How to set up DKIM and Return-Path

By default, we send the review requests on your behalf via requests@judge.me. But you can change this email to your own business email, which is better for your branding. 

You can also add DKIM and Return-Path to your DNS provider to prevent emails from going to spam and make us an authorized 3rd party to send the emails for you.

3 steps to verify DKIM and Return-Path

Step 1: Add your sender email

• In Judge.me, go to Settings > Review Requests > Email Info. Click Add email.
• Add your business email and click Save. 
• You'll receive a Confirm sender signature email from Postmark, our email provider. 
• After you confirm, we can use your custom sender email to send out emails.

Only business email addresses with a custom domain can be added. Public domain email addresses (e.g. gmail.com, outlook.com) cannot be used.

Step 2: Add DKIM and Return-Path

After adding your sender email, you'll see the hostname and values for DKIM and Return-Path. Copy and paste these values and add them to your DNS provider.

If you already know your DNS provided, great! 

If not, you can use https://lookup.icann.org/lookup or https://whois.domaintools.com to search for it.

Below is the detailed guide to add DKIM and Return-Path for some popular DNS providers:

Step 3: Verify DKIM and Return-Path

After you add the value in your DNS provider, go back to Judge.me setting and click Verify.

It might take up to 48 hours and if everything is fine, the verified badge will appear.

Popular hostings and DNS providers:

1. Shopify

If you have a Shopify-managed domain, you can follow these steps:

• In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Domains.
• Choose the domain you want and click Manage.
• Click DNS settings.

For DKIM:

• Click Add custom record > TXT record.
• Paste the hostname in Name and value in TXT Value. Click Confirm.

For Return-Path:

• Click Add custom record > CNAME record.
• Paste "pm-bounces" in Name and "pm.mtasv.net" in Points to. Click Confirm.

2. Google Domains

In Google Domains admin, go to All my domains > DNS. Scroll down to Custom resource records.

For DKIM:

• Paste the Hostname in the first box. Set type as TXT.
• Paste the value in the Text box. Click Add.

For Return-Path:

• Paste "pm-bounces" in the first box. Set type as CNAME.
• Paste "pm.mtasv.net" in the Domain name box. Click Add.

3. Bluehost

• In your Bluehost admin, click the Domains tab.
• Next to the domain name you wish to update, click the ▼ icon next to Manage, then choose DNS from the drop-down menu.

For DKIM:

• Click Add Record in the TXT section.
• Paste the hostname in Host Record and value in TXT Value. Save the setting.

For Return-Path:

• Click Add Record in the CNAME section.
• Paste "pm-bounces" in Host Record and "pm.mtasv.net" in Points to. Save the setting.

4. Cloudflare

In your Cloudflare admin, locate the DNS button.

For DKIM:

• Click Add Record and set type as TXT.
• Paste the Hostname in Name and value in Content. Save the setting.

For Return-Path:

• Click Add Record and set type as CNAME.
• Paste "pm-bounces" in Name and "pm.mtasv.net" in Target.
• Turn off Proxy status. Save the setting.

5. GoDaddy

• In your GoDaddy Domain Control Center, select your domain to access the Domain Settings page.
• Select Manage DNS.

For DKIM:

• Click Add and choose type as TXT.
• Paste the Hostname in Name (in some cases, you might need to put @ before the hostname) and value in TXT Value. Save the setting.

For Return-Path:

• Click Add and choose type as CNAME.
• Paste "pm-bounces" in Name and "pm.mtasv.net" in Value. Save the setting.

6. Namecheap

• In your Namecheap admin, choose Domain List on the left and click the Manage button next to your domain.

• Navigate to the Advanced DNS tab from the top menu and click on the Add new record button.

For DKIM:

• Set type as TXT Record.
• Paste the hostname in Host and value in Value.
• For subdomain, the hostname needs to be xxxxxxpm._domainkey.[insert subdomain].

For Return-Path:

• Set type as CNAME Record.
• Paste "pm-bounces" in Host and "pm.mtasv.net." in Points to. 

7. DNSimple

The Record Editor is the DNSimple DNS editor. To access it, from your dashboard, click on the records icon.

Or, to access the record editor from the domain page, click on the records icon.

For DKIM:

• Set type as TXT Record and paste the Hostname and Value in the provided fields. Click Add Record.

For Return-Path:

• Set type as CNAME Record.
• Paste "pm-bounces" in Name and "pm.mtasv.net" in Content. Click Add Record.

8. SiteGround

• In your SiteGround admin, go to Site Tools > Domain > DNS Zone Editor.
• From the Create New Record section, choose TXT for DKIM, CNAME for Return-Path.
• Enter the Hostname and Value for each record.
• Click Create.

9. Linode

In your Linode admin, go to Domains > Linode Cloud Manager > DNS Manager.

