What Is a Sending Domain in Piano ESP?
A sending domain (also called a "From" domain) is the domain that appears in the From address of emails sent through Piano ESP, for example, the @news.example.com part of newsletter@news.example.com.
By default, Piano ESP uses a shared or provisioned domain. You can replace this with your own custom domain so that recipients see emails coming directly from your brand.
Why Should I Use a Custom Sending Domain?
Using a custom sending domain provides several benefits:
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Brand consistency: Recipients see your domain in the "From" address, reinforcing trust and brand recognition.
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Improved deliverability: Properly authenticated custom domains (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) help mailbox providers verify that emails are legitimately sent on your behalf, reducing the chance of messages being marked as spam.
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DMARC alignment: If you have a DMARC policy on your organization's domain, using a custom sending domain ensures alignment between the "From" header and the authenticated domain.
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Reputation control: Your sending reputation is tied to your own domain rather than a shared one.
How Do I Set Up a Custom Sending Domain?
Setting up a custom sending domain is a collaborative process between you and Piano Support. You provide the domain, publish DNS records, and Piano handles the backend configuration.
Request the Domain from Piano Support
Open a support ticket and provide the information listed in the Section here. Piano Support will prepare the DNS configuration for your domain and share the required records with you (often as a DNS configuration file).
Publish the DNS Records
Add the DNS records provided by Piano to your domain's DNS configuration. See this Section for details on the types of records typically required.
Important:
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Add the records exactly as supplied — do not modify values, add quotes, or change record types.
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Check for conflicting existing records on the same hostnames before adding new ones.
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DNS propagation typically takes minutes to 48 hours.
Notify Piano Support to Verify
Once you have published the DNS records, notify Piano Support. The support team will:
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Verify that the DNS records are correctly published and resolving.
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Complete the backend configuration to enable the domain in your ESP site.
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Set the new domain as the default for your campaigns (if requested).
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Send a test email to confirm everything is working correctly.
Test Deliverability
After the domain is enabled, send a test campaign and confirm in the message headers that authentication is passing:
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SPF= pass -
DKIM= pass -
DMARC= pass (if configured)
Most email clients allow you to view message headers (sometimes called "original message" or "message source") to check these values.
How Long Does the Process Take?
The end-to-end process typically takes 2 to 10 business days, depending on:
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How quickly the DNS records are published on your side.
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DNS propagation time (minutes to 48 hours).
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Verification and backend configuration by Piano Support.
You can help speed up the process by publishing the DNS records promptly and notifying Piano Support as soon as the changes are live.
Can I Use Multiple Sending Domains?
Yes. You can configure more than one sending domain in Piano ESP — for example, to support different brands, teams, or campaign types. The typical approach is:
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Configure each domain through the DNS and Support process described above.
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Choose one domain as the default for new campaigns.
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Select other domains for specific campaigns as needed.
If you need multiple domains, include all of them in your initial support request so they can be set up together.
What DNS Records Are Needed?
The exact records are provided by Piano Support and are specific to your domain. They typically include:
|
Record Type |
Purpose |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Authorizes the email-sending infrastructure to send on behalf of your domain. |
If you already have an SPF record, merge the new |
|
|
Provides cryptographic signing to verify that emails have not been tampered with. |
The record type (TXT or CNAME) depends on your configuration. Use the values exactly as provided. |
|
|
Defines your domain's email authentication policy. |
Recommended. If you already have a DMARC record on your domain, ensure it aligns with the new sending setup. |
|
|
Routes inbound email (e.g., bounce handling). |
Required for the sending subdomain if specified in the DNS configuration. |
|
|
Configures bounce and click/open tracking paths. |
Included if tracking is configured for your domain. |
Always use the specific values provided by Piano Support. The table above describes the general purpose of each record type, but the actual hostnames and values will be unique to your domain.
Troubleshooting
DNS Verification Is Failing
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Confirm the records are published on the correct hostname (e.g., a subdomain like
news.example.com, not the root domainexample.com, or vice versa). -
Ensure there are no typos, extra spaces, or quotes in the record values.
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Check for conflicting records on the same hostname (e.g., two SPF TXT records, or a CNAME alongside other record types).
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Allow up to 48 hours for DNS propagation. You can verify propagation using
digor a public DNS checker.
Emails Are Going to Spam After the Change
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Verify that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are all passing in the message headers.
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If you are using a brand-new domain that has not sent email before, it may take time to build sender reputation. Consider ramping up volume gradually.
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Ensure your DMARC policy is aligned with the new sending domain.
What to Include in Your Support Request
To speed up the setup process, include the following information in your support ticket:
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ESP environment/region:
esp.piano.io,esp-eu.piano.io, oresp-ap.piano.io -
ESP Site ID and client/organization name
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The sender domain(s) you want to configure (e.g.,
news.example.com) -
Which domain should be the default for new campaigns (if configuring multiple domains)
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Confirmation of when DNS changes have been published (once you have added the records)