Introduction
Emails can be sent to patients from noreply@sked.life or your own custom domain (like the one you use for work or for your website. Ex: âoffice@mychiro.comâ).
If you do not have a custom domain and instead use an email address ending in @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, etc., your course of action is to obtain a custom domain or to stop reading this article as it does not apply to you.
This is for you if you want to send emails from your own office domain.
Domain verification can only be added to domains you own and control. Public email services like Gmail and Yahoo can't be verified through SKED.
Domain Verification will allow you to send from any email address on a particular domain. For example, once you have verified mydomain.com, you can send emails using the SKED platform with any @mydomain.com email address.
Email hosting services like Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail do their very best to filter out spam. Domain verification works like a license plate. It provides a trackable identifier that shows you are legitimately you, and it helps your emails arrive in your patientsâ inbox.
How it works
Simply put, authenticating your domain involves copying some information and pasting it in your domain service provider. Depending on your domain provider, the steps to create your records may vary, but they are all basically the same; access the DNS records, paste the new information, and save. Then, weâll show you status indicators to let you know when it verifies/fails. We provide links to the most commonly used domain service providers later in this article.
Copy and paste authentication information
To find the instructions and authentication information for your domain, follow these steps.
Login to the SKED admin
Open the Settings Mega Menu at the bottom of the blue side navigation
In the âGeneralâ category, click the âNotificationsâ menu item
At the bottom of the page, turn on the toggle switch in the âUse Your Custom Emailâ section
âEnter your officeâs email and click the âStart the Domain Verification Processâ button.
In a separate browser window or tab, navigate to your domain provider's website and find your domain's records. Here are some instructions for editing DNS records with popular domain providers. If your service isn't listed here, log in to your provider's site and search their help documents, or contact their customer support team.
Amazon Web Services: Configuring DNS, Resource Record Types
Bluehost Bluerock: Manage DNS Records
Bluehost Legacy: DNS Management
Dreamhost: DNS Overview
GoDaddy: DNS Management
Google Domains: DNS Basics
Hostgator: Manage DNS records
Hover: Edit DNS Record
IONOS: Manage DNS Records
Namecheap: SPF & DKIM
Squarespace: Advanced DNS Settings
Stablehost: How do I get to cpanel?
WordPress: Adding Custom DNS Records
Siteground: Create CNAME Records
After you find your domain's records, navigate back to SKED to see the table of records youâll need to copy. Your table will look different than the one below because the â{domain}â variables will be replaced with your custom domain.
Follow the instructions to create each new record on your domain providerâs website. Copy the values from the SKED table and paste them into the appropriate fields for your domain.
Warning: When you paste text into some domain provider's interfaces, they might automatically append your domain (for example, âxyzchiro.comâ) to it. This results in your domain appearing twice within the same text box, which is incorrect. If you see an extra instance of your domain added, make sure to edit the text so that your domain only appears once in each field.
That's all you'll need to do. Wait for SKED to confirm the information. It can take up to 72 hours for some domains to update. Great work!
Confirm Authentication
Your email domain will be authenticated as soon as SKED can confirm your records are updated and correct. When authentication is successful, you'll see the SPF and DKIM both having verified statuses.
Here is a listing of the possible statuses:
Note: If you make changes to the DNS records later, it could interfere with the information we have on file. If you make changes to your domain's records, disable verification on the Notifications Settings page, and re-verify after your domain record changes are complete.
Troubleshooting
My CNAME Record isnât updating when I create the domain key.
Depending on the domain host youâre using, you may only need to type in part of a domain key. For example, if you enter âk2._domainkey.example.comâ and âskeddkim1._domainkey.example.com.example.comâ is created, update your CNAME record to only include âskeddkim1._domainkeyâ.My records are all correct, but my domain wonât be verified in SKED.
If you've entered all records correctly and your authentication isn't working right away, there typically isn't a cause for concern. You may need to wait a bit longer (up to 72 hours) since it can take awhile for servers to recognize your changes.72 Hours have passed and my domain still hasnât been verified in SKED.
If you still experience problems, reach out to your domain provider's help site for tips on troubleshooting DNS records in their service.
More Information
The following elements form the backbone of modern email and website management.
What is a Domain?
A domain is essentially the name of a website or web address representing an entity on the Internet. It's used to access websites and send emails. For instance, in the email address "user@example.com," "example.com" is the domain. Domains are purchased and managed through domain registrars.
What is an Email Service Provider? (ESP)
Email Service Providers offer services for sending and receiving emails. They can be free providers like Gmail, Yahoo, or paid services that offer more features for businesses or individuals. ESPs handle the technical aspects of email delivery, including spam filtering and email authentication.
What is a Domain Service Provider?
Domain Service Providers, often called domain registrars, are companies where you can purchase and register a domain name for your website or email. They manage the reservation of domain names and the assignment of IP addresses for those domain names.
What is DNS? (Domain Name System)
The Domain Name System is like the phonebook of the Internet. It translates human-readable domain names (like "example.com") into numerical IP addresses that computers use to connect to each other. DNS servers manage a database of domain names and their associated IP addresses.
What is DKIM? (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM adds a digital signature to the headers of an email message. This signature can be verified using a public key published in the sender's DNS records. If the signature matches, it means the email hasn't been tampered with during transit, thereby verifying the sender's identity and ensuring the integrity of the email content.
What is SPF? (Sender Policy Framework)
SPF is an email authentication method used to prevent spammers from sending messages on behalf of your domain. With SPF, an organization can publish authorized mail servers. Receiving servers can then check these SPF records to verify that incoming emails from a domain were sent from a server authorized by the domain owner.
What is DMARC? (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
DMARC is a protocol that uses SPF and DKIM to determine the authenticity of an email message. It allows domain owners to specify how email from their domain should be handled if it fails SPF or DKIM checks. DMARC also includes reporting capabilities, allowing senders to get feedback on emails that pass or fail DMARC evaluation, thus helping in the fight against email fraud and phishing.