Mailivate uses two separate sending paths. Each path needs its own verified domain (or subdomain) and its own DNS records. Mixing them is the most common reason a From address is rejected.
Which domain do I need?
| Use case | Settings page | Domain to verify | Example From address |
|---|---|---|---|
Receipts, password resets, app alerts, POST /api/email |
Transactional domains | Usually your root domain | noreply@acme.com |
| Campaigns, newsletters, automations | Marketing domains | A dedicated subdomain | hello@news.acme.com |
You can (and usually should) verify both. Live sending also needs account approval. Campaigns also need a business address and a paid plan — see Send your first email.
Recommended layout
| Role | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Brand / website | acme.com |
Keep for the website and employee mail |
| Transactional | acme.com |
App mail from noreply@, billing@, support@ |
| Marketing | news.acme.com or mail.acme.com |
Isolates campaign reputation from transactional mail |
Do not use the same hostname for both planes. A transactional domain cannot authorize campaign From addresses, and a marketing domain cannot authorize POST /api/email.
Setup order
Campaigns first
- Verify a marketing subdomain.
- Create a list whose From is on that subdomain.
- Complete account approval and a business address.
- Send a test, then send. Send your first email.
App / API email first
- Verify a transactional domain.
- Complete account approval.
- Create an API token under Account → API Tokens.
- Send with Send transactional email (API).
DNS tips that apply to both
- If your DNS host automatically appends the domain, enter only the Name shown in Mailivate (for example
@,_dmarc, ormailivate._domainkey). - Use the Copy buttons next to Type, Name, and Value.
- DNS can take a few minutes (sometimes longer). Click Check DNS after records propagate.
- Turn off CDN proxy (for example Cloudflare orange cloud) on any CNAME Mailivate asks you to create.
- Start DMARC at
p=noneso you can monitor before enforcing.
What “verified” means
| Plane | Verified when |
|---|---|
| Transactional | Ownership, SPF, return-path, and DKIM records match what Mailivate shows |
| Marketing | Ownership and SPF are published; DKIM is issued after ownership is confirmed, then published and checked |
After verification, use addresses on that exact domain only — for example hello@news.acme.com, not hello@acme.com, when the marketing domain is news.acme.com.