When an SAP domain and a Private Domain have different root domains, SPF alignment fails even if the SPF check itself passes. This occurs because, in the default configuration, the Envelope From (the domain authenticated by SPF) is fixed to bounce.[SAP_Domain], regardless of which Private Domain sends the email.
For example, consider an MID with the following configuration:
SAP Domain: example-company.com
Private Domain: product-x.com or example-company.net
(Note: These have different root domains from the SAP domain. Subdomains like mail.example-company.com share the same root, so they are not affected.)
In this scenario, regardless of which domain sends the email, the Envelope From remains bounce.example-company.com.
Example of Mismatch:
Header From: product-x.com or example-company.net
Envelope From: Always bounce.example-company.com
Result: SPF Alignment Fails
Even in the above example, DKIM alignment typically passes, so the overall DMARC check is expected to pass. However, some strict providers may require both DKIM and SPF alignment to pass. In such cases, this can lead to increased bounces and a decline in open or click rates.
If your MID matches the domain configuration described above, please watch for the following: if you experience a sudden, significant drop in deliverability or engagement metrics despite following proper sending practices (such as managing send volume, content quality, and spam countermeasures), we recommend requesting the "Multi-Bounce Domain" feature via Salesforce Support. Please review the behavior described below and provide the information listed in FAQ Q3 when contacting support.
※ Scope of Support Investigation for Deliverability and Engagement Metric Declines
Declines in deliverability and engagement metrics (such as open and click rates) depend on a wide range of factors, including content quality and IP reputation. Therefore, support investigations are generally limited to verifying the configuration of sending domain authentication.Additionally, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in cases where "opens" and "clicks" are automatically counted by security software (Bots) or mail client privacy protection features, regardless of actual user behavior. Please be aware that metrics such as open rates may deviate significantly from actual values.
When the Multi-Bounce Domain feature is enabled, the behavior for that MID changes as shown in the examples below:
Behavior after enabling:
Example 1:
Header From: product-x.com
Envelope From: bounce.product-x.com
Example 2:
Header From: example-company.net
Envelope From: bounce.example-company.net
Result: The Envelope From domain now matches the Header From domain, allowing SPF Alignment to pass. (Note: This assumes the DMARC SPF alignment policy (aspf) is not set to strict if using Self-Hosted DNS with complex subdomain structures.)
Important: After enabling this feature, you must perform test sends to verify that emails sent from each Private Domain in the MID successfully pass DMARC.
A) It is a mandatory requirement that the DNS records for bounce.[Private_Domain] are correctly configured and that the MX and SPF records for this bounce domain are resolvable. Please ensure you verify your DNS settings before submitting a request. If these records cannot be resolved, critical issues will occur, such as SPF failures causing emails not to reach users, or bounce messages failing to return to Marketing Cloud Engagement.
Delegated Domains: Ensure the domain is correctly delegated to Salesforce.
Self-Hosted Domains: Ensure the DNS records provided during setup are correctly configured on your DNS server.
Important Note for Self-Hosted Domains: If you are using an existing domain that is also used by other external services, please be aware that Salesforce Support cannot provide answers or investigations regarding the impact on those external services. We recommend consulting your domain administrator beforehand to ensure no disruption occurs to your existing infrastructure.
A) No, you do not. Once the feature is enabled for the MID, the behavior described above automatically applies to any new Private Domains added subsequently.
A) Please create a support case with the following information:
Target MID: (The Member ID where you want to enable the feature)
Target Private Domain: (For verification purposes)
Note: The feature is enabled at the MID level, not per domain, but providing a specific domain helps Support verify the settings more smoothly.
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