⏰ Estimated setup time: 20min.

In this guide you will:

1. Create a subdomain on your hosting provider for mail:

  • Log onto your hosting provider (Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.)
  • Add a new subdomain called mail e.g mail.yourdomain.com

2. Connect your subdomain to A1Mail

  • Go to the email dashboard
  • Add in your new subdomain to generate DKIM keys

3. Update and test your DNS records

  • Update the MX record
  • Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for deliverability and anti-spam
  • Verify your DNS records are properly configured

4. Warm up your new mail domain

  • Create a new email with your subdomain and send some emails to your new address
  • Start sending emails using the A1Base API

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Guide Shortcuts:

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Namecheap Guide

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1. Log into your Namecheap dashboard

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2. Add an A Record for mail.example.com

This points your new mail subdomain, mail.example.com to the server’s IP address.

  • In the Advanced DNS tab click Add New Record
  • Select A Record and enter the following:
    Host: `mail`
    Value: `110.232.112.135`
    TTL: Automatic

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3. Add an MX Record for email delivery

This tells other mail servers where to deliver email for example.com.

  • Still in Advanced DNS, scroll down to MAIL SETTINGS
  • Next to “MAIL SETTINGS”, select the option “Custom MX” and enter the following:
    Type: `MX Record`
    Host: `@`
    Value: `mail.a101.bot`
    Priority: `10`
    TTL: Automatic

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4. Update A1Mail Dashboard and get your DKIM values

  • Go to your A1Mail dashboard and navigate to the Custom Mail Domain section
  • Enter your new mail subdomain to get your DKIM keys

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5. Add the TXT Records for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

These records are for deliverability and anti-spam

  • Go back to the Advanced DNS tab click Add New Record, select TXT RECORD for the following:

SPF Record

Type: TXT  
Host: mail  
Value: v=spf1 ip4:110.232.112.135 a:mail.a101.bot ~all
TTL: Automatic

DMARC Record

Type: TXT  
Host: _dmarc  
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:postmaster@subdomain.yourdomain.com
TTL: Automatic

DKIM Record

  • Copy the host and value from the A1Mail dashboard
Type: TXT  
Host: <copy from A1Mail dashboard>
Value: <copy from A1Mail dashboard> e.g v=DKIM1; h=sha256; k=rsa; t=y; p=asdfgasdfasdf...
TTL: Automatic

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Summary:

You should have these records in your Advanced DNS Settings

RecordTypeHostValuePriorityTTL
SPFTXTmailv=spf1 ip4:110.232.112.135 a:mail.a101.bot ~all—Automatic
DMARCTXT_dmarcv=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]—Automatic
DKIMTXTthe domain key we’ve provided e.g subdomain._domainkeyThe value we’ve provided - this will look like: v=DKIM1; h=sha256; k=rsa; t=y; p=AsDSDGGJGKA...—Automatic
MXMX@mail.a101.bot1Automatic

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Cloudflare Guide

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1. Log into your Cloudflare dashboard

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2. Add an A Record for mail.yourdomain.com

This points your new mail subdomain to the server’s IP address.

  • Click Add record
  • Select A for the Type and enter the following:
    Type: A
    Name: mail
    IPv4 address: 110.232.112.135
    TTL: Auto
    Proxy status: DNS only (gray cloud)

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3. Add an MX Record for email delivery

This tells other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain.

  • Click Add record again
  • Select MX for the Type and enter the following:
    Type: MX
    Name: @ (represents the root domain)
    Mail server: mail.a101.bot
    Priority: 10
    TTL: Auto

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4. Update A1Mail Dashboard and get your DKIM values

  • Go to your A1Mail dashboard and navigate to the Custom Mail Domain section
  • Enter your new mail subdomain to get your DKIM keys

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5. Add the TXT Records for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

These records are for deliverability and anti-spam

  • Click Add record for each of the following TXT records:

SPF Record

    Type: TXT
    Name: mail
    Content: v=spf1 ip4:110.232.112.135 a:mail.a101.bot ~all
    TTL: Auto

DMARC Record

    Type: TXT
    Name: _dmarc
    Content: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:postmaster@yourdomain.com
    TTL: Auto

DKIM Record

  • Copy the host and value from the A1Mail dashboard
    Type: TXT
    Name: <copy from A1Mail dashboard> (without your domain)
    Content: <copy from A1Mail dashboard>
    TTL: Auto
    Proxy status: DNS only (gray cloud)

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Summary:

You should have these records in your Cloudflare DNS settings

RecordTypeName (Host)Content (Value)PriorityTTLProxy Status
AAmail110.232.112.135—AutoDNS only
SPFTXTmailv=spf1 ip4:110.232.112.135 a:mail.a101.bot ~all—AutoDNS only
DMARCTXT_dmarcv=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]—AutoDNS only
DKIMTXTfrom dashboardfrom dashboard—AutoDNS only
MXMX@mail.a101.bot10AutoDNS only

🔒 Important: Make sure all email-related records have the proxy disabled (gray cloud). Email services require direct DNS resolution to function properly.

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Test your DNS Settings

After setting up your DNS records, it’s essential to verify that they are properly configured. Here’s how:

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1. Check your DNS records

  • Use a DNS lookup tool (e.g., MxToolbox) to verify your DNS records
  • Check that your MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up
  • For detailed instructions, follow our How to Verify your DNS Settings guide

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2. Test email delivery

  • Send an email to your new custom domain address. By default, all new mail domains will have a [email protected] inbox
  • If the email is delivered successfully, you can move on to the next step

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Running into issues?

Feel free to reach out to [email protected] directly if you run into any issues during the setup process.

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Warm up your new mail domain

After setting up your custom mail domain, you’ll need to properly warm it up to ensure good deliverability. Here’s how:

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1. Create a new email with your subdomain

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2. Send some test emails to your new address

  • Send emails from your personal accounts (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to your new address

💡 Warming up tips: New email domains need time to build reputation. Start with low volumes (5-10 emails/day) for the first week, then gradually increase. Avoid sending mass emails immediately after setup.

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3. Receiving emails

  • Check that incoming emails are properly delivered to your new address
  • For more details on receiving and managing emails, see our Receiving Emails guide

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4. Send emails using the A1Base API

  • Once your domain is properly warmed up, start sending emails programmatically
  • Use the A1Base API to send emails from your custom domain address
  • Follow our Sending Emails guide for implementation details

Note:

  • Engage with these emails by replying to them
  • This helps establish a positive sending reputation for your domain