MX Records for Multi-Domain Email Routing

MX records are the backbone of email delivery, directing messages to the correct mail servers for a domain. For businesses managing multiple domains - especially those running cold email campaigns - proper MX configuration is critical to ensure reliable email delivery, protect sender reputation, and avoid missed opportunities.

Here’s what you need to know:

• What are MX Records?
  These are DNS entries that specify which mail servers handle emails for a domain. They include a priority system to enable failover and load balancing.
• Why They Matter for Multi-Domain Setups:
  Managing MX records across multiple domains is essential for maintaining deliverability, ensuring replies reach the right inbox, and preventing email bounces. Misconfigurations can lead to lost emails, spam flags, or reduced reply rates.
• Top Challenges:
  • Configuration errors (e.g., incorrect hostnames or priorities)
  • Scaling DNS updates across many domains
  • Inconsistent setups due to multiple email providers
  • Deliverability issues and lack of centralized monitoring
• Best Practices:
  • Separate cold email domains from your main domain to protect its reputation.
  • Use dedicated infrastructure (e.g., IPs, mail servers) for large-scale campaigns.
  • Ensure redundancy with backup MX records and proper failover strategies.
  • Monitor DNS health regularly with tools like dig, nslookup, or MXToolbox.
  • Automate DNS management for efficiency and error reduction.

Platforms like Infraforge simplify multi-domain email routing by automating MX configurations, providing pre-warmed domains, and centralizing monitoring. This reduces manual effort and ensures consistent deliverability for high-volume campaigns.

Proper MX management isn’t just about routing emails; it’s about optimizing your email infrastructure for reliability, reputation, and results.

Core Concepts and Design Principles for Multi-Domain MX Routing

To design a reliable email routing system across multiple domains, it's crucial to understand the technical workings of MX records. Decisions about centralized versus distributed mail servers and failover strategies significantly influence how well your email infrastructure performs, both during normal operations and when issues arise. Let’s break down the key components and principles that shape these decisions.

MX Record Components Explained

An MX record includes several elements that determine how email is routed:

• Domain/Subdomain: Typically @ for the root domain or a specific subdomain like mail.example.com.
• Mail Server Type: Always set as MX.
• Priority: A numeric value where lower numbers indicate higher priority.
• FQDN: The record must point to a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), not a raw IP address.
• TTL (Time to Live): Determines how long DNS resolvers cache the record before querying again.

When a sending server queries MX records, it starts with the server assigned the lowest priority number. If that server is unavailable, it moves to the next in line. This setup enables both failover and load balancing.

Why FQDNs Matter: MX records must point to an FQDN, which resolves to an IP address via its A/AAAA record. This allows you to update server IPs without modifying the MX record for every domain.

TTL Settings: Shorter TTLs (300–900 seconds) are helpful during migrations or emergencies, as changes propagate faster. On the other hand, longer TTLs (one to four hours) reduce DNS query loads but delay routing updates.

For companies managing multiple domains - say, 20 outreach domains alongside a corporate domain - missteps like incorrect priorities or pointing to invalid hostnames can lead to bounced emails. Mastering these details is critical for effective multi-domain email routing.

Single vs. Multiple MX Hosts

One key decision is whether to use a shared MX host for all domains or separate hosts for each.

Single Shared MX Host
With this approach, all domains point to the same mail server or provider (e.g., mx.company-mail.net). This simplifies management by centralizing infrastructure, DNS configurations, and monitoring. It also allows investment in robust features like clustering, load balancing, and DDoS protection. Consistent spam filtering and authentication policies (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) across domains make deliverability easier to manage.

However, centralization comes with risks. If the shared MX host experiences downtime or configuration issues, all domains are affected. Similarly, a reputation problem with one domain - such as spam complaints - can impact the deliverability of all other domains using the same infrastructure.

Separate MX Hosts per Domain
Here, each domain uses its own MX host (e.g., mx.brand1.com, mx.brand2.com). This setup isolates domains, reducing the risk of cross-domain issues. It also allows for tailored spam filters, routing logic, and geographic hosting. Gradual migrations become easier, as individual domains can be moved without affecting others.