For DKIM: 

• Click Add a TXT Record and paste the Hostname and Value. 

For Return-Path:

• Click Add a CNAME Record and paste "pm-bounces" in Hostname and "pm.mtasv.net." in Aliases to.

10. DNS Made Easy

• At the top of the Control Panel in your DNS Made Easy admin, click the DNS menu and select Managed DNS.
• Select the domain for which you will be adding these records

For DKIM:

• On the Records page, scroll down to locate TXT Records (SPF) and click on the + icon to add the record.
• Paste the hostname in Name and value in Value. Click Submit.

For Return-Path:

• On the Records page, scroll down to locate the CNAME Records and click on the + icon to add the record.
• Paste "pm-bounces" in Name and "pm.mtasv.net." (a dot is needed at the end) in Alias to. Click Submit.

11. Dreamhost

• Click the DNS link under your domain on the Manage Domains page.
• Paste the Hostname in Name and value in Value.
• For DKIM, set the type as TXT and for Return-Path, set the type as CNAME.
• Click Add record now!

12. DigitalOcean

From your DigitalOcean admin, click Networking in the main menu, then click on the domain you would like to manage.

For DKIM:

• Choose the tab TXT.
• Paste the Hostname in HOSTNAME and value in VALUE. Click Create Record.

For Return-Path:

• Choose the tab CNAME.
• Paste "pm-bounces" in HOSTNAME and "pm.mtasv.net" in IS AN ALIAS OF. Click Create Record.

13. Hostgator

• In your Hostgator admin, look for the Domains section and click Zone Editor.

• Locate the domain name you need, then click Manage.

• Click Add Record.
• Choose TXT for DKIM or CNAME for Return-Path.
• Paste Hostname and Value in the provided fields.

14. Hover

• From the Domain's Overview page, click on the DNS section then click Add a record.
• For DKIM, set the type as TXT. For Return-Path, set the type as CNAME.
• Paste the hostname in HOSTNAME and value in CONTENT.
• Click Add Record.

15. Media Temple

• In your Media Temple admin, click the domain you want to edit.
• Under DNS & ZONE FILES, click Edit DNS Zone File.
• To add a new record, click Add row.
• Paste the hostname into the Name field.
• For DKIM, set the type as TXT and for Return-Path, set the type as CNAME.
• Paste the value into the Data field.

16. Gandi

In your Gandi admin, under the Domain tab, click on your domain and choose DNS Records.

For DKIM:

• Click Add and choose type as TXT.
• Paste the Hostname in Name and value in Text Value.

For Return-Path:

• Choose type as CNAME.

  Paste "pm-bounces" in Name and "pm.mtasv.net." (a dot is needed at the end) in Hostname.

17. Netregistry

• In your Netregistry admin, click on the domain you want to edit.
• Click Zone Manager > Click Add a zone record.

For DKIM:

• Select TXT as the record type.
• Paste hostname in Name and DKIM value inside a speech mark “...” in Content. Click Add Record.

For Return-Path:

• Select CNAME as the record type.
• Paste "pm-bounces" in Name and "pm.mtasv.net" in Points to. Click Add Record.

Troubleshooting

1. If your email domain is associated with another store

If you've already used your custom email address in another store with Judge.me installed, you need to confirm that this custom email address belongs to you. Once you update your email address, we'll send you an email, you can click on the confirmation link inside that email to verify your ownership of the custom email address.

2. If you can't access your DNS

If you can't access your DNS provider to update DKIM, an alternative is that you confirm that you are the owner of your email address. To do that, follow these two steps:

Step 1: Click on the Send me the confirmation email button below.

Step 2: Open the email you receive, click on the Confirm this Sender Signature button.

We don't recommend this option because even though it's is easier to do, it's a weaker authentication compared to adding DKIM and Return-Path value. Some email clients (e.g. Gmail) still sometimes don't like this and are more likely to mark your emails as spam.

FAQ about DKIM set up

Q: My DKIM is verified but Return-Path is not. Why is it?

A: First, please check if you have entered the Return-Path correctly in your hosting provider.

If you have entered both values, rest assured that they are both verified. You might see that Return-Path is not verified but it’s only a temporary status and will go away after a while.

Q: Why couldn’t I update my own email address in Judge.me? It showed an error.

A: You can only use a business email address with a custom domain. Public domain email addresses (e.g. gmail.com, outlook.com) are not allowed. If you have updated your business email address, please make sure that you have set up DKIM and Return-Path correctly.

Q: Besides DKIM, should we also add an SPF record as well?

A: Regarding the SPF records, they are automatically handled by Postmark (our emails provider) so you don’t have to add this information anymore.

Q: It has been 3 days since I added the DKIM and Return-Path values but they are not verified. Can you help me?

A: Sometimes it takes longer than 48 hours for DKIM and Return-Path to get verified. In this case, please contact support@judge.me so we can assist you.