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Email Setup and DNS Configuration

Updated

This article covers email setup in Pulse Commerce, including email address configuration, DNS requirements for email authentication, testing, and troubleshooting.

Critical: Email functionality requires proper DNS configuration for email authentication. Emails will not send from your domain until DNS records are verified by Amazon SMTP.
⚙️ Step 1: Configure Email Addresses in General Settings

Location: Settings → General Settings → Order Settings section

Three Email Address Fields

Order Alert Email Address

  • Purpose: Receives internal notifications when new orders are placed
  • DNS Required: NO - can be any email address
  • Example: orders@yourdomain.com, team@gmail.com

Order Confirmation Email Reply Address

  • Purpose: "From" address on customer order confirmation emails
  • DNS Required: YES - must have DNS records configured
  • Example: orders@yourdomain.com, noreply@yourdomain.com
  • Critical: Will not send until domain is verified

Message Center Admin Email

  • Purpose: Customer service communications through CRM
  • DNS Required: YES - must have DNS records configured
  • Example: support@yourdomain.com, customerservice@yourdomain.com
  • Critical: Required for two-way customer communication
Key Distinction: Order Alert Email is where YOU receive emails (no DNS needed). Order Confirmation Reply and Message Center Admin are where Pulse sends emails on your behalf (DNS authentication required).

Enable Email Notifications

Recommended Settings:

  • Email Customer on Order Completion: Yes (sends confirmations)
  • Disable shipping notification email: No (sends shipping updates)
  • Disable notification email on cancelling: No (sends cancellations)
Note: The last two settings use negative logic - "No" means emails ARE enabled.
🌐 Step 2: Understanding Email DNS Requirements

To send emails from your domain through Pulse Commerce, you need DNS records that authenticate your domain with Amazon SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).

Why DNS Authentication is Required

Email authentication prevents spam and ensures your emails reach customer inboxes instead of spam folders. Major email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) require proper authentication.

Required DNS Record Types for Email

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

  • Authorizes which mail servers can send from your domain
  • Prevents email spoofing
  • Required for inbox deliverability

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

  • Cryptographic signature proving email authenticity
  • Verifies email wasn't altered in transit
  • Implemented via CNAME records

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)

  • Policy for handling authentication failures
  • Provides reporting on email delivery
  • Protects brand reputation

Who Manages Your DNS?

If Pulse manages your domain and name servers:

  • Pulse configures all DNS records automatically
  • No manual configuration required
  • Email functional immediately after setup

If you manage your own domain/name servers:

  • Pulse provides DNS records you must add manually
  • You add records to your domain registrar or DNS provider
  • DNS propagation takes 24-48 hours
  • See detailed setup instructions in next section
Critical: If you manage your own DNS, you must add ALL provided records within 72 hours. Amazon authentication keys expire after 72 hours, requiring the process to restart.
📋 Step 3: Adding DNS Records for Email (Manual Setup)

If you manage your own domain's name servers, you must add DNS records to your registrar to enable email authentication.

Critical Timeline: Complete DNS record setup within 72 hours of receiving records from Pulse. Amazon AWS authentication keys expire after 72 hours, requiring the process to restart.

What You'll Receive from Pulse

Pulse will email you a table containing all required DNS records:

  • CNAME Records: DKIM authentication (typically 3-4 records)
  • TXT Records: SPF and Amazon verification
  • MX Records: Mail routing (if applicable)
  • Test URLs: Links to verify each record using Google dig tool

Your Responsibilities

1. Add All Records to Your Registrar

Log into your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) and add each record exactly as provided. Record names and values are case-sensitive.

2. Update Your SPF Record

Add include:amazonses.com and include:email-od.com to your existing SPF record. If you don't have an SPF record, Pulse will provide one.

3. Verify DMARC Record

Ensure your domain has a DMARC record. If not, add: v=DMARC1; p=none;

4. Test Your Records

Use the test URLs provided in Pulse's email to verify each record propagated correctly. Wait 15-30 minutes after adding records before testing.

5. Notify Pulse

Once all test URLs show correct values, reply to Pulse's email confirming: "All DNS records added and verified." Pulse will complete backend configuration within 1-2 business days.

Need Help Adding Records? Contact your domain registrar's support team, IT department, or web hosting provider for assistance with DNS configuration.

Common Issues

  • Records not showing: Check for typos, ensure correct domain, wait full 48 hours for propagation
  • Domain auto-appended: Some registrars add your domain automatically - enter only the subdomain portion
  • SPF lookup limit: Contact Pulse if you have many existing SPF includes
  • 72-hour deadline approaching: Notify Pulse immediately if you need new records
✅ Step 4: Test Email Functionality

After configuring email addresses in General Settings and receiving confirmation from Pulse Support that setup is complete, perform these tests to verify functionality:

Test 1: Order Alert Email (Incoming)

1Place a test order on your storefront

2Check the inbox configured as Order Alert Email Address

3Verify you received an order notification email

4Confirm the email contains correct order details

Test 2: Order Confirmation Email (Outgoing)