The downside? Increased complexity. Separate hosts mean more DNS records, SSL certificates, and monitoring requirements. Resources may also be underutilized, as each domain’s infrastructure is sized independently.

The Hybrid Model
Many U.S.-based organizations opt for a hybrid strategy. Most domains use shared MX platforms for simplicity and cost efficiency, while high-risk domains (e.g., those used for cold emails or bulk marketing) are given separate infrastructure. This approach balances centralization with isolation, protecting core business domains from reputation issues caused by riskier activities.

Approach	Advantages	Disadvantages
Single MX host for all domains	Simplifies management; consistent policies; robust shared infrastructure	Outages affect all domains; reputation issues can spread
Separate MX hosts per domain	Isolates risks; tailored policies; easier migrations	Higher complexity; fragmented resources

Backup MX and Failover Strategies

Backup MX records ensure email continuity when primary servers fail. By publishing multiple MX records with varying priority levels, you instruct sending servers to try the primary server first and fall back to backups if necessary.

For instance, a typical setup might look like this:

• 10 mx-primary.example.com
• 30 mx-backup.example.com

In this configuration, the primary server handles all email unless it’s offline. The backup server queues messages and delivers them once the primary server is back online, preventing mail loss during downtime.

Load Balancing with Equal Priority
Another option is to assign equal priority to multiple MX records (e.g., 15 mx1.example.com and 15 mx2.example.com). This distributes traffic evenly across servers, which works well when they have similar capacity and you want to avoid overloading any single server.

Global and Disaster-Recovery Setups
For added resilience, some organizations use a tiered design with multiple layers of MX records. For example:

• A low-priority main cluster in a U.S. data center.
• A regional cluster in another U.S. region.
• A high-priority disaster recovery site in a different country for legal or risk considerations.

Security Risks with Backup MX
While backups enhance reliability, they can also introduce vulnerabilities. Backup servers are often targeted by attackers, as they may have weaker spam filters or outdated configurations. To mitigate these risks:

• Ensure backup servers enforce the same - or stricter - security policies as primary servers (e.g., SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
• Use consistent network protections like firewalls and DDoS mitigation.
• Avoid unnecessary backups for low-risk domains to reduce complexity and exposure.

For domains with higher risks, such as those used for cold emailing, consider separate backup infrastructures. This prevents abuse or blocklisting from affecting critical business email systems.

Platforms like Infraforge simplify these setups by automating MX record management, ensuring redundancy and consistent security policies across all domains. This reduces manual effort and helps avoid common pitfalls in multi-domain email routing environments.

Best Practices for Cold Email MX Routing and Deliverability

When it comes to cold email campaigns, getting the technical setup right is non-negotiable. These campaigns often face challenges like higher bounce rates, spam complaints, and large-scale sending volumes. To make sure your emails land in inboxes and protect your brand's reputation, you need to build a strong foundation for MX routing and deliverability.

Separating Cold Email Domains from Primary Domains

A critical step in setting up your cold email infrastructure is keeping it separate from your main business domain. Sending cold emails from your primary domain (e.g., "brand.com") can be risky. Since cold email campaigns naturally generate more bounces and spam complaints than regular business emails, using your main domain could lead to major providers like Gmail or Outlook flagging your emails as spam.

Instead, register separate domains specifically for cold outreach. For example, you could use variations like "brand-outreach.com", "trybrand.com", or "getbrand.co." These domains should have their own MX records and email infrastructure tailored for cold email. This separation ensures that issues like blocklists or spam complaints don't spill over and negatively impact your primary domain.

Each cold email domain needs its own authentication setup. This includes:

• Configuring SPF records to authorize only the specific IPs for that domain.
• Setting up DKIM with strong encryption keys (1024–2048 bits).
• Implementing DMARC policies, starting with a monitoring mode (p=none) before moving to stricter settings like quarantine or reject.

This approach allows you to test different strategies - like messaging, targeting, and volume - without putting your main domain at risk. It also lays the groundwork for the dedicated infrastructure needed to maintain deliverability as you scale.

