Your business emails need to get where they’re going, but it’s becoming more and more challenging to ensure that transactional emails don’t get caught up in those tricky spam filters. In order to improve the deliverability of your emails, we offer three ways to configure them in our system…
1. Use our built-in email provider with no extra configuration (OK)
If you don't configure the email settings at all, then the system will send emails out on behalf of whatever’s in the “from” field. The email will look like it was sent from servicebox@app.jobboxsoft.com, but will have your work email entered as the “reply to” address.
Depending on the email client your customer is using, the email details will look something like this:
Advantages: This is the simplest option and the only one available if you’re using a public email domain like gmail.com (although you may be able to use option 4, the custom SMTP server). This method also allows for updates on delivery status to show up in your email log report.
Disadvantages: because the “from” email doesn't match the “reply to”, it may get caught in spam filters.
2. Validate your email address as a sender (Better)
One step up in ensuring deliverability of an email is to validate particular email addresses as valid senders of email. To do this, you can use the Tenant->Email tab under Settings. Just enter a name and email on the left side of the pane and click 'Add'. The system will send an email to this email address to verify it. Click on the link to verify the email, and you’ll be able to send messages using that email address.
The email when sent will have that email address in the “from” and “reply to” but will show as being sent 'via' a different server (pm.matsv.net).
Advantages: This is the next easiest option. The experience is a bit better for your customer because the “from” email is the same as the “reply to”. This method also allows for updates on delivery status to appear in your email log report.
Disadvantages: The system still displays a “via” domain on the email which might get snagged by a spam server.
3. Configure DNS entries to authorize ServiceBox to send emails on behalf of your domain (Best)
This is our best option for you, but it’s a bit more technical. If you have your own custom domain (eg. mycompany.com) and have access to the DNS entries for the domain (or have a technical person that helps configure your domain for you), then this is definitely the way you want to go. To make this work, (take a deep breath, we’re doing this) enter your domain into the right side of the settings panel and click 'Add'.
When your domain appears in the list, click the settings button by your desired domain.
The following pop-up screen will be displayed:
Create a txt entry with the Dkim Host and Dkim Entry. Also add a CNAME record with the Return Path Host and Return Path Entry into your dns settings (you may need to remove the domain at the end of the host depending on your DNS service). Once done, click 'Verify' on the dialog. The Dkim Verified and Return Path Verified checkboxes should get checked off if the system can find the DNS entries you created.
NOTE: It may take up to 48 hours for entries to percolate through the internet so you may have to check back in a day or two to see if the domain was verified.
Advantages: This is a much more reliable method because it proves to the receiving email server that the server sending the email is authorized to send on behalf of your email domain. This method also allows the updates on delivery statuses to appear in your email log report.
Disadvantages: The setup for this relies on some technical know-how, and your ability to modify DNS records for your domain.
4. Set up your own SMTP server to send emails (Alternate method).
It’s also possible to set up your own SMTP server using the ‘Use Custom SMTP Server’ checkbox. You would set this up very much like setting up your outgoing mail on a phone or desktop mail client.
Advantages: Since you are sending from your own email server (or using your own email provider) this should ensure that emails are received by your customers, assuming your email server and/or provider have a good reputation on the internet.
Disadvantages: No updates will show up on the email log since we will not receive any information as to whether or not the email was delivered.