1Locate the test order in Orders section

2Verify customer received order confirmation email

3Check that "From" address matches Order Confirmation Email Reply Address

4Confirm email arrived in inbox (not spam)

Test 3: CRM Message Center Email (Outgoing)

1Navigate to customer record for your test order

2Click CRM tab and send a test message to the customer

3Check customer's email inbox

4Verify "From" address matches Message Center Admin Email

5Confirm email formatting displays correctly

Test 4: Shipping Notification Email

1Create a test shipment with tracking number

2Mark the order as shipped

3Verify customer received shipping notification

4Confirm tracking link works correctly

What Success Looks Like:

  • All test emails arrive within 1-2 minutes
  • Emails appear in inbox (not spam folder)
  • FROM addresses display correctly
  • Email formatting and variables populate properly
  • Links and tracking numbers work
If Tests Fail: Review troubleshooting section below or contact Pulse Support with specific test results and error messages.
📨 Understanding Pulse Email Infrastructure

Pulse Email System:

  • Uses Amazon SMTP infrastructure for reliability
  • Handles transactional emails only (order confirmations, shipping notifications, etc.)
  • Strict anti-spam enforcement protects deliverability

Critical - Do NOT Use for Marketing:

  • Never send bulk marketing emails through Pulse
  • Use third-party providers (MailChimp, Constant Contact) for marketing campaigns
  • Violating this policy will result in Amazon SMTP suspension
  • Suspension affects ALL transactional emails for your domain

What Emails to Send Through Pulse:

  • Order confirmations
  • Shipping notifications
  • Customer service messages
  • Account notifications
  • Password resets

What Emails to Send Elsewhere:

  • Marketing newsletters
  • Promotional campaigns
  • Bulk announcements
  • Any non-transactional mass emails
⚠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues

Emails Not Sending

Check these items in order:

  • DNS Configuration: If you manage your own DNS, verify all records are added to registrar
  • DNS Propagation: Wait full 24-48 hours after adding records
  • Domain Verification: Contact Pulse to confirm Amazon verification complete
  • Email Triggers: Verify notification settings enabled in General Settings
  • Domain Match: Ensure email address domain matches verified domain

Emails Going to Spam

Common causes:

  • Incomplete DNS: Verify all SPF, DKIM, DMARC records present
  • Wrong FROM Address: Ensure using verified domain email
  • New Domain: New domains need time to build reputation (1-2 weeks)
  • Content Issues: Avoid spam trigger words, excessive images

Wrong Email Notifications

Solution:

  • Review Settings → General Settings → Order Settings
  • Update the appropriate email address field
  • Click Update to save changes

DNS Records Not Working

Common mistakes:

  • Domain name auto-appended by registrar (creates "domain.com.domain.com")
  • Typos in record names or values
  • Records added to wrong domain
  • Insufficient propagation time (wait full 48 hours)

Need Help? Contact Pulse Support with:

  • Which test failed (order alert, confirmation, CRM, shipping)
  • Any error messages received
  • Screenshots of DNS records (if managing your own DNS)
  • Test URL results from Google dig tool
✅ Email Deliverability Best Practices

Maintain Strong Deliverability:

  • Use branded email addresses: name@yourdomain.com (not Gmail/Yahoo)
  • Keep lists clean: Remove invalid addresses, manage bounces promptly
  • Monitor spam folder placement: Ask customers to check periodically
  • Maintain consistent volume: Avoid sudden large spikes in email sending
  • Watch bounce rates: High bounces harm domain reputation
  • Separate marketing from transactional: Use different providers

If Suspended by Amazon:

  • Stop all email sending immediately
  • Contact Pulse Support for remediation steps
  • Clean email lists before resuming
  • Review content for spam triggers
  • Do not attempt to send until cleared by Pulse
📋 Quick Setup Checklist

If You Manage Your Own DNS:

  • ☐ Request DNS records from Pulse Support
  • ☐ Add all CNAME, TXT, and MX records to domain registrar
  • ☐ Update root SPF record to include Amazon SES
  • ☐ Verify DMARC record exists
  • ☐ Test all records using provided URLs
  • ☐ Wait 24-48 hours for DNS propagation
  • ☐ Notify Pulse that all records are verified
  • ☐ Receive confirmation from Pulse that verification complete

All Users - Email Configuration:

  • ☐ Configure Order Alert Email Address
  • ☐ Configure Order Confirmation Email Reply Address (verified domain)
  • ☐ Configure Message Center Admin Email (verified domain)
  • ☐ Enable all email notification triggers
  • ☐ Click Update to save settings
  • ☐ Wait for Pulse Support confirmation that setup is complete

Testing:

  • ☐ Test order alert email (incoming)
  • ☐ Test order confirmation email (outgoing to customer)
  • ☐ Test CRM message center email (outgoing to customer)
  • ☐ Test shipping notification email
  • ☐ Verify all emails arrive in inbox (not spam)
  • ☐ Confirm FROM addresses display correctly

Ongoing:

  • ☐ Monitor email deliverability
  • ☐ Keep email lists clean
  • ☐ Use separate provider for marketing emails
  • ☐ Track bounce rates and spam complaints

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