Using Dedicated Infrastructure for Better Deliverability

For small-scale campaigns, shared email infrastructure might be enough. However, if you’re sending cold emails at scale, dedicated infrastructure becomes essential. Sharing IP addresses and mail servers with other senders can harm your reputation if they engage in poor sending practices. Dedicated infrastructure ensures that your reputation is entirely in your control.

With dedicated IP addresses, mailbox providers evaluate your sending behavior - such as bounce rates and engagement metrics - independently. This allows you to manage key processes like IP warm-up and volume ramping more effectively, especially for new domains.

Managing dedicated infrastructure involves setting up MX, SPF, DKIM, and monitoring systems. For teams handling multiple cold email domains, this can be a complex and error-prone process. That’s where platforms like Infraforge come in. Infraforge simplifies the setup by automating these configurations. For example, when you add a new domain, it handles everything from MX records to DMARC policies in just a few minutes, saving hours of manual work.

Infraforge also offers pre-warmed domains and mailboxes, which means you can skip lengthy warm-up periods and start scaling faster. Additional features like domain masking and SSL configuration ensure that your tracking links and landing pages look professional and branded. For teams managing multiple domains, the platform’s bulk DNS update tool is a game-changer, letting you apply changes across all domains with just a few clicks.

Here’s a quick comparison of common infrastructure setups:

Infrastructure Type	Reputation Control	Warm-Up Required	Management Complexity	Best For
Shared IPs/infrastructure	Limited (shared with others)	Minimal	Low	Low-volume sending, testing
Dedicated IPs/infrastructure	Full control	2–4 weeks ramp-up	High (manual setup)	High-volume cold email campaigns
Managed dedicated (e.g., Infraforge)	Full control	Pre-warmed available	Low (automated setup)	Multi-domain cold email operations

Infraforge pricing starts at $40 per month for 10 mailboxes (billed quarterly) or $33 per month (billed annually). Domain costs vary based on the TLD, with five “.com” domains costing about $70 per year.

Once you’ve set up dedicated infrastructure, managing DNS settings becomes the next priority.

TTL and DNS Change Management

Time To Live (TTL) settings control how long DNS resolvers cache your MX records before checking for updates. For cold email domains, setting the right TTL values is crucial for responding quickly to deliverability issues and efficiently managing your DNS.

• During setup or testing, use shorter TTL values (300–900 seconds). This allows you to make rapid adjustments if problems arise.
• Once your domains are stable, extend TTL to 1–4 hours. This reduces DNS query loads and ensures resilience during minor outages.

If you’re planning major changes - like switching email providers or migrating to new IPs - lower the TTL several days beforehand. This ensures that updates propagate quickly, minimizing downtime or delays.

Managing DNS for multiple domains can be tricky. To avoid errors, treat your DNS configurations like code: use version control, document changes, and track all updates. For large-scale changes, roll them out in stages. Start with a small subset of domains (5–10%) and monitor metrics like open rates, bounces, and spam complaints over 24–72 hours. If the results are positive, proceed with the full rollout. If not, revert the changes for the tested domains.

Platforms like Infraforge make this process easier with API-driven DNS management. From a single interface, you can update MX records, SPF entries, and other DNS settings across all your domains programmatically, saving time and reducing errors.

Step-by-Step Guide to Configuring Multi-Domain MX Records

Setting up MX records for multiple domains can seem overwhelming, but with the right approach and tools, the process becomes much more manageable. This guide walks you through the essential steps for configuring multi-domain MX records, including setup workflows, provider-specific requirements, and automation options.

General MX Configuration Workflow

When managing multiple domains, consistency is key. A reliable and repeatable process ensures that every domain is configured correctly, making audits and troubleshooting much easier.

Start by creating an inventory of your domains, noting their DNS hosting details and assigned email providers. This document serves as your go-to reference, helping you quickly identify and resolve inconsistencies before they escalate into bigger problems.

