Table of Contents
Setting up an Outbound Email Domain
Updated
by Mitchell Paul-Soumis
Setting up Outbound email domain
To enable the Sonar instance to send emails using the customer's domain follow the steps within the communication module:
- Go to Settings -> Communication -> Email Domains and click the "Create Email Domain" button.
- Enter the domain you will use to send emails (i.e. example.com) and click "Create"
Create DNS RECORDS for SPF AND DKIM
The next step is to create two new DNS records - an SPF record, and a DKIM record. These allow Sonar to verify your domain and your control over said domain.
Creating an SPF record
- If you have an existing SPF record for your domain, you need to append
include:spf.mandrillapp.com
to it.For example, an SPF record with multiple domains might look like this:v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:spf.mandrillapp.com ?all
- If you do not have an SPF record, you will need to create a new TXT record that includes
v=spf1 include:spf.mandrillapp.com ?all
.
Creating a DKIM record
You will also need to create a DKIM record for your domain by creating a TXT record with the name "mandrill._domainkey.yourdomain.com", replacing yourdomain.com with your domain. Most DNS providers will append the domain name automatically - if that is the case, then you would just create the record as "mandrill._domainkey". This record should contain the following data:
v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQCrLHiExVd55zd/IQ/J/mRwSRMAocV/hMB3jXwaHH36d9NaVynQFYV8NaWi69c1veUtRzGt7yAioXqLj7Z4TeEUoOLgrKsn8YnckGs9i3B3tVFB+Ch/4mPhXWiNfNdynHWBcPcbJ8kjEQ2U8y78dHZj1YeRXXVvWob2OaKynO8/lQIDAQAB;
v=DKIM1\; k=rsa\; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQCrLHiExVd55zd/IQ/J/mRwSRMAocV/hMB3jXwaHH36d9NaVynQFYV8NaWi69c1veUtRzGt7yAioXqLj7Z4TeEUoOLgrKsn8YnckGs9i3B3tVFB+Ch/4mPhXWiNfNdynHWBcPcbJ8kjEQ2U8y78dHZj1YeRXXVvWob2OaKynO8/lQIDAQAB\;
If you need help creating these records, please contact support@sonar.software - we'd be glad to help!
Ownership Verification
The final step is to confirm ownership of your domain.
- Click the "Verify" button and select "send verification email"
- Enter an email with your domain to verify ownership
- After submitting, you will receive an email within a few minutes at the email address you entered. Once you receive this email, forward it to verify@sonar.software and we will review it and complete the verification process.
Final Step
Once you have performed these two steps, click on the 'Verify' button to ensure the SPF AND DKIM records are verified. You can now use this domain for outbound email.
Vendor-Specific Guides
How to add a TXT record in GoDaddy
Details
2. Select your domain from the list.

3. Select ADD below the table of your existing DNS records
Add SPF Record
1. Choose TXT from the record options drop-down menu
2. Enter the values for the following fields:
i. Name/Host/Alias—Enter @ or leave blank. Other DNS records for your domain might indicate the correct entry.
ii. Time to Live (TTL)—Enter 3600 or leave the default.
iii. Value/Answer/Destination—Enter
v=spf1 include:spf.mandrillapp.com ?all
3. Click Save to complete your updates.
Add DKIM Record
1. Choose TXT from the record options drop-down menu
2. Enter the values for the following fields:
i. Host: Enter the hostname for the TXT record. For Sonar, the host will be "mandrill._domainkey".
ii. TXT Value: The value you are setting as the destination of the Host. For Sonar, you can use the following value:
v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQCrLHiExVd55zd/IQ/J/mRwSRMAocV/hMB3jXwaHH36d9NaVynQFYV8NaWi69c1veUtRzGt7yAioXqLj7Z4TeEUoOLgrKsn8YnckGs9i3B3tVFB+Ch/4mPhXWiNfNdynHWBcPcbJ8kjEQ2U8y78dHZj1YeRXXVvWob2OaKynO8/lQIDAQAB;
iii. TTL: Determine how long the server should cache information. The default value can be used
3. Select Save to complete your updates
Add a new DNS record in Wix
Details
1. Go to the Domains page
2. Click the Show More icon next to the relevant domain and select Manage DNS Records.

Add an SPF Record
1. Click + Add Record in the TXT (Text) section.

2. Click the Host Name field and enter the hostname.
For Wix, the Host field is left blank for the Root domain
3. Click the Value field and enter the TXT value. For Sonar, enter
v=spf1 include:spf.mandrillapp.com ?all
4. Click SaveAdd a DKIM Record
1. Choose TXT from the record options drop-down menu

2. Enter the DKIM selector at the beginning of your domain name in the Host Name field.
3. Enter the DKIM signature in the Value field.
v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQCrLHiExVd55zd/IQ/J/mRwSRMAocV/hMB3jXwaHH36d9NaVynQFYV8NaWi69c1veUtRzGt7yAioXqLj7Z4TeEUoOLgrKsn8YnckGs9i3B3tVFB+Ch/4mPhXWiNfNdynHWBcPcbJ8kjEQ2U8y78dHZj1YeRXXVvWob2OaKynO8/lQIDAQAB;
4. Click Save
Adding an SPF record to your Google Workspace
Details
2. Go to the page for updating your domain's DNS records. This page might be called something like DNS management, name server management, or advanced settings.
3. Find your TXT records and check if your domain has an existing SPF record. The SPF record starts with "v=spf1".
4. If your domain already has an SPF record, remove it. If not, skip to step 5.
5. Create a TXT record with these values:
i. Name/Host/Alias—Enter @ or leave blank. Other DNS records for your domain might indicate the correct entry.
ii. Time to Live (TTL)—Enter 3600 or leave the default.
iii. Value/Answer/Destination—Enter
v=spf1 include:spf.mandrillapp.com ?all
6. Save the record
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