Setting Up a Custom Sending Domain
By default, reminder emails are sent from a Prompt address. Setting up a custom sending domain means your clients see emails coming from your own practice domain, which improves deliverability and builds trust.
Why use a custom domain?
When emails come from your own domain (e.g. reminders@yourfirm.co.uk), clients are far more likely to recognise and open them. It also reduces the chance of emails landing in spam, because the receiving mail server can verify the message genuinely came from your domain.
Without a custom domain, emails are sent from a shared Prompt address. This works fine functionally, but your clients may not recognise the sender and could ignore or mark the email as spam.
What you need
- Access to your domain's DNS settings (usually through your domain registrar or hosting provider — e.g. Cloudflare, GoDaddy, 123 Reg, Namecheap).
- The domain you want to send from (e.g.
yourfirm.co.uk).
Step-by-step setup
1. Go to Settings → Email
Navigate to the Settings page and switch to the Email tab. You'll find the Custom Sending Domain card.
2. Enter your domain
Type your practice domain (e.g. yourfirm.co.uk) into the input field and click Set Up Domain. Prompt will generate the DNS records you need to add.
3. Add the DNS records
Prompt will display the exact DNS records to add. There are typically two types:
- DKIM record — A TXT record that lets receiving mail servers verify the email was genuinely sent by your domain and hasn't been tampered with.
- Return-Path (CNAME) — A record that routes bounce notifications back to Prompt so delivery failures are tracked correctly.
Prompt includes setup instructions for the most common domain providers (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, 123 Reg, and others). Select your provider to see tailored instructions.
4. Wait for verification
DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate, though most providers update within an hour. Prompt will automatically check and verify your records once they're live.
5. Start sending
Once verified, all future emails — automated reminders and ad-hoc sends — will come from your custom domain. No further configuration is needed.
Troubleshooting
- Records not verifying? Double-check that you've added the records to the correct domain (not a subdomain) and that there are no typos in the record values.
- Using Cloudflare? Make sure the DNS record proxy status is set to DNS only (grey cloud), not Proxied (orange cloud). Cloudflare's proxy can interfere with email DNS records.
- Already have SPF/DKIM records? If your domain already has existing email infrastructure, you may need to merge records rather than replace them. Consult your IT provider if unsure.