By default, the emails ReferralCandy sends for you — referral invites, reminders, reward emails — come from the default ReferralCandy address, postman@candymail.com, with your store's name shown as the sender name.

Setting up a custom email domain lets ReferralCandy send these emails from your own sender email address instead (for example, hello@yourstore.com). Emails sent from your own domain are more recognisable to your customers and improve deliverability. The setup is optional — your emails send fine on the default ReferralCandy address without it.

Looking to put your own domain on your referral links and pages instead? That's a separate setting — see Setting up a custom domain for your referral portal. This article covers the email sender domain; that one covers the domain your referral links and pages use.

Important: Your emails switch to your own address once the two required steps are complete — your sender email is added (step 1) and DKIM authentication is verified (step 2). Until then, emails keep sending from the default ReferralCandy address, and your referral program keeps running normally — an incomplete setup never stops your emails. Steps 3 (DMARC) and 4 (SPF) protect your deliverability but never block sending.

Before you start, two things to know:

Your sender email must be at a domain you own. Personal email addresses like @gmail.com or @outlook.com are not allowed.
Steps 2–4 involve adding records to your domain's DNS settings (usually at your domain registrar or DNS provider). If someone else manages your domain or website, you may want their help with those steps.

Where to find your Custom email domain settings

The setup lives on the Custom email domain page. Depending on how you access ReferralCandy, here's how to reach it:

If you use ReferralCandy on Shopify
In your Shopify admin, go to: Apps → Referral Candy → Account → Custom email domain
Or open: https://admin.shopify.com/apps/referralcandy/account/custom-email-domain
If you use ReferralCandy on other platforms (or log in directly)
Log in to ReferralCandy and go to: Account → Custom email domain
Or open: https://my.referralcandy.com/account/custom-email-domain

The Custom email domain page shows a Setup progress header and four numbered steps. Each step carries a badge telling you how much it matters: steps 1 (sender email) and 2 (DKIM) are Required — completing them is what switches your sending address. Step 3 (DMARC) is labeled Required for Gmail & Yahoo delivery — strongly recommended for inbox placement, but it doesn't block sending. Step 4 (SPF) is Optional — an advanced extra most merchants can skip. All four steps are visible from the start, but steps 2–4 unlock once you've saved your sender email in step 1.

Each step also shows a status badge as you work through it. Here's what each status means:

Status	Meaning
Not started	You haven't begun this step yet
Action needed	The step is waiting on something from you
Checking…	ReferralCandy is waiting for your DNS changes to propagate (checked automatically)
Verified	The step is complete
Failed	The last check didn't pass — review the records and try again
Needs attention	A previously verified step has stopped passing

Once steps 1 and 2 are verified, the Setup progress header switches to Custom sending active and your campaign emails start sending from your own address.

Step 1: Add your sender email

To add your sender email address:

Open your Custom email domain page using the steps in the section above.
In the Sender (from) email address field, enter the address you want your emails to come from (for example, hello@yourstore.com).
Replies from customers go to this same address by default. To receive replies at a different address, uncheck Use this as your reply-to email and enter a separate reply-to address.
Click Save.

There's no verification email to click — your sender email is saved immediately, and ownership of your domain is proven in the next step through DNS records instead.

Note: Saving your sender email does not switch sending on its own. Emails continue to go out from the default ReferralCandy address until DKIM authentication (step 2) is verified.

Step 2: Set up DKIM authentication

DKIM authentication proves to receiving inboxes that your emails genuinely come from your domain. This step is required — it's what activates sending from your custom address.

To set up DKIM authentication:

In step 2 on the Custom email domain page, click Create keys. Three CNAME records are generated (CNAME 1–3), each with a Name and a Value you can copy. They look like this:
Name: abcd1234._domainkey.yourdomain.com
Value: abcd1234.dkim.amazonses.com
In your domain's DNS settings, create a new CNAME record for each one — paste the Name into the record's Name/Host field and the Value into the Value/Target field, using the copy buttons so nothing is shortened. Add all three records.
Wait for verification. DNS changes can take up to 72 hours to propagate, and ReferralCandy checks automatically every few minutes — so you can leave the page and come back. While the records propagate, the step shows Checking…. Once it flips to Verified, you'll also receive a confirmation email.

Once DKIM is verified, the Setup progress header shows Custom sending active, and from then on the emails ReferralCandy sends on your behalf show your store's name with your own sender email address:

Important: The CNAME "Name/Host" format depends on your DNS provider

When adding the CNAME records, your DNS provider might automatically append your domain name to the Name/Host field.

