Read this page as a quick path: scan the headings, use the step blocks, and escalate if the expected result does not happen.
By default, campaign emails are sent from Referral Factory's own sending domain (e.g.
noreply@referral-factory.com). If you want emails to appear as coming from your own domain (e.g. noreply@yourbusiness.com), you can connect a custom sending domain.This improves deliverability and keeps your brand consistent — recipients see your domain rather than Referral Factory's.
Where to find the settings
There are two ways to access the email domain settings:
From Business Settings (recommended):
1. Click your name in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar
2. Select Organisation
3. Click the Mail Configuration tab
From Campaign Settings:
1. Open Campaign Settings from the left sidebar
2. Scroll to the Email Domain Verification section, which links to business settings
In either case, you will see the Email Domain Verification section with two options:
Below these options is the Outbound Email Address — the email address shown as the sender on all outbound campaign emails. You can change this by clicking Change.
- (SMTP/IMAP) — connect your own mail server directly
- Connect Your Domain — verify a domain so Referral Factory sends on your behalf
how to use your own sending domain for emails: mail configuration tab showing email domain verification section with smtp/imap and connect your domain buttons, plus the outbound email address field
Mail Configuration tab showing Email Domain Verification section with SMTP/IMAP and Connect Your Domain buttons, plus the Outbound Email Address field
Option 1: Connect via SMTP/IMAP
Click (SMTP/IMAP) to open the mail server configuration modal. This lets you send campaign emails through your own mail server instead of Referral Factory's.
You will need to provide:
Click Verify Credentials and Save to test the connection and save.
- Host — your mail server address (e.g.
smtp.example.com) - Port — typically
587for TLS - Username — your SMTP username
- Password — your SMTP password
- Encryption — select the encryption type from the dropdown (e.g. TLS or SSL)
- Outbound Email Address — the address emails will be sent from (e.g.
noreply@example.com)
how to use your own sending domain for emails: smtp/imap modal showing host, port, username, password, encryption, and outbound email address fields
SMTP/IMAP modal showing Host, Port, Username, Password, Encryption, and Outbound Email Address fields
Option 2: Verify your domain
Click Connect Your Domain to open the domain connection modal.
1. Enter your domain (e.g.
ex.referral-factory.com) and click Save2. Referral Factory will display a DNS Records for Email modal with the records you need to add to your DNS settings
how to use your own sending domain for emails: connect your domain modal showing the domain input field
Connect Your Domain modal showing the domain input field
DNS records to add
You will need to add the following DNS records to your domain provider. These records validate domain ownership and enable SPF and DKIM for secure, verified sending:
Each record has a Copy button so you can copy the exact values. Add all records to your DNS provider exactly as shown.
- TXT record — for SPF validation (e.g.
v=spf1 include:mailgun.org ~all) - TXT record — for DKIM signing (a long key value)
- CNAME record — pointing to
mailgun.org - MX records (2 entries) — pointing to Mailgun's mail servers with priority
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how to use your own sending domain for emails: dns records for email modal showing txt, cname, and mx records with copy buttons
DNS Records for Email modal showing TXT, CNAME, and MX records with Copy buttons
how to use your own sending domain for emails: full list of dns records including both mx entries
Full list of DNS records including both MX entries
After adding DNS records
Once you have added all the DNS records, click Verify at the bottom of the modal. DNS changes can take 5–30 minutes to propagate, but sometimes up to 48 hours.
When your domain is verified, you will see the domain displayed with a green indicator on the Mail Configuration tab. From here you can:
- Check DNS — re-verify your DNS records at any time
- Disconnect — remove the verified domain and revert to the default Referral Factory sending domain
how to use your own sending domain for emails: connected domain view showing the verified domain with check dns and disconnect buttons
Connected domain view showing the verified domain with Check DNS and Disconnect buttons
Which option is right for you?
Both options let you send campaign emails from your own domain, but they work differently and suit different setups.
Option 1: SMTP/IMAP — use this if you have a dedicated email server
Option 2: Connect Your Domain — recommended for most users
- Pros: Full control over your sending reputation and deliverability. Emails sent through your own server do not count against Referral Factory's rate limits, so there is no cap on sending volume. Organisations with advanced security requirements can layer additional encryption on top.
- Cons: Referral Factory cannot track your email performance — open rates, click rates, and delivery analytics will not appear in your campaign analytics. This option is recommended for organisations with a dedicated email server only; shared email services such as Google Workspace may face SMTP rate restrictions that limit sending speed.
- Pros: Emails still send through Referral Factory's infrastructure, so all campaign email analytics (open rates, click rates, delivery) remain fully tracked. No mail server required — just add DNS records to your domain provider. Works for any domain.
- Cons: Deliverability depends partly on Referral Factory's sending infrastructure rather than exclusively your own.
Troubleshooting
If emails are still sending from the default Referral Factory domain after setup:
1. Check your credentials or DNS records. For SMTP/IMAP, verify the host, port, username, and password are correct. For domain verification, ensure the DNS records match exactly.
2. Allow time for DNS propagation. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate. If you have just added the records, wait before concluding the setup is broken.
3. Request a screenshot of DNS records. If troubleshooting on behalf of someone else, ask them to send a screenshot of their DNS records panel. Most verification failures are caused by a typo, extra space, or missing character.
4. Contact support if all the above are confirmed. Share a screenshot of your settings and your campaign name so the team can investigate.
This is separate from the referral link domain
Setting up a custom email sending domain has no effect on the URL in your referral links. Those are two separate features. See: FAQ: What's the difference between a referral link domain and an email sending domain?