Next, standardize the naming conventions and priority patterns for your MX records. For instance, you might decide that all cold email domains will use mx1.brand-mail.com with priority 10 and mx2.brand-mail.com with priority 20. This predictable setup simplifies auditing and makes automation more straightforward. Keep in mind: lower numbers indicate higher priority.

Once your standards are in place, log into each domain's DNS management interface to add the necessary MX records. Each record should include:

• The record type (MX)
• The hostname (usually @ for the root domain)
• The mail exchanger's fully qualified domain name (FQDN)

Ensure that the FQDN resolves to an IP address through an A or AAAA record. Avoid pointing MX records directly to an IP address or a CNAME, as this can cause email delivery issues.

Set a consistent TTL (Time to Live) - anywhere between 300 and 3,600 seconds. Shorter TTLs (300–900 seconds) are ideal during testing, while longer TTLs (1–4 hours) are better for stable configurations. If you’re planning updates, lower the TTL beforehand to speed up propagation.

After saving the changes, verify your MX records and their resolution using tools like dig, nslookup, or online services such as MXToolbox. Additionally, send test emails from external accounts (e.g., Gmail or Outlook.com) to confirm proper delivery. Check the email headers to ensure the routing path is correct and messages are reaching the intended server. Finally, document everything - include the setup date, MX values, and any special routing rules - for future reference.

A well-executed MX configuration not only ensures smooth email delivery but also strengthens sender reputation, which is crucial for cold email campaigns. Once your workflow is established, adjust your MX records to meet the specific needs of your email provider.

Provider-Specific Setup Patterns

Different email providers have unique requirements for MX records, so understanding their specific setups is essential for reliable email routing.

Google Workspace uses a multi-MX system with several backup servers. The primary MX record is ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (priority 1), followed by backup servers such as ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM and ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (priority 5 and 10, respectively). Always enter these hostnames exactly as specified - case doesn’t matter, but accuracy in spelling and formatting does.

Microsoft 365, on the other hand, employs a simpler approach with a single tenant-specific MX hostname like tenant-id.mail.protection.outlook.com. This setup typically uses a priority of 0 or 10, with additional routing managed internally by Microsoft.

For both providers, follow their guidelines precisely and remove outdated MX records to avoid delivery conflicts. If managing multiple domains, consider creating templates for each provider to streamline the setup process and minimize errors.

Using Infraforge for Scalable MX Management

Managing MX records manually across numerous domains can be time-consuming and prone to errors. For teams running large-scale cold email campaigns, automation tools like Infraforge can simplify and speed up the process.

Infraforge automates the entire workflow, from purchasing domains to configuring DNS and warming up IPs. When onboarding a domain, the platform automatically sets up MX records, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC entries according to best practices. What typically takes hours can now be completed in just five minutes.

The platform’s bulk DNS update feature is especially helpful for multi-domain operations. Instead of logging into individual DNS interfaces for each domain, you can manage MX records, SPF entries, and other settings across all domains from one dashboard. This not only saves time but also reduces the chance of errors caused by manual input.

Infraforge also assigns dedicated IP addresses for each mailbox, ensuring that cold email campaigns don’t affect the reputation of your primary business email. The MX records for these domains point to infrastructure specifically designed for high-volume outreach, keeping this traffic isolated from your main corporate email system.

For teams managing dozens - or even hundreds - of domains, Infraforge’s API-driven provisioning is a game-changer. You can script the setup process for multiple domains, treating your DNS configurations like code. This approach ensures consistency, documentation, and ease of replication.

If you’re transitioning from manual setups or other platforms, Infraforge’s domain transfer feature simplifies the process. The platform handles updates to MX records and other DNS settings, ensuring a smooth migration without disrupting email delivery.

Pricing starts at $40 per month for 10 mailbox slots (billed quarterly) or $33 per month (billed annually). For teams managing 200 mailboxes, Infraforge costs $651 per month - far less than Google Workspace ($1,680 per month) or Microsoft 365 ($1,200 per month) for the same number of mailboxes. Plus, Infraforge offers features specifically tailored for cold outreach, making it an excellent choice for agencies, sales teams, and businesses operating at scale.

