Definition
A CNAME (Canonical Name) record maps one domain name to another. In email marketing, CNAME records are commonly used to create branded tracking domains — instead of clicks going to click.your-esp.com, they go to track.yourdomain.com, which resolves to your ESP's servers.
Common Uses
- Tracking domain:
track.yourdomain.comCNAME totrack.your-esp.com— branded click tracking links - Sending subdomain:
mail.yourdomain.com— separates email reputation from your main domain - Return-Path domain:
bounces.yourdomain.com— branded bounce processing
Setup
Your ESP provides the target domain for the CNAME. You create the CNAME record in your DNS provider pointing your chosen subdomain to the ESP's target. Changes take effect within minutes to 48 hours depending on your DNS provider's TTL settings.
Why It Matters
Branded tracking domains improve deliverability because the links in your email match your sending domain rather than your ESP's domain. This consistency signals authenticity to ISPs and spam filters.
Related Glossary Terms
AOL Mail for Email Marketers
AOL Mail is a legacy email provider with specific deliverability requirements and rendering quirks, now operating as part of the Yahoo+AOL network under shared infrastructure.
BIMI
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email standard that allows brands to display their logo next to their emails in supported email clients. It requires DMARC enforcement at quarantine or reject policy.
Bounce Rate Threshold
A bounce rate threshold is the percentage of hard or soft bounces at which email platforms and ISPs begin to penalise sender reputation, typically around 2-5%.
Bounce Rate
Email bounce rate is the percentage of emails that were rejected by the receiving server before reaching the recipient. It is a key indicator of list health and data quality.
Email Deliverability
Email deliverability is the ability to land in the recipient's inbox rather than the spam folder. It depends on sender reputation, authentication, list quality, and content practices.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method that uses digital signatures to verify that an email was not tampered with during transit and comes from a authorised domain.