Forsta offers two options for customers to send out surveys via email: using a Shared IP or a Dedicated IP. If a dedicated IP addon was not purchased, you get shared IP by default.
Shared IP: A shared IP is used by many customers who do not have a dedicated IP for emailing. This is a cost-effective solution for businesses with lower email volumes.
Dedicated IP: A dedicated IP, on the other hand, is exclusively used by a single customer. This is a great option for businesses with higher email volumes or those who want more control over their email deliverability.
Having a dedicated IP isolates your email traffic from others and gives you full control over your email reputation. It ensures that your email deliverability is not affected by the actions of other senders. Businesses with a consistent email volume and those who send critical transactional emails should consider using a dedicated IP. You can use a single dedicated IP for multiple sender domains.
When you choose a dedicated IP, please be aware that there is an IP warm-up period for the first 4-5 weeks.
Dedicated IP Warmup
When you first start using a dedicated IP, it is important to gradually increase your email volume. This process, known as IP warmup, helps to establish a positive sending reputation with Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Start by sending low volumes of email and then gradually increase your volume over time. You could also consider sending emails in low volumes in multiple batches for the first few weeks until the IP is properly warmed up.
Update: Starting in 2024, major mailbox providers like Gmail and Yahoo are implementing new measures for bulk senders. If your company sends bulk email to high volumes of Yahoo and Google users, you'll need to authenticate your sending email domain, provide easy unsubscribe options, and maintain a reported spam threshold.
Onboard an email domain to our SaaS sites
When it comes to onboarding a new email domain, the procedure can vary a bit between Rackspace SaaS sites and newer cloud-native SaaS sites.
| Rackspace SaaS Sites | Cloud-Native SaaS Sites |
| EURO (London) | MT-EU (Germany) |
| US (Dallas) | MT-CA (Canada) |
| AU (Sydney) | MT-UAE (Dubai) |
| MT-AU (Australia) |
The setup on DE (Germany) site is similar to Rackspace SaaS sites and the setup on MT-KSA (Riyadh) site is similar to the setup on MT-EU/MT-CA site.
How to onboard an email domain to one of our Rackspace SaaS sites
When onboarding a new email sender domain, follow these steps:
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Choose a New Domain or Subdomain: Select a domain name that is distinct from existing email domains used within your company.
- If your company already uses example.com for regular emails, consider using something like feedback.example.com for your survey emails.
- Purchase the chosen domain or subdomain from a domain registrar if you do not already own it.
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Configure DNS records for the new domain:
Establish appropriate SPF, DKIM, DMARC and MX records for your chosen domain or subdomain. Domains lacking these records risk being marked as spam, which can harm the reputation of associated IP addresses.- MX (Mail Exchange) records: These are essential for email delivery. Point them to a mail server responsible for receiving emails for the chosen domain. We do not handle inbound emails for your domain.
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SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records:
Below are SPF records for Forsta Plus SaaS, depending on your region:
US SaaS : "v=spf1 mx include:us.confirmit.com -all"
EURO SaaS : "v=spf1 mx include:euro.confirmit.com -all"
AU SaaS : "v=spf1 mx include:confirmit.com.au -all"
DE SaaS : "v=spf1 mx include:confirmit.de -all" - DKIM record: Forsta Support will provide the public DKIM key for you to publish. This step is essential for email authentication.
- DMARC record: Implement DMARC policies to enhance email reputation and improve deliverability.
Once SPF, DKIM, DMARC and MX records are published, we will assist you further with finishing the setup.
If the customer has purchased Dedicated IP Addon:
With a dedicated IP addon, we purchase a dedicated public IP for emailing from our hosting provider. The onboarding process is slightly different from what was explained above.
The customer still needs to get a domain/sub-domain, add MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records except that the SPF record now includes your dedicated IP. Please reach out to Forsta Support team to get the SPF record and DKIM key.
How to onboard an email domain to one of our Cloud Native SaaS sites
If you are on MT-EU or MT-CA, we use SendGrid emailing platform and if you are on other cloud native sites, we use AWS SES platform for sending your emails.
When onboarding a new email sender domain, follow these steps:
-
Choose a New Domain or Subdomain: Select a domain name that is distinct from existing email domains used within your company.
- If your company already uses example.com for regular emails, consider using something like feedback.example.com for your survey emails.
- Purchase the chosen domain or subdomain from a domain registrar if you do not already own it.
-
Configure DNS records for the new domain:
We provide the customer with the necessary DNS records required for their domain configuration, which usually is a set of CNAME records. The customer adds the provided records to their DNS.
- Verification: Upon the client's completion of the DNS configuration, we conduct verification to ensure the records are correctly added.
- Activation: Once verification is successful, you will get confirmation from Forsta support team. The customer can commence utilizing the domain for their email communication needs.
If the customer has purchased Dedicated IP Addon:
With a dedicated IP addon, we purchase a dedicated IP for emailing from either SendGrid or AWS depending on the site you are on. The onboarding process is similar to the steps explained above, except that the customers need to go through IP warm-up process.
Warm-Up Process: Note that if the client is utilizing a new dedicated IP, it is crucial to undergo a proper warm-up process. This process involves gradually increasing email sending volume to establish a positive reputation for the IP address. Detailed information on recommended sending limits and best practices during the warm-up period can be found in the provided links.
SendGrid: Warming Up an IP Address | Twilio (sendgrid.com)
AWS SES: Warming up dedicated IP addresses (standard) - Amazon Simple Email Service
If the customer has opted for a single-tenant site
Single-tenant site is a dedicated cloud native platform for a single customer. We use AWS SES platform to send emails and by default, a managed dedicated IP is assigned to the site which in turn be used for sending emails. Additional email sender domains can be authenticated using a procedure similar to the one defined above for our cloud-native sites.