# Onboarding Guide Get Bento set up and send your first email in under an hour. Pick the path that matches your stack and work through the checklist. Your progress saves automatically, so you can leave and pick up where you stopped. Use our official SDKs to integrate Bento with your application. We have SDKs for [Laravel](https://github.com/bentonow/bento-laravel-sdk), [Ruby on Rails](https://github.com/bentonow/bento-ruby-sdk), [Node.js](https://github.com/bentonow/bento-node-sdk), and more. See the full list in [SDK docs](/docs/sdks). DNS records authorize Bento to send emails on your behalf. This ensures your emails land in inboxes instead of spam folders. After validating, you should see every record marked as verified. DNS changes can take up to an hour to propagate, so re-validate later if a record fails at first. > **Recommended** > Link Branding lets you use your own domain for tracking links and images. This is a free feature included with all Bento accounts. Start with minimal data to keep things clean. You can always add more events later. Find all SDKs under **Apps** in the main navigation. > ⚠️ **Warning** > Don't just export a CSV from another system. Take time to clean your data using our sample CSV as a guide. > ⚠️ **Warning** > Use lowercase with underscores for column names (e.g., `first_name`, not `First Name`). > 🚨 **Important** > Upload unsubscribed users and select "Unsubscribe users" during import. This prevents accidentally emailing people who opted out. The email should arrive almost instantly. If it lands in spam instead, stop and re-check your DNS records before emailing anyone else. The Laravel Importer automates syncing your existing users to Bento. Perfect for migrations or keeping your user database in sync. See the [Laravel SDK](https://github.com/bentonow/bento-laravel-sdk) and the [detailed import guide](/docs/examples/laravel_importer). Adding these records authorizes Bento to send email from your domain, which keeps your messages out of spam folders. Validation should show each record as verified. If one fails, wait for DNS to propagate (up to an hour) and try again. > **Recommended** > Link Branding lets you use your own domain for tracking links and images. This is a free feature included with all Bento accounts. You can customize which users get synced to Bento if you have complex requirements. The email should arrive almost instantly. If it lands in spam instead, stop and re-check your DNS records before emailing anyone else. Connect Bento to your tools using Zapier, Make.com, or webhooks. No coding required. See the [Zapier guide](/docs/integrations/zapier) and [Make.com guide](/docs/integrations/make) for details. These records prove to inbox providers that Bento is allowed to send for your domain. Without them, your emails are far more likely to land in spam. Once validation passes, all records show as verified. A failed check usually just means DNS hasn't propagated yet, so re-check within the hour. > **Recommended** > Link Branding lets you use your own domain for tracking links and images. This is a free feature included with all Bento accounts. Start with minimal data. You can always add more automations later. > ⚠️ **Warning** > Avoid uploading a raw export from another system. Clean your data first, using our sample CSV as a guide. > ⚠️ **Warning** > Use lowercase with underscores for column names (e.g., `first_name`, not `First Name`). > 🚨 **Important** > Upload unsubscribed users and select "Unsubscribe users" during import. This prevents accidentally emailing people who opted out. The email should arrive almost instantly. If it lands in spam instead, stop and re-check your DNS records before emailing anyone else. Connect your Shopify store directly to Bento. We'll automatically sync your customers, orders, and more. The [Shopify guide](/docs/integrations/shopify) covers the integration in depth. DNS records tell inbox providers that Bento can send on your behalf. Set them up first so your store emails reach the inbox. You should see every record verified after validation. DNS changes can take up to an hour to propagate, so come back and re-validate if needed. > **Recommended** > Link Branding lets you use your own domain for tracking links and images. This is a free feature included with all Bento accounts. Once connected, Bento automatically receives customer data and order information from Shopify. Shopify automatically adds fields like `first_name` and `phone_number`. Match these field names when importing from other sources. > ⚠️ **Warning** > Resist the urge to upload a raw export from your old platform. Clean the data first, with our sample CSV as a guide. > 🚨 **Important** > Upload unsubscribed users and select "Unsubscribe users" during import. This prevents accidentally emailing people who opted out. The email should arrive almost instantly. If it lands in spam instead, stop and re-check your DNS records before emailing anyone else. Install our WordPress plugin to connect with LearnDash, WooCommerce, EasyDigitalDownloads, and more. The [WordPress guide](/docs/integrations/wordpress) covers each integration. Authenticating your domain with these records lets Bento send on your behalf and helps your emails land in inboxes rather than spam folders. After clicking validate, each record should show as verified. Re-check in an hour if any fail, since DNS takes time to propagate. > **Recommended** > Link Branding lets you use your own domain for tracking links and images. This is a free feature included with all Bento accounts. > ⚠️ **Warning** > For plugins not supported by Bento, consider [WPFusion](https://wpfusion.com/) which connects hundreds of plugins to Bento. We're happy to credit accounts that need this. Match field names across all your integrations and imports for consistent data. > ⚠️ **Warning** > Use lowercase with underscores for column names (e.g., `first_name`, not `First Name`). > 🚨 **Important** > Upload unsubscribed users and select "Unsubscribe users" during import. This prevents accidentally emailing people who opted out. The email should arrive almost instantly. If it lands in spam instead, stop and re-check your DNS records before emailing anyone else. Import your existing contact list from a CSV file. Perfect for migrating from another provider or adding event signups. The [import guide](/docs/migrations/import) covers CSV formatting in detail. These DNS records authorize Bento to send from your domain. They are the foundation of good deliverability, so add them before your first import. Validation should mark every record as verified. If a record fails, give DNS up to an hour to propagate and re-validate. > **Recommended** > Link Branding lets you use your own domain for tracking links and images. This is a free feature included with all Bento accounts. > ⚠️ **Warning** > Don't upload a raw export from another provider as-is. Tidy the data first, following our sample CSV. > ⚠️ **Warning** > Use lowercase with underscores for column names (e.g., `first_name`, not `First Name`). Include `email`, `tags`, and any custom fields you need. > 🚨 **Important** > Upload unsubscribed users and select "Unsubscribe users" during import. This prevents accidentally emailing people who opted out. The email should arrive almost instantly. If it lands in spam instead, stop and re-check your DNS records before emailing anyone else. ## What's next Once your test email lands in your inbox, the core setup is done. From here: - [Quickstart](/docs/quickstart) covers events, broadcasts, and flows in more depth - [DNS setup](/docs/dns) has registrar-specific guides for Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, and more - [Import guide](/docs/migrations/import) explains CSV formatting, custom fields, and unsubscribes - [Warmup](/docs/deliverability/warmup) walks through ramping up sending volume on a new domain Stuck on anything? [Contact support](/docs/support) and we'll help you through it.