If your DNS provider auto-appends your domain, enter only the prefix (everything before your domain).

Example: if ReferralCandy shows abcd1234._domainkey.yourdomain.com, enter abcd1234._domainkey.

If your DNS provider does not auto-append your domain, paste the full hostname exactly as shown.

Example: abcd1234._domainkey.yourdomain.com.

A quick way to spot the issue: if the record ends up looking like ...yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com, the domain was appended twice — remove the extra yourdomain.com.

Always copy the Value/Target exactly as shown (don't shorten it). Some providers explicitly warn that they assume your domain and you should avoid duplicating it.

Step 3: Add a DMARC record

A DMARC record is highly recommended, and required for reliable delivery to Gmail and Yahoo if you send large volumes. DMARC is a small DNS record that tells email providers how to handle messages claiming to be from your domain — and mailbox providers expect legitimate senders to have one.

Note: Your emails are still sent from your custom address even if DMARC is not set up. This step never blocks sending — it protects your deliverability.

To complete the DMARC step:

Check whether your domain already has a DMARC record — many domains do. You can look up your domain's current DMARC record with a tool like MXToolbox. If it does, you're set — click Verify DMARC in step 3.
If not, add a new TXT record in your domain's DNS settings. In the record's Name/Host field, enter _dmarc (some providers want the full form, _dmarc.yourdomain.com). In the Value field, enter v=DMARC1; p=none;
Back on the Custom email domain page, click Verify DMARC.

The minimal monitoring-only policy above (p=none) is enough to satisfy mailbox providers' requirements without affecting your other email services. If your team already uses a stricter DMARC policy, that qualifies too — you don't need to change it.

Good to know: ReferralCandy keeps re-checking your DMARC record after it verifies. If it ever stops passing — for example, after a DNS change — the step shows Needs attention and you'll receive an email so you can fix it before deliverability suffers.

Important: Google's sender guidelines require bulk senders to have a DMARC policy for email to reach personal Gmail accounts — so beyond this setup, a DMARC record helps all email sent from your domain land in inboxes.

Step 4: Set up SPF (advanced, optional)

Setting up SPF is an optional extra safeguard for deliverability. Your DKIM setup already satisfies DMARC; adding SPF on a custom sending subdomain keeps DMARC passing even if your DKIM records ever break. It never blocks sending — if the records are missing or wrong, your emails simply continue sending the way they did before. Most merchants can skip this step.

To set up SPF:

In step 4 on the Custom email domain page, choose your Sending subdomain. It defaults to mail (so your sending subdomain would be mail.yourstore.com), but you can pick any subdomain you like — letters, numbers, and hyphens.
Click Set up SPF. Two DNS records are generated for your chosen subdomain.
In your domain's DNS settings, add both records exactly as shown: an MX record on the subdomain (priority 10), and a TXT record on the subdomain containing v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all.
Wait for confirmation — the step shows Checking… until the records are found.

Important: Choose a subdomain that isn't already used by another email service — its DNS records would conflict with the ones this step asks you to add. If mail.yourstore.com already serves another provider, pick something else (for example, rcmail or bounce).

Changing or removing your sender email

To change your sender email later, expand step 1 on the Custom email domain page, enter the new address, and click Save. Two things to know about what happens to your setup progress:

Changing to an address at a different domain resets your setup progress for DKIM, DMARC, and SPF — DNS records from your old domain don't carry over, so you'll complete steps 2–4 again for the new domain.
Changing only the part before the @ (staying on the same domain) keeps your progress.

To stop using a custom address entirely, expand step 1 and click Remove email. Your emails go back to sending from the default ReferralCandy address, postman@candymail.com.

Setting up DNS records with popular providers

The exact steps for adding CNAME and TXT records differ by DNS provider. Official guides for common providers:

If your provider isn't listed, search its help center for "add CNAME record".

Frequently asked questions

Why are my emails still sent from postman@candymail.com?

Until both required steps are complete — your sender email added (step 1) and DKIM authentication verified (step 2) — ReferralCandy sends your emails from its default address, postman@candymail.com, with your store's name as the sender name. To see what's holding the switch back, open your Custom email domain page and check which of the first two steps doesn't show Verified yet. DMARC (step 3) and SPF (step 4) don't affect which address your emails send from.

