configured with another provider like Mailgun, SendGrid, or Mailchimp, using it concurrently can cause conflicts leading to reduced sender recognition scores and emails being marked as spam. Consider using a separate dedicated domain if you run campaigns across multiple platforms.
• DNS records typically propagate (update globally) within minutes but can take up to 24 hours.
• Always verify records after updating your DNS to ensure everything is correctly set.
• Reach out to technical support if you encounter issues or are unsure about setting records correctly.

Updated on: 07/10/2025