How to buy a custom domain, set up a professional email address, and connect it to AWeber.

Why You Can’t Send Emails from Generic Domains like Gmail or Yahoo

When using AWeber (or any other email service provider) to send emails to your audience, you're required to use a custom domain email address (e.g., name@yourdomain.com) rather than a generic email provider like Gmail or Yahoo.

The primary reason for this requirement is email authentication. Email providers like Gmail and Yahoo strictly enforce this policy to prevent unauthorized senders from using their domains. This means that if you try to send email campaigns from an address ending in @gmail.com or @yahoo.com, or others, those emails are destined to be blocked or marked as spam. 

In order to ensure your emails reach your subscribers, you'll need to follow the steps outlined in this article to:

  1. Register your own custom domain
  2. Create a professional email address using your custom domain
  3. Set up email authentication for sending mail via AWeber

These authentication protocols verify that your email is legitimate and that you're authorized to send on behalf of your domain. Without them, your messages would be flagged as suspicious, harming your deliverability and your brand’s reputation.

To successfully send emails using AWeber and build trust with your audience, be sure to follow the steps outlined in this article and ensure that your messages are delivered reliably, protecting both your email marketing efforts and your relationship with your subscribers.

 

1 . How to register your own custom domain

As an email marketer, you need to send email from a custom email address authenticated with DKIM and DMARC. The first step is to purchase a custom domain, if you don't already have one. 

>> Why businesses need a professional email address

 

Namecheap and Cloudflare are solid domain providers that we have experience with and that support automated configuration for sending emails with AWeber.

 

Example: Namecheap

The following video walks you through process of buying a domain from Namecheap

Namecheap_buy_domain.png

YouTube (3:45)

 

Example: Cloudflare

The following video walks you through process of buying a domain from Cloudflare. 

Cloudflare_buy_domain.png

YouTube (2:01)

 

2. How to create a professional email address using your custom domain

How to create a professional email address at Namecheap

If you purchased your domain at Namecheap, you may follow these steps for creating your professional email address using that domain.

Namecheap_setup_email.png

YouTube (5:36)

 

How to create a professional email address at Cloudflare

If you purchased your domain at Namecheap, you may follow these steps for creating your professional email address using that domain.

Cloudflare_setup_email.png

Video (0:24)

 

3. How to set up email authentication for sending mail via AWeber

How to connect your email address to AWeber for DKIM Authentication

Connecting your new, professional email address to AWeber is easy, especially if your purchased your domain at Namecheap, Cloudflare, IONOS and other supported providers.

The following article, How do I set up DKIM records for my domain?, explains how to:

  • Verify your email address
  • Set up DKIM records with our automated option

How to add DMARC authentication to your custom domain

The final step towards fully authenticating your email domain for use at AWeber, is to set up a DMARC policy by adding a DNS record at the domain provider where you purchased your domain.

The following article, How to set up DMARC to comply with Google and Yahoo sender requirements, walks you through the process.

 

You've done it!

If you were able to complete the steps above, you're fully set up and prepared to send mail from the AWeber platform and have it received by top mailbox providers like Google and Yahoo. 

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