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Set up your domain

This article explains how you connect your own domain to Spoks.

Written by David Isak Hansen

If your email sending domain is not verified, you will be unable to publish or schedule campaigns in Spoks. This guide will walk you through the steps to set up and verify your domain, ensuring that your campaigns can be sent without any issues.

To set up your domain:

  1. Navigate to Settings -> Domain Settings in Spoks.

  2. Confirm your main domain. This is usually the same URL as your public Shopify store.

  3. Define your desired subdomains for:

    • Email

    • Short links (Spoks automatically brands all visible links with your domain, similar to a built-in link shortener like Bitly).

    • Web posts (shareable links to your content).

  4. Generate DNS records. After confirming your setup, Spoks will generate the necessary DNS records.

Adding the DNS Records:

The generated DNS records must be added to your domain's DNS settings, which are managed by your domain registrar (the service where you bought the domain).

  • If you don't know your domain provider: Use a service like Who Is to look up your domain for clues on its hosting location.

  • Accessing DNS Settings: Log in to your domain registrar's service. You can typically find the DNS settings under a "Settings" or "Manage Domain" section. Add the records provided by Spoks here.

  • Provider-Specific Instructions: Spoks also provides step-by-step instructions for the most popular domain providers.

Handling Existing DNS Records:

If you are coming from a different provider, some DNS TXT records might already exist:

  • _dmarc record: If this exists, you can leave it as is. Spoks does not impose strict requirements on this record, only that it be present.

  • v=spf1 record: If this exists, you must update it to include include:sendgrid.net before the -all parameter.

  • Other records: None of the other records should typically be present and will be created for the first time.

Examples of Updated SPF Records

  • Before Update:

      v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:shops.shopify.com ~all

  • After Update:

      v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:shops.shopify.com include:sendgrid.net ~all

  • Another Example:

      v=spf1 include:_spf.hostedemail.com ~all

    Updated Version:

  v=spf1 include:_spf.hostedemail.com include:sendgrid.net ~all

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Creating Multiple SPF Records: Ensure there is only one SPF TXT record for your domain. Multiple SPF records can cause email authentication to fail.

  • Incorrect Syntax: Double-check the syntax of your SPF record to avoid errors.

  • Not Saving Changes: Ensure you save your changes in the DNS settings and verify that they have propagated.

TTL (Time To Live):

If prompted to specify the TTL for the records, you can choose either 1 hour or 3600 seconds.

Verification:

Once you have finished creating and updating your DNS records, return to Spoks and click Start verification.

This starts a verification process that usually takes up to 1 hour. This triggers a background validation and the generation of necessary SSL certificates. Upon successful verification, you will be able to publish and schedule campaigns without any restrictions.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Check DNS Propagation: DNS changes may take some time to propagate. If verification fails, wait for a few hours and try again.

  • Verify DNS Records: Double-check that all DNS records are correctly configured as per the instructions in Spoks.

  • Contact Support: If issues persist, reach out to Spoks support for further assistance.

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