Domain VerificationCopy Anchor Link

Verifying your custom domain allows you to send email from your own addresses (e.g., notifications@yourdomain.com) instead of a NorthRelay system subdomain. Verified domains get proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment, which significantly improves deliverability and brand trust.

PrerequisitesCopy Anchor Link

• Starter tier or higher ($5/mo) -- custom domains are not available on the Free plan (1 domain on Starter, 2 on Micro, 5 on Pro, 20 on Scale)
• Access to your domain's DNS management (e.g., Cloudflare, Route 53, GoDaddy)
• A domain you own and control

Free tier users send from NorthRelay system subdomains on north-pipe.ca. To use your own domain, upgrade to Starter or higher.

Why Verify Your Domain?Copy Anchor Link

Step-by-Step VerificationCopy Anchor Link

Step 1: Add Your DomainCopy Anchor Link

1. Go to Dashboard > Domains
2. Click Add Domain
3. Enter your domain hostname (e.g., mail.yourdomain.com or yourdomain.com)
4. Click Add

NorthRelay will generate the DNS records you need to add.

Step 2: Get Your DNS RecordsCopy Anchor Link

After adding the domain, the dashboard shows three DNS records to configure:

SPF Record (TXT)Copy Anchor Link

Authorizes NorthRelay's mail servers to send on behalf of your domain.

If you already have an SPF record, add include:_spf.north-pipe.ca before the -all or ~all mechanism:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:_spf.north-pipe.ca -all

DKIM Record (CNAME)Copy Anchor Link

Points to NorthRelay's DKIM signing key for your domain.

Verification Record (TXT)Copy Anchor Link

A one-time record that proves you own the domain.

Step 3: Add Records to Your DNS ProviderCopy Anchor Link

Add all three records through your DNS provider's management interface. Common providers:

• Cloudflare: DNS > Add Record (set Proxy Status to "DNS only" for CNAME)
• Route 53: Hosted Zones > your domain > Create Record
• GoDaddy: DNS Management > Add Record
• Namecheap: Advanced DNS > Add New Record

DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, though most changes take effect within 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Step 4: VerifyCopy Anchor Link

1. Return to Dashboard > Domains
2. Click Verify next to your domain
3. NorthRelay checks for all three DNS records
4. On success, the domain status changes to Verified

Domain StatesCopy Anchor Link

Mandatory reputation checksCopy Anchor Link

Every sending domain must pass Spamhaus DBL and NordSpam DBL checks, including its parent domains through the registrable domain. Adding a custom domain starts the check; DNS verification alone does not enable sending. The domain row shows provider evidence, check time, expiry and a recheck control. A listing blocks sending even when SPF and DKIM pass. Clearing an administrative hold cannot bypass this requirement.

Clean results expire after six hours and are refreshed periodically. Missing, stale, refused or unavailable checks temporarily block sending until fresh clean evidence is available. A failed lookup never counts as a clean result.

Queued mail is checked again before submission. Temporary reputation failures retain queued messages for retry; listed domains cannot be sent.

Operational platform accounts use the platform domain inventory and do not require a personal subdomain. This does not create a corporate sending identity: only an existing authorized, eligible mailbox or alias can be selected.

Using Your Verified DomainCopy Anchor Link

Once DNS verification and reputation checks pass, you can use your domain as the from address in API calls:

await client.emails.send({
  from: 'notifications@yourdomain.com',
  to: ['recipient@example.com'],
  subject: 'Sent from my domain',
  html: '<p>Custom domain email!</p>',
});

In the dashboard, your verified domain appears as an option when composing emails.

Managing DomainsCopy Anchor Link

Viewing Domain StatusCopy Anchor Link

Go to Dashboard > Domains to see all your domains with their current verification status, DNS record status, and last verification check time.

Re-verifying a DomainCopy Anchor Link

If DNS records change or verification expires, click Re-verify on the domain's row in the dashboard. NorthRelay will re-check all DNS records.

When DNS Records Stop WorkingCopy Anchor Link

NorthRelay re-checks the DNS of every verified domain every 6 hours. If a domain's SPF record no longer includes _spf.north-pipe.ca, or its DKIM record is removed or changed, sending from that domain and its subdomains is paused: the send API answers 403 FORBIDDEN_SENDER with the failing record, and campaigns show the reason before launch. Receivers would fail DMARC on that mail anyway, which hurts deliverability.

Restore the records shown for the domain under Dashboard > Domains and click Verify: sending resumes when SPF, DKIM and mandatory reputation checks pass. A temporary DNS lookup error never pauses sending.

Removing a DomainCopy Anchor Link

1. Go to Dashboard > Domains
2. Click the domain you want to remove
3. Click Delete Domain

Removing a domain immediately stops email sending from that domain. Any emails in queue with that domain's from address will fail.

TroubleshootingCopy Anchor Link

Verification Fails: SPF Record Not FoundCopy Anchor Link

Cause: The SPF TXT record has not propagated or contains a syntax error.

Fix:

1. Check that the TXT record for your domain contains include:_spf.north-pipe.ca
2. Verify there is only one SPF record (multiple SPF records cause failures)
3. Use the Pre-Flight Check tool to validate your DNS
4. Wait for DNS propagation (up to 48 hours) and retry

Verification Fails: DKIM Record Not FoundCopy Anchor Link

Cause: The CNAME record for default._domainkey is missing or pointing to the wrong value.

Fix:

1. Confirm the CNAME host is exactly default._domainkey.yourdomain.com
2. If using Cloudflare, ensure the proxy is disabled (DNS only / gray cloud)
3. Verify the CNAME target matches the value shown in your dashboard

Verification Fails: Verification TXT Not FoundCopy Anchor Link

Cause: The _northrelay-verify TXT record is missing or has the wrong value.

Fix:

1. Check the record host is _northrelay-verify.yourdomain.com
2. Confirm the value matches exactly (no extra spaces or quotes)
3. Some DNS providers add the domain suffix automatically -- enter just _northrelay-verify as the host

DNS Propagation DelaysCopy Anchor Link

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally. If verification fails immediately after adding records:

1. Wait 15-30 minutes and try again
2. Use a DNS lookup tool (e.g., dig or a web-based checker) to confirm records are visible
3. If records are visible in DNS but verification still fails, contact support

RelatedCopy Anchor Link

• Plans & Pricing for tier requirements
• Sending Infrastructure for how your mail is delivered
• Reputation Monitoring for tracking domain health
• Diagnostic Tools for DNS validation