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Domain Verification

Verify a custom sender domain to send emails from your own address (e.g., support@yourdomain.com) instead of NotifyKit's default noreply@notifykit.dev.

Requirements​

Plan Requirement

Custom domain verification is available on Indie and Startup plans only. Free plan emails always send from noreply@notifykit.dev.

Email Provider

Domain verification currently uses SendGrid. You must have your SendGrid API key connected in Settings → Email Provider before requesting domain verification.

Coming soon: Support for Resend, Mailgun, and AWS SES. :::

One Domain Per Account

You can only verify one domain per account at a time. To switch to a different domain, remove the existing one first.

How It Works​

NotifyKit registers your domain with SendGrid and generates three CNAME DNS records. Once you add those records to your DNS provider, you trigger verification. If DNS has propagated correctly, your domain becomes active for sending.

When you send an email with a from address on your verified domain, NotifyKit automatically rewrites it to the correct sending subdomain internally. You just use your domain as-is.

Step 1: Request Verification​

Go to Settings → Domain in the NotifyKit dashboard and enter your domain name.

You'll receive three CNAME records that look like:

Type: CNAME
Host: em8724.yourdomain.com
Value: u12345678.wl123.sendgrid.net

Type: CNAME
Host: s1._domainkey.yourdomain.com
Value: s1.domainkey.u12345678.wl123.sendgrid.net

Type: CNAME
Host: s2._domainkey.yourdomain.com
Value: s2.domainkey.u12345678.wl123.sendgrid.net

What each record does:

RecordPurpose
em####.yourdomain.comRoutes email through SendGrid's infrastructure
s1._domainkey.yourdomain.comDKIM signature — proves emails are from you
s2._domainkey.yourdomain.comBackup DKIM signature

Step 2: Add DNS Records​

Log in to your DNS provider and add all three CNAME records.

Cloudflare​

  1. Go to DNS → Records
  2. Click Add record
  3. Type: CNAME
  4. Name: the Host value (e.g., em8724)
  5. Target: the Value (e.g., u12345678.wl123.sendgrid.net)
  6. Proxy status: DNS only (gray cloud — do not proxy)
  7. Repeat for all three records

Namecheap​

  1. Go to Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS
  2. Click Add New Record
  3. Type: CNAME Record
  4. Host: the subdomain part only (e.g., em8724)
  5. Value: the full target value
  6. TTL: Automatic

Other Providers​

Most DNS providers have the same fields under different names (e.g., "Alias", "Destination", "Points to"). Enter the subdomain for the Host field and the full target for the Value field.

Step 3: Verify Domain​

DNS propagation typically takes 15–60 minutes, but can take up to 24 hours.

Once you've added the records and waited for propagation, go to Settings → Domain and click Verify Domain.

If all three records resolve correctly, your domain status changes to verified.

Troubleshooting:

# Check if your CNAME record is visible
dig em8724.yourdomain.com CNAME

# Expected output:
# em8724.yourdomain.com. 300 IN CNAME u12345678.wl123.sendgrid.net.

If the dig returns no result or a wrong value, the record hasn't propagated or was entered incorrectly.

Common issues:

IssueFix
Proxy enabled (Cloudflare)Disable proxy — use "DNS only"
Full hostname entered as HostSome providers need just the subdomain (e.g., em8724), not em8724.yourdomain.com
Old records conflictDelete any existing records for the same hostname first
TTL too highLower to 300 seconds (5 min) for faster propagation

Step 4: Send from Your Domain​

Once verified, paid plan emails automatically use noreply@em.yourdomain.com as the default sender when you don't specify a from address. If you do specify from, use your verified domain directly — NotifyKit handles the rest.

Domain Required for Paid Plans

A verified sending domain is required for all paid plan email sends. Requests without a verified domain will be rejected with a 403 error.

Automatic From Address​

PlanDomain statusDefault sender
FreeAnynoreply@notifykit.dev
Indie / StartupVerifiednoreply@em.yourdomain.com
Indie / StartupNot verifiedRequest rejected

Specifying a Custom Sender​

Use your verified domain directly in the from field — NotifyKit automatically rewrites it to the correct sending subdomain:

await client.sendEmail({
  to: "user@example.com",
  from: "support@yourdomain.com",
  subject: "We got your ticket",
  body: "We'll get back to you within 24 hours.",
});
curl -X POST https://api.notifykit.dev/api/v1/notifications/email \
  -H "X-API-Key: nh_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "user@example.com",
    "from": "orders@yourdomain.com",
    "subject": "Order Shipped",
    "body": "<p>Your order is on the way!</p>"
  }'

Common Errors​

No sending domain configured:

{
  "error": "Paid plans must use a verified sending domain. Please add and verify your domain in Settings."
}

Domain pending verification:

{
  "error": "Your sending domain is pending verification. Please complete domain verification in Settings."
}

Using an unrecognized domain in from:

{
  "error": "Cannot send from support@otherdomain.com. Use your verified domain yourdomain.com instead."
}

Trying to use an unauthorized NotifyKit address:

{
  "error": "Cannot send from custom@notifykit.dev. Only noreply@notifykit.dev is allowed."
}

Add a DMARC record to your DNS to improve deliverability and get reports on authentication failures:

Type: TXT
Host: _dmarc.yourdomain.com
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com

Start with p=none (monitoring only). After reviewing reports and confirming legitimate mail passes, you can tighten to p=quarantine or p=reject.

Next Steps​