Domain setup and DNS configuration

Your outreach domain is the foundation of your sending infrastructure. Choose it well, configure it properly, and it will serve you reliably for months or years. Rush the setup or pick a bad name, and you will face deliverability problems from day one.

This chapter covers everything: why you need a dedicated domain, how to choose the right name, where to register, DNS configuration, MX records, and setting up a redirect to your main website.

Why you need a dedicated outreach domain

This is non-negotiable. Never send cold outreach from your primary business domain. Here is why:

• Reputation isolation. If your outreach domain gets flagged or blacklisted, it does not affect your main domain. Your customer emails, internal communications, and transactional emails stay safe.
• Sending limits. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 have daily sending limits. Dedicated domains give you more headroom without bumping into limits that affect your main business email.
• Easy to scale. When you need more sending capacity, you add more domains. We cover the math in the next chapter.
• Professional appearance. A domain that looks like a variation of your brand (getacme.com, acmehq.com) still appears legitimate while keeping your primary domain clean.

Choosing the right domain name

Your outreach domain should be clearly associated with your brand. Recipients will notice the domain in your sender address — it needs to look legitimate, not like a throwaway or scam domain.

Good naming patterns

If your main domain is acme.com, here are strong options:

• getacme.com — The "get" prefix is natural and widely used
• acmehq.com — "HQ" suffix implies company headquarters
• tryacme.com — Natural for product companies
• acme.co or acme.io — Different TLD, same brand name
• meetacme.com — Works well when the CTA is booking meetings

Patterns to avoid

• Random strings: xk72acme.com — looks like a spam domain
• Hyphens: acme-outreach.com — hyphens are associated with low-quality domains
• Numbers: acme123.com — feels artificial
• Suspicious TLDs: acme.xyz, acme.click, acme.buzz — some TLDs have higher spam association
• No brand connection: salesgrowthpro.com — not connected to your actual company name

Registrar recommendations

Where you register your domain matters less than you might think. Any reputable registrar works. Here are the most popular options for outreach domains:

• Namecheap: Low prices ($8–12/year for .com), clean DNS management interface, good support
• Cloudflare Registrar: At-cost pricing (no markup on wholesale price), excellent DNS performance, free WHOIS privacy
• Google Domains (now Squarespace): Simple interface if you are already in the Google ecosystem
• Porkbun: Competitive pricing, modern interface, free WHOIS privacy

Whichever registrar you choose, always enable WHOIS privacy protection. It is usually free and prevents your personal information from being publicly associated with the domain.

DNS configuration step by step

Once you have purchased your domain, you need to configure four categories of DNS records:

1. MX records (Mail Exchange)

MX records tell other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain. The values depend on your email provider:

For Google Workspace:

For Microsoft 365:

2. Authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

As covered in the previous chapter, add your SPF TXT record, DKIM record, and DMARC record. These are essential before sending any email.

3. Website redirect

Your outreach domain should redirect to your main website. When a prospect receives your email and types your domain into a browser, they should land on your actual website — not a blank page or a registrar parking page.

Set up a 301 redirect from your outreach domain to your main domain. Most registrars offer this in their DNS settings. If not, you can set up a simple redirect using Cloudflare (free plan) or a one-page hosting service.

4. Custom tracking domain (optional)

If your outreach platform uses tracking links for open or click tracking, set up a custom tracking domain (e.g., track.getacme.com) rather than using the platform's default tracking domain. This prevents your emails from being associated with the platform's shared tracking domain, which may have mixed reputation.

Setting up email accounts

With DNS configured, create email accounts on your outreach domain. Here is what we recommend:

• Use real names. Create accounts like [email protected], not info@ or sales@. These should correspond to real people on your team.
• 2–3 accounts per domain. Each inbox has its own daily sending limit. Multiple accounts per domain give you more capacity.
• Complete the profile. Add a profile photo, display name, and signature to each account. Incomplete profiles look suspicious to both recipients and email providers.
• Google Workspace preferred. Google Workspace ($6/user/month) is the most widely used and has the best deliverability for outbound. Microsoft 365 is a solid second choice. Avoid free email providers for business outreach.

The complete domain setup checklist

• Domain registered with a brand-connected name (.com, .co, or .io)
• WHOIS privacy enabled
• MX records configured for your email provider
• SPF, DKIM, DMARC records published and verified
• 301 redirect to main website configured
• Email accounts created with real names and complete profiles
• Custom tracking domain set up (if using link/open tracking)
• Mail-tester.com score of 9/10 or higher

One domain is a start, but most serious outreach operations need more. In the next chapter, we will cover why you need multiple domains, how many, and the strategy for managing them.