Domain alignment (also called DMARC identifier alignment) is a mechanism that ensures an authenticated email domain aligns with the domain found in the 'From' header address, which represents the sender's identity.
Before you implement domain alignment, you first need to authenticate your domain. This will verify your domain and help to improve your email deliverability.
Domain alignment allows you to use your domain throughout the email message, including:
Email header: Where you include the recipient, the sender and the subject line
Tracking links: Unique links which give data and analytics about your domain
Image hyperlinks: Links embedded within images in your email content
Before you can align your domain, you need to make sure that these three domains are the same:
‘From’ address domain: Your visible sender address domain
Return-path domain: The technical sender’s domain (also known as the ‘bounce address’)
Custom link tracking domain: Your domain for tracking links
To align your domain:
From your MailerLite dashboard, navigate to Domains.
Find the authenticated domain you wish to align and click Add custom domain (remember that you need to have already verified and authenticated your domain).
Under Subdomain prefix, enter a prefix to create a new subdomain and click Add. Choose a subdomain prefix such as “mail” that will be used for this purpose and this purpose only. Make sure not to use a subdomain that is already in use.
Next, you will see 3 records: A record, MX record, and TXT record. In your DNS management settings, create an A, MX, and TXT record (we recommend setting the priority for your MX record as 10). Copy and paste the value of each record into the corresponding fields.
Save the changes in your DNS management settings and click Check DNS records in MailerLite.
Wait while the records propagate. In some cases, this can take 24 hours or more.
Once your new records have been accepted in your hosting environment, an ON/OFF switch will appear on your Domains page under Domain alignment. Toggle your domain alignment ON to align your domains.
For an in-depth guide to setting this up, you can also check out the help article on How to align domains for sending.