⚙️ Branded Links | Custom Tracking Domain (CNAME)

The purpose of this article is to provide direction to Leadfwd administrators in configuring a branded link.

Branded links enable organizations to personalize email engagement tracking links (opens and clicks) and unsubscribe links with their own web domain. This can improve a messages spam assessment by placing these services under a domain that matches the organization's sender address.

Intended Audience:

• Account-owners and Administrators

Notes:

• Completing this process requires access to the organization's DNS provider.

• Do not use 'leadfwd' as part of the CNAME.

• The process for adding a CNAME record varies depending on DNS provider and can take up to 20 minutes to generate. For more information regarding adding a CNAME record to a DNS provider, refer to documentation from your DNS or hosting provider.

• It can take up to 24 hours for a DNS change to propagate.

• Please create your CNAME in your DNS zone and wait at least 30 minutes before you attempt to authenticate.

Step 1. Create a CNAME in your DNS zone

Locate your Leadfwd App Domain (Points to)

1. Login to leadfwd.com

2. Navigate to Settings

3. Expand the 'Email' settings menu

4. Select Branded links

5. From the Create and Edit view, note the domain value in Points to. That's the domain you want to forward your CNAME record to, to create your Branded Link.

Step 2. Authenticate

Once DNS is updated, wait 24 hours and then return to authenticate and test your CNAME.

1. Login to leadfwd.com

2. Navigate to Settings

3. Expand the 'Email' settings menu

4. Select Branded links

5. Enter your subdomain value (ex. email) in the first field and your actual domain in the second field (ex. yourdomain.com).

6. Click Authenticate

During the authentication process our platform will check to verify that your CNAME exists and resolves properly. This verification test is conducted instantly. Once that verification is completed your request is queued while our team generates an SSL certificate to encrypt requests made to your CNAME using TLS. This process can take up to 24 hours to complete.

Step 3. Assign Branded Link (CNAME) to Mailboxes

When you create a Branded Link, Leadfwd will automatically attempt to assign it to a mailbox or mailboxes that also share that same domain. But you can also manually change these assignments from the Mailbox Options at any time.

The Branded Link assigned to the mailbox will be used to rewrite tracking links (if link tracking is enabled) for any email that the mailbox sends - automatically.

You can also check and manage the assignment manually from the Mailbox Connector by clicking Mailbox Options for any connected mailbox. You can assigned a branded link to one or many connected mailbox, there are no limits or restrictions. The most optimal configuration is matching the From: address domain with a branded link domain, so they match.

Need help adding your CNAME?

• GoDaddy

• Namecheap

• Google Domains

• Amazon Route 53