Monitoring and Troubleshooting Multi-Domain MX Setups

Once your MX records are in place, keeping an eye on them is key. Regular monitoring ensures your multi-domain email routing remains reliable. Even correctly configured MX records can run into issues due to DNS updates, expired domains, or accidental changes. Without consistent checks, you might not notice routing failures until customers report missing emails - or worse, your cold email campaigns start failing.

Tools for MX Diagnostics

Using the right tools can help you catch MX issues before they turn into bigger problems. Both command-line utilities and web-based services play crucial roles in verifying that your DNS setup is functioning properly.

For DNS troubleshooting, dig is a powerful tool. It queries DNS servers directly and shows exactly what records are being returned. To check MX records for a domain, use:

dig MX example.com +short

For a deeper look, try:

dig MX example.com +trace

This shows the full DNS resolution path, from root servers to your authoritative nameservers, which is especially useful if you're investigating delegation issues. You can also query specific nameservers with:

dig MX example.com @ns1.your-dns-provider.com

to confirm what your authoritative server is publishing versus what public resolvers are seeing.

Once you've confirmed the MX record exists, ensure the hostname resolves to an IP address by running:

dig A mail.example.com

(replace "mail.example.com" with your MX hostname). Keep in mind, MX records must point to hostnames with valid A or AAAA records - not directly to IP addresses or CNAMEs.

For simpler checks, nslookup offers a quick alternative. Running:

nslookup -type=mx example.com

returns the MX records from the default resolver. While it's less detailed than dig, it’s handy for cross-checking results across different networks. Testing from multiple locations - like your office, home, or a cloud server - can help uncover regional DNS issues or propagation delays.

Web-based tools like MXToolbox bundle various checks in one interface. Beyond basic MX lookups, they test SMTP connectivity, verify mail server banners, check blacklists, and validate SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. For teams managing multiple domains, MXToolbox’s batch lookup feature can audit several domains at once, saving time and effort.

Running diagnostics from different networks can catch region-specific issues. For instance, if dig shows the correct MX records from your office but an external tool flags errors, you might be dealing with propagation delays or resolver-specific problems. These diagnostic steps are the foundation for spotting and fixing MX misconfigurations.

Common MX Misconfigurations and How to Fix Them

Understanding common errors helps you resolve issues faster, especially when juggling multiple domains.

Missing MX Records:
If MX records are missing, email delivery will fail. Providers like Gmail treat this as a serious issue and may delay or reject messages. The fix? Add an MX record pointing to your mail server’s hostname, verify it with tools like dig or MXToolbox, and test delivery using an external email account.

Incorrect Priorities:
MX priorities determine the order in which servers handle mail. Misconfigured priorities can cause mail to route to backup servers instead of the primary one or split traffic unevenly. Since lower numbers mean higher priority, ensure the primary server has the lowest value (e.g., 10), while backups have higher values (e.g., 20 or 30). Adjust priorities if you notice inconsistent delivery.

MX Records Pointing to CNAMEs:
MX records cannot point to CNAMEs, as this violates DNS standards and can disrupt email delivery. If an MX record points to a CNAME, update it to point directly to the final hostname or reconfigure the target to use an A or AAAA record.

Missing A/AAAA Records:
If an MX hostname lacks an A or AAAA record, it won’t resolve to an IP address, and sending servers can’t deliver mail. Always verify that each MX hostname resolves correctly.

Misaligned Cold Email Setups:
For multi-domain cold email systems, ensure your MX records align with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings. Misalignments - like a mismatch between the MX and envelope-from domains - can lead to rejections or spam folder placement.

Incorrect Hosting Control Panel Settings:
Hosting control panels (like cPanel or WHM) use email routing settings to determine whether the server accepts mail locally, acts as a backup, or forwards it externally. For example, if your MX records point to Google Workspace but the routing mode is set to "Local Mail Exchanger", emails might be accepted locally instead of being forwarded. Always ensure the routing mode matches your MX configuration (e.g., "Remote Mail Exchanger" for external handling).