Depending on your account, the default address may end in candymail.com, candymail.co, candymail.cc, or candymail.ch — they're all the same ReferralCandy sending service.

What happens if I don't finish the setup?

Nothing breaks if you don't finish the custom email domain setup. Your referral emails continue to send from the default ReferralCandy address until steps 1 and 2 are verified, and your referral program keeps running normally the whole time. You can pick the setup back up whenever you like — your progress on completed steps is saved.

Will my emails still send if I skip DMARC or SPF?

Yes — skipping DMARC or SPF never stops your emails. Only steps 1 and 2 (sender email + DKIM) are required for sending from your custom address. DMARC protects your deliverability to Gmail and Yahoo, and is required for reliable delivery if you send large volumes; SPF is an optional extra safeguard on top of that. Both are worth doing for inbox placement, but neither blocks sending.

What do I check if DKIM has been "Checking…" for a long time or won't verify?

If DKIM isn't verifying, check the three CNAME records in your DNS settings against what ReferralCandy shows — each record's Name and Value must match exactly, and all three must be added to the correct domain. The most common issue is the Name/Host field: if your DNS provider auto-appends your domain, the record can end up duplicated (...yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com) — see the "Important" callout under step 2. Also keep in mind DNS propagation can genuinely take up to 72 hours, though it's usually much faster. A DNS lookup tool can show you what's actually live in your DNS — see "How do I check whether my CNAME records were added correctly?" below. If everything matches and it still hasn't verified after 72 hours, our support team can take a look — just let us know.

How do I check whether my CNAME records were added correctly?

You can confirm your CNAME records are live yourself with a DNS lookup — useful if someone else, like your developer or domain provider, added the records for you and you want to verify them without waiting for ReferralCandy's check.

Open a CNAME lookup tool, such as MXToolbox's CNAME Lookup.
Look up each of the three Names exactly as shown on your Custom email domain page (for example, abcd1234._domainkey.yourdomain.com).
Each lookup should return its matching Value (for example, abcd1234.dkim.amazonses.com).

What the results mean:

All three return their matching Values — the records are set up correctly. ReferralCandy's own check runs automatically every few minutes, but DNS propagation can take up to 72 hours, so the step may show Checking… for a while even though the records are right.
A lookup returns no record — that record isn't live: it may not have been added yet, may still be propagating (DNS changes can take a few hours), or may have been added with a duplicated name — see the "Important" callout under step 2 about providers auto-appending your domain.
A lookup returns a different value — the Value was copied incorrectly. Re-copy it exactly from the Custom email domain page and update the record.

Why is my DNS provider rejecting the CNAME "Name/Host" value?

Some DNS providers expect only the hostname prefix in the Name/Host field and automatically append your domain. If you paste the full hostname, your provider may treat it as duplicated (for example: …yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com) or "invalid."

Try this:

If your DNS UI already shows your domain separately (or you select the domain first), paste only the prefix (for example: abcd1234._domainkey).
If it does not, paste the full hostname (for example: abcd1234._domainkey.yourdomain.com).
Keep the Value/Target exactly as shown.

Why did my DMARC step change to "Needs attention"?

A DMARC step showing Needs attention means your DMARC record verified before but is now failing ReferralCandy's checks — usually after a DNS change on your side. Check that the _dmarc TXT record still exists on your domain and is valid; the step re-verifies automatically once it's fixed. Your emails still send from your custom address in the meantime — DMARC never blocks sending — but fixing it protects your deliverability to Gmail and Yahoo.

Can I use the same domain with another email service?

Yes — you can use the same domain with ReferralCandy and another email service (like Klaviyo or Mailchimp) at the same time. DKIM CNAME records are unique per service and don't conflict with each other. For the optional SPF step, just make sure you choose a sending subdomain that the other service isn't already using — see the "Important" callout under step 4.

I send my referral emails through Klaviyo — does this setup still apply?

Emails sent through your Klaviyo flows use your Klaviyo sender settings — the setup on this page doesn't affect them. This page applies to the emails ReferralCandy sends directly. Even if your referral, reminder, and reward emails all go out through Klaviyo, ReferralCandy still sends a few emails itself (for example, advocate password resets), so a custom email domain still applies to those. See Integration: Using ReferralCandy with Klaviyo for what the integration covers.

Can ReferralCandy configure my DNS for me?

No — DNS records can only be changed by someone with access to your domain, so ReferralCandy can't make these changes for you. You may need developer assistance to complete the steps, and your domain provider can answer questions about their own DNS dashboard.