Are your business emails reaching their destination? With major email providers implementing strict new authentication requirements, domain verification has become more critical than ever. Google and Yahoo now require custom domain authentication for senders delivering more than 5,000 emails daily, making proper domain setup essential for business communication success.

Why Domain Verification Matters Now

Email authentication standards are evolving rapidly. Starting from February 2024, Google and Yahoo have introduced mandatory requirements for bulk email senders, including:

• Custom domain authentication
• Published DMARC records
• Consistent sending patterns
• Spam rate monitoring

Without proper domain verification, your emails might face delivery issues or end up in spam folders, directly impacting your business communications. That's where ZEPIC's domain verification system comes in. When you verify your domain with ZEPIC, you're establishing yourself as a legitimate sender and ensuring your emails reach their intended recipients. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of domain verification and help you maximize your email delivery success.

What You'll Learn

Before diving into the verification process, let's outline what you'll master in this guide. You'll learn how to properly verify your email domain with ZEPIC's advanced verification system, understand the steps for connecting and authenticating your domain for enhanced deliverability, troubleshoot common verification issues that senders encounter, and implement industry best practices for managing your email domain effectively.

Before You Start

Domain verification is a crucial step in establishing your email-sending reputation, and there are several important points you need to understand before beginning the process. First and foremost, ZEPIC requires domain verification for all email senders to maintain high deliverability standards across our platform. This verification process not only improves your delivery rates but also provides additional benefits like priority routing and enhanced spam protection.

When working with subdomains (such as marketing.yourdomain.com or news.yourdomain.com), each one needs to be verified separately to ensure proper authentication and tracking. While you can use free email providers like Gmail or Yahoo, these services come with significant limitations in terms of authentication options and sending capabilities.

Important Update for 2024

Major email providers have implemented stricter authentication requirements starting February 2024. If you're sending more than 5,000 emails daily to providers like Gmail or Yahoo, you must have custom authentication and DMARC records in place. This makes proper domain verification through ZEPIC more crucial than ever for maintaining high deliverability rates. 

Step-by-Step Domain Verification Process

Getting your domain verified with ZEPIC is straightforward when you follow these steps:

1. Initial Setup

Begin by logging into your ZEPIC dashboard and navigating to the "Settings -> Email Domains" section. Click on " Add Domain" to kickstart the domain verification process. This is your go-to place in ZEPIC for all domain-related settings and verifications.

2. Starting the Verification

Click on "Add Domain" to begin the process. You'll need to enter your domain name in the provided field. Make sure you enter the exact domain you'll be sending emails from – even small typos can cause verification issues.

3. DNS Configuration

This is where the technical part begins. ZEPIC will provide you with a set of DNS records that need to be added to your domain's DNS settings. These records are CNAME records for tracking and authentication.

4. DNS Verification Steps

Access your domain provider's DNS settings panel. The exact location of these settings will vary depending on your provider, but they're typically found in the domain management or DNS configuration section. Add the verification record exactly as provided by ZEPIC – accuracy is crucial here. (For a few DNS providers, we have provided a step-by-step guide that you can refer to - GoDaddy, Azure or AWS)

5. Waiting for Propagation

After adding the DNS records, you'll need to wait for them to propagate across the internet. While this typically takes 15-30 minutes, it can sometimes take up to 48 hours. During this time, ZEPIC will automatically check for the records periodically. You can also click on the "Verify" button in ZEPIC's email domain settings page to manually trigger the verification.

Authentication Setup

Once your domain is verified, it's time to for setting up your campaigns and flow automations. All the heavy lifting for proper authentication will be taken care of by ZEPIC. To give a peek into the backend of what we do, this is multi-step process that gets started when you verify domain:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): ZEPIC generates this record that specifies which servers are authorized to send email from your domain. ZEPIC provided you with this record when you added that has been added to your DNS settings.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): This is the digital signature to your emails, proving they haven't been tampered with during transit. Again, this was one of the records (out of a bunch of records) provided by ZEPIC that helps in doing the DKIM.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication): This policy tells receiving servers how to handle emails that fail authentication checks. 

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with careful setup, you might encounter some verification issues. Here are the most common problems and their solutions:

• DNS Propagation Delays: If verification fails immediately after adding DNS records, wait at least 30 minutes and try again. Use ZEPIC's built-in DNS checker tool to verify your records are properly configured.

• Authentication Errors: Double-check all record values for accuracy. Common mistakes include extra spaces, missing periods, or incorrect formatting. Remove any conflicting DNS entries that might interfere with verification.

• Connection Issues: Ensure your DNS server is accessible and responding properly. Verify that you have the necessary permissions to make DNS changes for your domain.

Best Practices for Ongoing Management

Regular Monitoring: Keep track of your domain's verification status and email deliverability rates through ZEPIC's dashboard. Watch out for any spike in the unsubscription rates.

Deliverability Optimization: Monitor your spam rates and domain reputation through ZEPIC's analytics tools for campaigns. Implement feedback loops to catch and address delivery issues early.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our support team regularly receives questions about domain verification. Here are the most common ones:

Q: How long does the entire verification process usually take?

A: While DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, most verifications are complete within 30 minutes. The actual time needed to add DNS records is usually less than 10 minutes.

Q: Can I verify multiple domains under one ZEPIC account?

A: Yes, ZEPIC supports the verification of multiple domains and subdomains under a single account. Each domain is managed separately within your dashboard.

Q: What happens if my verification fails?

A: ZEPIC provides specific error messages and troubleshooting steps for each type of verification issue. Our system will guide you through the resolution process with clear, actionable steps. You can always reach out to us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help you.

Remember, maintaining a properly verified and authenticated domain is essential for your email marketing success with ZEPIC. You can read more about how to get the best out of your email campaign efforts here. Our support team is always available to help you through any part of this process.