Propagation Delays:
When troubleshooting, query multiple DNS resolvers to pinpoint whether delays are global or specific to certain resolvers. Use dig to compare results from your authoritative nameservers and public resolvers like 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1. If results differ, propagation delays are likely the culprit.

Addressing these misconfigurations promptly ensures smoother email delivery across your domains.

Monitoring Strategies for Multi-Domain Setups

Managing dozens - or even hundreds - of domains requires proactive monitoring. Waiting for problems to surface isn’t scalable. Early detection and alerts are crucial to maintaining deliverability.

Key metrics to monitor include:

• Successful delivery rates and SMTP acceptance rates for each domain and MX host.
• Bounce ratios (hard vs. soft) with specific error codes, such as DNS failures or connection timeouts.
• MX lookup success and latency, watching for errors like NXDOMAIN or SERVFAIL.
• Inbox vs. spam folder placement.
• Queue lengths and retry counts on mail transfer agents.
• Authentication pass rates for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Unusual spikes in these metrics - like a sudden increase in DNS-related bounces - should trigger immediate alerts. For instance, if DNS errors rise by 50% in 15 minutes, it could signal an MX or DNS issue that needs attention.

Centralize these metrics into a unified monitoring system. Tagging data by domain and MX host allows you to create dashboards showing acceptance rates, bounce rates, queue depths, and error counts. External probes from multiple U.S. regions can track DNS uptime and response times, alerting you to outages or performance problems with your DNS provider.

For cold email setups, segment monitoring by domain type - such as warm-up, active, and retired domains - so you can apply tailored thresholds and responses.

Platforms like Infraforge simplify monitoring with real-time alerts and centralized views. Tools like Infraforge’s Masterbox provide an overview of all emails across your accounts, making it easier to spot routing or deliverability issues across your domain portfolio.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways for Multi-Domain MX Management

Managing MX records is a cornerstone of ensuring your cold emails actually land in inboxes. As outlined earlier, having the right MX configuration is essential for maintaining reliable email deliverability. When you're scaling from just a few domains to managing dozens or even hundreds, a well-thought-out and monitored MX strategy can save you from constant troubleshooting and keep your deliverability consistent.

Final Recommendations

Set MX priorities correctly: Always assign the lowest number (e.g., 10) to your primary server, with higher numbers (e.g., 20 or 30) for backup servers. Incorrect priorities can lead to misrouted mail and harm your sender reputation.

Separate outreach domains: Protect your main domain (company.com) by using dedicated domains like brand-outreach.com for cold outreach. This keeps your primary domain safe from potential spam complaints or blocklisting.

Avoid splitting MX records across unrelated systems: Routing traffic between multiple providers without a clear failover plan can cause unpredictable delivery issues. Instead, use multiple MX records with coordinated priorities.

Implement redundancy: Having at least two MX records with varying priorities ensures email flow during outages, preventing hard bounces and maintaining communication.

Align DNS records across all domains: Ensure each outreach domain has consistent MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Misalignments can trigger warnings from major U.S. providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo.

Monitor MX health regularly: Keep an eye on bounce rates, spam complaints, blocklists, and DNS consistency. Set up alerts for unusual spikes in delivery issues or SMTP failures.

Use standardized MX templates: Develop a proven DNS/MX setup and apply it uniformly across all outreach domains. Store these templates in version-controlled documentation for easy updates and audits.

Automate repetitive tasks: Managing MX records manually for dozens of domains isn't practical. Use DNS provider APIs or specialized platforms to automate setup and ensure all domains pass authentication checks before going live.

Define a domain lifecycle: Clearly document which domains are used for which campaigns and their MX hosts. Establish phases like warming up, active sending, cooling down, and retiring.

Set appropriate TTLs: For domains under active management, use shorter TTLs (300–900 seconds) to allow quick changes. For stable domains, opt for moderate TTLs (3,600–14,400 seconds).

Here’s a quick checklist to get started:

• Audit your current MX records for priorities, hosts, and redundancy.
• Separate your primary business email from outreach domains.
• Standardize a DNS/MX template for all outreach domains.
• Set up monitoring for MX health, DNS drift, and deliverability metrics.
• Decide whether to automate in-house or use a platform like Infraforge.

