Switch your email domain to record 5 (one CNAME)
If your domain still uses records 1 and 2, switch it to record 5 so Open Leads can keep sending email from your own address through Amazon’s sending network. It’s one CNAME record and takes about 5 minutes.
On this page
Open Leads is moving email to a 3rd party sending network to get your messages into more inboxes. If your domain was set up with our older method (records 1 and 2), it needs one new DNS record, record 5, so your email can keep going out from your own address. This takes about 5 minutes, and you only do it once.
Until you switch, your email keeps sending exactly as it does today. Nothing stops working.
What you'll need
- Access to Open Leads as an account admin.
- A login to the place your domain's DNS is managed, such as GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, Google Domains/Squarespace or your web host. If someone else manages your website, send them the record from step 3.
Step 1: Open your email settings
Click your name in the top right, then Email, or go straight to Email settings. Under Domain authentication, find your domain.
Step 2: Click "Use record 5 instead of 1 and 2"
Under your domain's records, click the blue Use record 5 instead of 1 and 2 button. A box opens asking you to confirm. Click Use record 5.
Records 1 and 2 are greyed out and record 5 appears in their place. Your email keeps working on records 1 and 2 until record 5 is in place, so there's no gap.
Step 3: Add record 5 to your DNS
Record 5 shows two values you can copy. In your DNS provider, add a new record with them:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Type | CNAME |
| Name / Host | The Name shown on record 5. It starts with olc and ends with ._domainkey, for example olc1._domainkey. |
| Value / Points to / Target | The Value shown on record 5. It ends with .dkim.openleads.com. |
| TTL | Leave the default, or 1 hour. |
Tips
- Most providers add your domain name to the end on their own. If the Name box already shows your domain after it, type only the part shown on record 5 (for example
olc1._domainkey), not the whole thing. - If you use Cloudflare, set the record to DNS only (grey cloud), not proxied.
- Don't delete records 1 and 2 yet.
Step 4: Click Check
Back in Open Leads, click Check on your domain. When record 5 shows Passed, you're done. New DNS records usually work within a few minutes, but some providers take up to a few hours. If it doesn't pass right away, wait a bit and check again.
Once it passes, Open Leads takes care of the rest automatically. Your email moves to Amazon's sending network within about an hour, still from your own address.
After it passes
- You can remove records 1 and 2 from your DNS, or leave them. They do no harm.
- You'll never need to update record 5. Open Leads manages the key it points to.
- Leave your DMARC record (record 3) and links record (record 4) as they are.
Questions
Will my email stop while I do this?
No. Your email keeps sending the same way until record 5 passes, then moves over on its own.
Record 5 won't pass. What's wrong?
The most common causes: the record was added as TXT instead of CNAME; the Name has the domain in it twice (for example olc1._domainkey.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com); or, on Cloudflare, the record is proxied (orange cloud). Fix it, wait a few minutes and click Check again. Still stuck? Contact Open Leads support, tell us your domain, and we'll look at it for you.
I don't see the "Use record 5" button.
Your domain is already on record 5, so there's nothing to do. If record 5 doesn't show Passed yet, follow steps 3 and 4.