What is a verified sending domain?
A verified sending domain allows you to set up authentication records (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) with your web host. This tells mailbox providers like Gmail and Microsoft that you are a real business, and you have given ConvertKit permission to send using your domain on your behalf. Verifying your domain is now required by mailbox providers like Gmail and Yahoo.
Using a Verified Sending Domain means you are relying more heavily on your own sender domain reputation. Therefore, there are some recommendations we suggest you follow to avoid any major disruptions in your overall deliverability.
Keep in mind, making any major changes like this to your sending can impact your engagement metrics. While your reputation is being re-calculated, it is normal to see open rates temporarily drop or improve.
Steps to take before enabling your verified sending domain
Identify your most engaged subscribers first. Similarly to a new domain warm up, "ramp up your sending" by using your most engaged subscribers. This shows mailbox providers that you are a safe and trustworthy sender. After a few successful sends with the VSD (verified sending domain) add more subscribers. It's typically a good idea to break your list into a few engagement groups and add volume over time.
Suppress cold subscribers. Suppressing cold subscribers for 2 weeks is a great way to speed up the reputation calculation process.
Don't make other major changes during this process. Mailbox providers need time to adjust their algorithms and the reputation score they have for your domain. Making additional changes could make it difficult for them to recalibrate quickly. It can also make it harder to pin point specific deliverability issues if they arise.
Complaints (when a subscriber marks an email as spam) can really hurt your domain reputation. Before you enable your VSD be sure your forms are secure and you identify any areas where you may be receiving elevated complaints.
If you are concerned about how adding a VSD might affect your deliverability, please reach out to our support team and ask for a deliverability audit.
Making major changes to sending can impact deliverability negatively or positively. Be sure to give mailbox providers a chance to adjust your reputation calculation on their end. Deliverability best practices will help set you up for success!