By following these practices, you'll create a solid foundation for managing MX records at scale, with tools like Infraforge offering further ways to simplify and streamline the process.

How Infraforge Simplifies Multi-Domain Email Routing

If you're looking to streamline your MX management, automation can make a significant difference. Infraforge offers a private email infrastructure tailored for high-volume outreach, aligning perfectly with the best practices mentioned above.

• Automated DNS and MX setup: Infraforge eliminates manual configurations, ensuring every new domain is configured for optimal deliverability right from the start.
• Pre-warmed domains and mailboxes: Through Warmforge (included with any Salesforge subscription), new setups begin with a positive reputation, gradually building trust with major email providers.
• Dedicated IPs and multi-IP provisioning: Assign specific IP pools to designated MX hosts, isolating risks. If one domain or IP faces issues, the rest of your infrastructure remains unaffected.
• SSL and domain masking: Maintain consistent branding and authentication across all domains to support trust and deliverability.
• API-driven scalability: Automate the creation and retirement of domains, MX records, and mailboxes, scaling from a few domains to hundreds without adding operational complexity.
• Real-time monitoring and alerts: Infraforge’s Masterbox provides centralized insights into deliverability and infrastructure health, helping you identify and resolve issues early.
• Simplified failover and rerouting: Easily shift traffic if a provider, IP pool, or MX endpoint underperforms, minimizing manual DNS adjustments.

For example, a U.S.-based B2B SaaS company scaled from one sales rep to a 30-person outbound team. Initially, they used their primary company.com domain with a single hosted MX. As their email volume increased, they faced rising spam folder rates with providers like Gmail, Microsoft 365, and Yahoo. Switching to a setup with 5–10 dedicated outreach domains, standardized MX records, dedicated IPs, and automated warm-up through Infraforge significantly improved their bounce rates and open/reply rates. Meanwhile, their main domain remained unaffected. With Infraforge automating MX and DNS setup alongside monitoring, their operations team could scale predictably without constant firefighting.

Prioritizing and managing MX records effectively reduces failures and ensures consistent inbox placement, even during outages. Separating outreach domains and standardizing MX setups protect your primary domain and simplify scaling. By implementing these strategies, you can confidently grow your email outreach without sacrificing deliverability or reputation.

FAQs

Why is it important to use separate domains for cold email campaigns to protect your email reputation?

Using separate domains for cold email campaigns is a smart way to protect your primary domain's email reputation. If your cold emails lead to spam complaints or encounter deliverability problems, these issues stay confined to the secondary domain. This ensures that your essential business communications remain unaffected.

It also gives you greater control over email-specific settings, like MX records and authentication protocols. This added flexibility improves deliverability while safeguarding the integrity of your email infrastructure.

What are the advantages of using a hybrid approach for managing MX records in multi-domain email setups?

When managing MX records in multi-domain setups, a hybrid approach can provide both flexibility and better email deliverability. By integrating on-premises email servers with cloud-based solutions, businesses can fine-tune routing efficiency while keeping control over sensitive information.

This setup lets you distribute workloads, build redundancy into your system, and tailor configurations for specific domains or purposes. For instance, some domains could be set up to handle high-volume email campaigns, while others focus solely on internal communications. Tools like Infraforge simplify the process by automating DNS settings, offering dedicated IPs, and improving deliverability with pre-warmed domains and mailboxes.

How does Infraforge make managing MX records for multiple domains easier?

Infraforge simplifies the process of managing MX records by automating DNS setup across all your domains. It takes care of configuring critical email authentication protocols such as DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, adhering to established industry standards.

By automating these tasks, Infraforge reduces the need for manual intervention, lowers the risk of errors, and improves email deliverability. This makes it an excellent choice for handling complex email systems across multiple domains.

Related Blog Posts

• How to Scale Cold Email Without Hurting Reputation
• SPF, DKIM, DMARC Testing for Cold Email Outreach
• How to Set Up Email Forwarding for Cold Outreach
• SPF, DKIM, DMARC Setup After Domain Transfer