Overview
Custom email domains let you send emails from your own branded address instead of a default Persona address. You configure your domain and sender addresses under Organization > Email addresses, then select a sender for supported emails in Cases, Workflows, and Inquiries.
For an explanation of the domain options, read Email settings overview.
Before you start
You need access to Organization > Email addresses in the Dashboard. If you use your own domain, you or your DNS administrator must also have access to add DNS records to its name servers.
You do not need to connect your own email provider.
Choose a domain option
- Persona hosted: Use a subdomain that Persona hosts. You do not add DNS records for this option.
- Custom: Use a domain that your organization owns. You add DNS records and verify the domain before sending email.
Add a Persona-hosted subdomain
- In the Dashboard, go to Organization > Email addresses.
- If your organization has no domain, click Get started. If it has a domain, click Add in the Domains card.
- Select Persona hosted, then enter the subdomain prefix that you want to use.
- Click Create.
Verification for a Persona-hosted domain can take up to 48 hours while the domain shows a Pending status. When the status changes to Authenticated, continue to Create a sender address.
Add and verify a custom domain
Add the domain in Persona
- In the Dashboard, go to Organization > Email addresses.
- If your organization has no domain, click Get started. If it has a domain, click Add in the Domains card.
- Select Custom, then click Continue.
- In Domain, enter your domain name. Persona recommends a subdomain, such as
verify.mycompany.com, rather than a root domain, such asmycompany.com. - Select the check box to confirm that inbound email for the domain goes to Persona.
- Click Create.
Persona receives all inbound email for the domain that you enter. Use a domain or subdomain that you do not use for other company email.
Add the DNS records
After you create the domain, the Domain records window opens. It shows each record that you must add to your domain’s name servers, with its Type, Host, Priority (for MX records only), TTL, and Value.
- Sign in to your DNS provider’s management console.
- Open the DNS settings for your domain.
- Add each record shown in the Domain records window. Copy its type, host, priority, TTL, and value. If your DNS provider requires full hostnames, turn on Show “Host” as full name in Persona.
- Save the changes in your DNS console.
- Return to the Domain records window in Persona and click Verify.
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate. If a record shows Pending or Failed, check that the record is correct, then click Verify again.
To see the records again later, open the menu on the domain’s row in the Domains card, then click View records.
Check the 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. Check the records, 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, send a test email to check delivery.
- In Organization > Email addresses, find your domain in the Domains card.
- Open the menu on the domain’s row, then click Test domain.
- In Email address, enter an address where you can receive the test message.
- Click Send email.
- Check the destination inbox for the test email.
Create a sender address
When all the records are verified, the Domain records window shows Domain records verified. Create the sender address that recipients see in the From field.
- Click Create email address in the Domain records window.
- In Sender name, enter the name that recipients see, such as
Your Company Support. - In Email address, enter the part of the address before the
@. The Dashboard shows the domain after it. - Click Create.
To add another address later, click Add in the Email addresses section.
You cannot rename an address. To change it, archive it and create a new email address.
Select the sender for your emails
Creating a sender address does not automatically select it for existing email configurations. Select the sender in each feature that you use.
- Cases: Open your Case template, select the Email module, and choose your sender under Default sender address. Read Cases: Email prebuilt module.
- Workflows: Open your Workflow, select the Send Email step, and choose your sender address. Read Workflows: Send Email step.
Organization sender addresses also support Inquiry emails. Select the sender in the relevant Inquiry email configuration.
This setup is different from SMTP configuration, where your own mail server sends the email. For SMTP instructions, read Using the Send Email Action Step.
Troubleshooting
The domain stays Pending
DNS updates can take up to 48 hours to propagate. For a custom domain, confirm with your DNS administrator that every record under View records matches the records in your DNS settings. Then click Verify again in the Domain records window.
Persona-hosted subdomains do not require DNS configuration. Their verification can also take up to 48 hours.
The domain shows Failed
Open View records and compare each entry with your DNS settings. Check the record type, host, priority, TTL, and value.
Some DNS providers append your domain to the host value automatically. Check whether your provider expects a short host value or the full hostname. Use Show “Host” as full name when your provider requires the full hostname.
After you correct the records, click Verify again.
Emails still use a default Persona address
Check that you selected your sender address in the relevant Case template, Workflow step, or Inquiry email configuration. Adding the address under Organization > Email addresses does not select it for those configurations.
Also check the domain status. If the domain is Warming and reaches its sending limit, Persona uses a Persona-hosted domain.