How to organize your email sending domains (basic guide)
Choosing the right domain for your email campaigns isn't just a technical decision—it's the foundation of your email deliverability. Get it wrong, an...
Return-Path
Also known as: Bounce Address, Envelope From
The technical email address that collects bounces and delivery failure notices. It is separate from the visible From address and helps mail servers track delivery issues and clean up bad addresses.
The Return-Path is like the return address on a letter. It tells other mail servers where to send a message when delivery fails. Your subscribers do not see it. It sits in the background and handles bounce reports.
A good Return-Path helps you keep your list healthy. When an address is wrong, the bounce goes there instead of being ignored. Your email platform can use that data to stop sending to bad contacts. This protects your sender reputation and makes inbox placement more likely.
Use a dedicated subdomain for your Return-Path that matches your sending domain. For example you might send from hello@yourcompany.com and use bounces@send.yourcompany.com. Make sure your provider reads bounces from that address and updates your list for you.
Related Terms
From Address(From Field)
The email address people see as the sender in their inbox. It tells them who the message is from and helps them decide whether to open it.
Learn more →Delivery Rate (DR)(DR)
Delivery rate is the percentage of emails that are accepted by recipients' mail servers without bouncing. It shows how many of your sent emails clear the technical checks so they can be placed in a mailbox.
Learn more →Email Appending
Email appending is when you use a third party to add email addresses to your existing customer records based on other details like name or postal address. It is risky because these people did not ask to hear from you, which often leads to spam complaints and poor deliverability.
Learn more →Email Header(Message Header)
An email header is the technical information attached to every email that shows where it came from and how it moved between servers. It also records checks that help decide whether the message is safe and legitimate.
Learn more →