# Sending email from your own domain

> Add a custom or Persona-hosted email domain in the Dashboard, verify its DNS records, and create the sender addresses Persona uses to email your users.

Source: https://help.withpersona.com/articles/OD3KwUVIk1MvJkHP4EOIqx/
Section: Admin > Email > Key Concepts

## Overview

Persona can send email to your users from an address on a domain that you control, and receive their replies. You add the domain on the **Email addresses** page of the Dashboard, at **Organization > Email addresses**. Then you add the DNS records that Persona gives you, and create the sender addresses that your organization uses.

Features that send email from Persona, such as the [Cases Email module](https://help.withpersona.com/articles/4Z0b6uVX2RrvPG4ZH1vEXT/) and the [Workflows Send Email step](https://help.withpersona.com/articles/27FwSlEyBXBFqP5CJwSzAH/), can use these addresses.

This is different from the SMTP configuration in the Send Email step. With SMTP, your own mail server sends the email. For SMTP, read [Using the Send Email Action Step](https://help.withpersona.com/articles/5t1l1MtN0gqHnLcqpPWMGp/).

## Domain types

When you add a domain, the **Select email provider** window shows two types:

- **Custom**: send and receive email from your own domain, for example `verify.mycompany.com`. You add DNS records to your domain before Persona can use it.
- **Persona hosted**: send and receive email from a subdomain of a domain that Persona hosts. You do not add DNS records for this type.

## Add a custom domain

1.  In the Dashboard, go to **Organization > Email addresses**.
2.  If your organization has no domain, click **Get started**. If it has a domain, click **Add** in the **Domains** card.
3.  Select **Custom**, then click **Continue**.
4.  In **Domain**, enter your domain. Persona recommends a subdomain, for example `verify.mycompany.com`, and not a root domain, for example `mycompany.com`.
5.  Select the check box to confirm that inbound email for the domain goes to Persona.
6.  Click **Create**.

☝️

Persona receives all inbound email for the domain that you enter. Use a domain that you do not use for other email.

## Verify the DNS records

After you create a custom domain, the **Domain records** window opens. It shows each record that you must add to the name servers of your domain, with its **Type**, **Host**, **Priority** (for MX records only), **TTL**, and **Value**.

1.  Add each record from the **Domain records** window to the name servers of your domain.
2.  Click **Verify**.
3.  If a record shows **Pending** or **Failed**, make sure that the record is correct, then click **Verify** again.

It can take up to 48 hours for your name servers to show new records. Some name servers need the full domain name in the **Host** field. For a subdomain, turn on **Show "Host" as full name** to show the full name.

To see the records again later, open the menu on the row of the domain in the **Domains** card, then click **View records**.

## Domain status

The **Domains** card shows a status for each domain.

| Status        | What it means                                                                                                                                             |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Pending       | Persona did not verify the records yet. For a Persona hosted domain, this can take up to 48 hours.                                                        |
| Authenticated | Persona verified all the records. You can create email addresses on the domain.                                                                           |
| Failed        | Persona could not authenticate the domain. Make sure that all the records are correct, then verify again.                                                 |
| Warming       | Persona limits the rate of email from the domain for 7 days after the first email. If the domain reaches the limit, Persona uses a Persona hosted domain. |

## Test the domain

After the domain is **Authenticated**, you can send a test email from it.

1.  Open the menu on the row of the domain, then click **Test domain**.
2.  In **Email address**, enter the address that gets the test email.
3.  Click **Send email**.

## Create an email address

When all the records are verified, the **Domain records** window shows **Domain records verified**.

1.  Click **Create email address**.
2.  In **Sender name**, enter the name that recipients see.
3.  In **Email address**, enter the part of the address before the `@`. The Dashboard shows the domain after it.
4.  Click **Create**.

You cannot rename an address. To change it, archive it and add a new email address.

## Plans Explained

### Custom email domains by plan

|                      | Startup Program | Essential Plan | Growth Plan   | Enterprise Plan |
| -------------------- | --------------- | -------------- | ------------- | --------------- |
| Custom email domains | Not Available   | Not Available  | Not Available | Available       |

[Learn more about pricing and plans](https://withpersona.com/pricing?utm_source=product&utm_medium=referral&utm_audience=a&utm_campaign=cm_gen_ds_hc-plan-table).

_Last updated on October 15, 2026._