Procedures and Specifications for Discontinuing Delegated Domains in Marketing Cloud Engagement

Main Tasks for Discontinuing a Delegated Domain

Discontinuing a delegated domain in MCE is completed simply by removing the NS records on the customer's DNS server.

Due to how DNS works, once the NS records are removed from the customer's DNS server and the changes propagate across the internet, name resolution requests to MCE will cease. Therefore, the deletion of related records retained in the Salesforce system is not a mandatory step for discontinuing the domain.

Workflow for Discontinuing Domain Use

Execute the following workflow when discontinuing a delegated domain.

1. Remove the NS records pointing to MCE on the customer's DNS server.

2. Verify that the NS record removal has propagated by performing a DNS lookup.

3. If record deletion on the Salesforce side is desired for administrative purposes, submit a request to Salesforce Support after confirming the NS record removal. (Optional)

Considerations When Discontinuing an SAP Domain

After the NS records are removed, email authentication methods such as SPF and DKIM will fail. If the target is an SAP domain, image rendering within emails and tracking links will also cease to function. Therefore, we recommend removing the records only after a sufficient period has passed since the complete cessation of email sending from MCE.

Furthermore, if you intend to continue sending emails from MCE using other domains after discontinuing the SAP domain, you must verify that the target domain is not assigned to the PTR record (reverse DNS) of your dedicated IP address. Follow the steps below to verify and resolve this.

1. Understand the prerequisites: If the NS records are removed while the host of the discontinued SAP domain is still assigned to the dedicated IP's PTR record, the host will fail name resolution. This can severely impact deliverability with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that validate PTR records.

2. Verify current configurations: Before removing the NS records, use a command prompt or terminal to perform a reverse lookup on the dedicated IP address assigned to each Business Unit (BU). Verify that the current PTR record is not bound to the SAP domain being discontinued. (For details, refer to this article)

3. Request a PTR record update: If the reverse lookup indicates that the PTR record is bound to the SAP domain slated for removal, request Salesforce Support to update the PTR record (change to a different domain) before removing the NS records on your end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. After removing the NS records for a domain delegated to MCE, can Salesforce delete the corresponding records retained on the MCE side?

A. Yes, this is possible. However, as name resolution ceases the moment the NS records are removed on your end, this is not a mandatory task. Please request deletion only if strictly required for your administrative purposes.

Q. Is it possible to specify a timeline or request an expedited completion for record deletion on the Salesforce side?

A. Record deletion typically requires approximately 5 business days from the start of the request, and we generally do not accept requests for expedited processing or specific deadlines. However, because routing to MCE's DNS servers stops entirely once your NS records are removed, there is no need to wait for Salesforce to complete the record deletion. This will not bottleneck your migration process. We highly recommend prioritizing the removal of your NS records and the setup of your new service.

Note: Self-Hosted Configurations

Customers utilizing a self-hosted DNS setup should manually delete the respective DNS records at their discretion once the domain is no longer used in MCE.