Custom email domain

Overview

A custom email domain lets your outfitter authenticate an email domain you control so guest-facing messages can be sent from your own address (for example noreply@yourdomain.com) instead of a generic sender. You configure this under Integrations in the Mallard Bay admin dashboard.

The setup flow has three stages visible in the product:

1. Enter your domain, From email, and optional Reply-To email, then start setup.
2. Add the DNS records shown in Mallard Bay to your DNS provider (where your domain’s DNS is managed).
3. Run Verify domain after DNS has had time to propagate.

Until verification succeeds, the integration stays in a pending state; once verified, status moves to verified. If verification fails, you’ll see messaging that asks you to confirm the DNS records and try again later—DNS changes often take time to spread across the internet.

This integration connects directly to how guests experience email from your business: message templates, automations, and one-off sends that use the email channel benefit from a authenticated domain for branding and deliverability. It does not replace your marketing website domain setup or guest payment flows—it only affects outbound email configuration for your Mallard Bay account.

Prerequisites

• An outfitter account selected in the dashboard (the custom email domain screen expects an outfitter context; if none is selected, you may see a prompt to choose one).
• Access to DNS for the domain you want to use (ability to create the records Mallard Bay displays).
• Email addresses on that domain: the From address must use the same domain you enter; if you add Reply-To, it must also use that same domain (the dashboard validates this).

Whether additional prerequisites apply—such as a specific subscription tier or team permissions for Integrations—is not defined in this repository, so contact Mallard Bay support if you cannot reach Integrations or see Custom Email Domain.

Step-by-step: Configure in the dashboard

Open Custom Email Domain

1. In the admin dashboard, go to Integrations (/integrations).
2. Open Custom Email Domain—either from the integrations overview card titled Custom Email Domain or by navigating directly to /integrations/custom-email-domain.
3. Use the knowledge base link in the page header if you want supplemental help (the dashboard wires this article path into that control).

Start setup

If no domain is configured yet:

1. Select Set Up Custom Email Domain (or the equivalent primary action on the empty state).
2. In the setup form, enter:
   • Domain — e.g. yourdomain.com (no protocol).
   • From email — must end with that domain (e.g. noreply@yourdomain.com).
   • Reply-To email (optional) — if provided, must also use the same domain (e.g. support@yourdomain.com).
3. Submit with Set Up Domain. You should see a success confirmation that setup was initiated.

Add DNS records

After setup starts, the page shows a DNS Records table with columns Type, Host, Data, and Valid (per-record status). Copy each Host and Data value into your DNS host exactly as shown (the UI supports copying these values).

While the domain is not fully verified, short instructions appear above the table explaining that you need to add these records to complete verification.

The exact record types and values come from Mallard Bay’s servers and can change per domain; follow what your screen shows rather than assuming a fixed pattern.

Verify

1. After saving the records at your DNS provider, wait as needed for propagation (often minutes, sometimes longer).
2. In Mallard Bay, use Verify domain (available from the action banner and/or the button row while status is not verified).
3. On success, you’ll get a confirmation that verification completed; status should show as verified.
4. If verification fails, the product shows an error instructing you to ensure the DNS records are in place and to try again—waiting and retrying is the intended workflow when propagation is slow.

Review or remove

• While configured, the page shows your domain, From and Reply-To addresses, status, and (when applicable) the DNS table.
• Remove domain (delete control) opens a confirmation: removing the configuration means you will no longer be able to send from that domain through this integration—confirm only if you intend to disconnect it.

Common pitfalls

• Domain mismatch: The dashboard rejects a From or Reply-To address whose domain does not match the Domain field. Align all three before saving.
• Propagation delays: First verification attempts often fail if DNS has not propagated; use the product’s guidance to wait and verify again rather than assuming something is broken immediately.
• Reply-To left blank: Reply-To is optional; leave it empty if you do not need a separate replies address.
• Trailing dots / casing: The client-side validation normalizes the domain somewhat (for example trimming and lowercasing); still enter values cleanly at your DNS provider exactly as Mallard Bay lists Host and Data.
• Thinking SMS and email behave the same in compose flows: For SMS, missing provider setup can block sending from certain compose surfaces; for email, the dashboard shows an informational banner prompting custom-domain setup when you don’t yet have a verified custom domain, but does not block the compose UI from proceeding on that basis alone. What sender address or provider Mallard Bay uses on the server when no verified domain exists is not visible in this codebase.

Related workflows

• Message templates & automations: Email templates and automated workflows depend on email being usable as a channel; where configuration is incomplete, the dashboard can surface an action banner for email that routes teammates to Custom Email Domain (similar prompts exist for SMS toward SMS setup).
• Manual guest / client email: When composing ad-hoc messages with Email selected as the channel, the same “upgrade your emails” style guidance may appear until a custom domain is verified—useful for reminding staff to finish DNS setup.
• Other integrations: Calendar sync, QuickBooks, Meta, SMS, and the website widget are separate cards under Integrations; only Custom Email Domain handles authenticated outbound email for branding.

If anything in your account does not match this flow (for example missing menu entries or unexpected sender behavior after verification), treat that as outside what this dashboard code can explain and reach out to Mallard Bay support with your domain and screenshots of your DNS records table and verification status.