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📧 Sending Surveys From Your Email Domain

Jomar
Updated

Link to SES section below

 

When you're first getting started, your surveys will be sent from an AskNicely email address (noreply@asknicelyemail.com). However, once your survey program is up and running, we strongly recommend that you set up your own domain so emails appear to come directly from your organization.

This is important for a few reasons:

  • ✅ Customers are more likely to open and respond to messages from a recognizable sender.

  • 🎨 Consistent branding builds trust with your Contacts.

  • 🚫 Emails from your own domain are less likely to get caught in spam filters.

🔄 SES Setup 

All new tenants are required to use the SES setup. If you are required to migrate to SES (Amazon Simple Email Service), AskNicely will contact you directly.

⚠️ You will need:

  • AskNicely Administrator privileges

  • Access to your DNS hosting provider (usually the provider you bought your domain from, e.g. GoDaddy)

New tenants:

  1. Go to Settings > General > Email Domain in AskNicely
  2. Enter your domain and follow the on-screen steps

If migrating from Mandril to SES:

  1. Go to Settings > General > Email Domain in AskNicely

  2. Toggle "Switch to SES"

  3. Enter your domain and follow the on-screen steps

  4. Once verified, click “Switch to SES” to finalize

 

🔄 Mandril Setup 

These are instructions for an email service that we are migrating away from. If you are a new tenant or you are instructed by the AskNicely team to migrate to SES, please use the instructions above.

 

🔧 Steps To Set Up Your Email Domain

To send emails from your organization’s domain, AskNicely uses Mandrill, an email-sending service owned by MailChimp. To authorize this, you’ll need to configure your DNS settings to include DKIM records.

⚠️ You will need:

  • AskNicely Administrator privileges

  • Access to your DNS hosting provider (usually the provider you bought your domain from, e.g. GoDaddy)

🪜 Step-by-Step Instructions

Here are the exact steps to enable Mandrill for your organization once you have arrived at Settings > Email Domain and entered your email domain.

 

Go to your DNS settings and create the following new records:

    • DKIM Records:
      • Create a CNAME record:
        • Name: mte1._domainkey.yourdomain.com
        • Value: dkim1.mandrillapp.com
      • Create another CNAME record:
        • Name: mte2._domainkey.yourdomain.com
        • Value: dkim2.mandrillapp.com
      • Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.

📘 Note: These DKIM records will not affect your current email deliveries.
Learn more about DKIM here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DomainKeys_Identified_Mail

2. Add a DMARC Record (If You Don’t Already Have One)

    • DMARC Record:
      • Create a TXT record:
        • Name: _dmarc.yourdomain.com
        • Value: v=DMARC1; p=none
      • Again, replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.

Note: If you already define your DMARC policy, no changes are necessary. Only complete if no DMARC policy exists yet.

3. Verify Your Domain

In Step 3, our tool will ask you for your email address so a verification link can be sent via email from "Mandrill Client Services".  

Once that email arrives, copy and paste the verification link found in that email into the "Verification Link" field in AskNicely. (Clicking that link will do nothing.)

You will receive an email from AskNicely Support within 2 business days informing you that the Verification process is complete.

4. Set Your "From" Email Address

Once your domain is verified, enter a live email address at your company to appear as the sender in all survey messages.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is SPF?

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a DNS record that identifies authorized servers to send email on behalf of your domain. You must add mandrillapp.com to your SPF record so AskNicely can send from your domain.

What is DKIM?

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is a system that allows the receiver to check that an email was indeed sent and authorized by the owner of that domain.

What Does DKIM Do?

DKIM settings act as a digital signature. When Mandrill sends an email, it uses its private key to sign it. Receiving servers use the public key you add via DNS to verify the sender’s authenticity.

Will DKIM Affect Our Own Email Server?

No. DKIM only applies to emails signed by Mandrill. It will not interfere with email platforms like Gmail, Outlook, Office365, or your internal servers.

Why Do I Need Both DKIM and SPF?

DKIM and SPF work together to:

  • Authenticate your email sender

  • Confirm message integrity

  • Improve deliverability

  • Reduce the chance of messages ending up in spam folders

Does AskNicely Support SPF Alignment?

No.
DMARC requires either SPF or DKIM to pass. Both are not required to pass at the same time for successful delivery.

🙋 Need Help?

If you run into trouble or need a hand with setup, click the chat icon at the bottom-right of the screen or email support@asknice.ly — we’re happy to help!

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