Domain Setup

This guide walks you through adding a custom domain to eSMS Mail so you can send emails from your own domain (e.g. hello@yourdomain.com).

Step 1: Add the domain

1. Log in to send.esmsafrica.io
2. Go to Domains
3. Click Add Domain
4. Enter your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com)

eSMS Mail generates five DNS records for you. The exact values are shown on your domain's settings page.

Step 2: Add DNS records

Go to your DNS provider (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy, Route 53, etc.) and add all five records:

1. Domain Ownership (verification)

Type: TXT
Host: yourdomain.com
Value: esms-verification=abc123...

2. SPF — Sender Authorization

Type: TXT
Host: yourdomain.com
Value: v=spf1 include:send.esmsafrica.io ~all

If you already have an SPF record (e.g. for Google Workspace), merge the includes into one record:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:send.esmsafrica.io ~all

3. DKIM — Email Signature

Type: TXT
Host: esms._domainkey.yourdomain.com
Value: v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgk...

4. DMARC — Abuse Policy

Type: TXT
Host: _dmarc.yourdomain.com
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@send.esmsafrica.io

Start with p=none (monitoring only). Once you've confirmed emails pass authentication, upgrade to p=quarantine. See the DMARC guide for details.

5. Return Path — Bounce Handling

Type: CNAME
Host: esms-bounce.yourdomain.com
Value: bounces.send.esmsafrica.io

Step 3: Verify

Click Check Now in the dashboard. eSMS Mail checks each DNS record and shows a progress tracker (Step 1 of 5 through Step 5 of 5). Records are also checked automatically every few seconds.

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, but usually complete within minutes. Once all 5 records are verified, your domain status changes to verified and you can start sending.

Step 4: Create a sender address

Once verified, create a sender address:

1. Go to Sender Addresses
2. Click Create
3. Select your domain
4. Enter the email address (e.g. hello@yourdomain.com)
5. Enter a display name (e.g. "Your Company")

Step 5: Send an email

You're ready to send! Use the API or SMTP to send emails from your verified domain.

Troubleshooting

If verification fails, use the Diagnose button to check for common issues:

• Multiple SPF records (only one allowed per domain)
• DKIM record not propagated yet
• Verification token mismatch
• Wrong host name for DKIM record

See DNS Setup for detailed DNS configuration.