Understanding Domain Terminology

This article will help to better understand how email and internet systems work without getting lost in complicated technical language.

Email Identity & Trust

In this section, you'll find all of the explanations related to who you are and how inbox providers decide to trust your emails.

Email Domain

This is the part of an email address that comes after the "@" symbol, like yourcompany.com   .

Why is an Email Domain important?

It shows who the email is from and helps people recognise the sender as a real business.

DNS - Domain Name System

Think of DNS like the internet’s phonebook: every website has an address made of numbers called an IP address, but those are hard to remember. DNS translates easy-to-remember names (like example.com   ) into those numeric addresses so your computer knows where to go.

SPF - Sender Policy Framework

This is like a guest list for your domain that says which email services are allowed to send emails on your behalf. A TXT record is simply where that list is written down in your domain settings. So when someone receives your email, their system checks that list to see if the sender is approved, and if they are, the email is trusted more.

There can only be 1 SPF record per domain - it is either shown as an SPF record in your DNS settings or as a TXT record (it can vary between providers). There are tools you can use online that show you what your SPF record currently is, such as MX Toolbox.

Why is SPF important?

It helps prevent spoofing and improve deliverability.

DKIM - DomainKeys Identified Mail

This is like a special digital signature added to your emails that shows they really came from you and weren’t changed on the way. A CNAME record is just a signpost that tells you to go over there to check it. So instead of keeping that signature information yourself, you point to your email provider, and when someone receives your email, their system follows that signpost to confirm everything is genuine.

Why is DKIM important?

It proves your digital signature hasn't been changed and the email really came from your domain.

DMARC - Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance

This is a security setting for your email domain that helps prevent scammers from sending fake emails pretending to be you. It works by checking whether incoming emails pass two other security checks called SPF and DKIM, and then tells email providers like Gmail or Outlook what to do if those checks fail - such as send the email to spam or block it completely.

Why is DMARC important?

It helps stop scammers from pretending to send emails from your domain, so your real emails are more trusted and more likely to reach inboxes.

MX Records - Mail Exchange

This is a DNS setting that tells the internet where to deliver emails for your domain. They act like a set of directions that guide incoming emails to the correct email servers.

Why are MX Records important?

It makes sure messages sent to an address actually reach the inbox.

Tracking & Content Delivery

In this section, you'll find explanations of how email content, links, and media are delivered and tracked.

Tracking Domain

A tracking domain is a web address used in emails to help you see what people do after they receive your message. When someone clicks a link in your email or opens it, the tracking domain quietly records that action.

Why is a Tracking Domain important?

It helps you understand how people interact with your emails, such as who clicks your links, so you can improve future communication.

CDN Domain - Content Delivery Network

A CDN domain is a web address used to quickly deliver things like images and other media in your emails or on your website.

Why is a CDN Domain important?

It helps make sure content loads fast and smoothly for your audience (no matter their location) by sending it from the nearest available server.

Security & Encryption

In this section, you'll find explanations of how data is protected and how security certificates are handled.

SSL - Secure Sockets Layer

This is a security technology that encrypts data sent between a website or service and its users, helping keep information private and secure. You’ll usually recognize it by the padlock icon in a browser or URLs that start with https://      .

Why is SSL important?

It helps protect tracking links and branded domains so users and mailbox providers can trust them.

CAA Records - Certification Authority Authorization

This is a DNS setting that tells the internet which companies are allowed to issue SSL certificates for your domain.

Why are CAA Records important?

It adds an extra layer of protection by helping prevent unauthorized or fake certificates from being created for your website or email-related domains.