Setting Up Your Domains DNS For TNZ Email

Connecting TNZ Email to your domain improves deliverability and routes bounce messages correctly. It also stops other people from spoofing your domain. Without the right DNS records, emails often land in spam or get rejected outright by Gmail, Outlook, and other major providers.

There are two ways to set this up.

⚙️ Which Option to Choose

🚀 Before You Start

You'll need:

• Admin access to your DNS provider (where your domain is managed, such as GoDaddy, Cloudflare, 1st Domains, or FreeParking).
• About 10 minutes to add the records.
• Patience for DNS propagation. Changes often appear on major platforms within minutes but it can take up to 24 hours for the entire internet to catch up.

A quick glossary before the steps:

✅ Option 1: Use a Subdomain (Recommended)

Example subdomain: email.company.com

This lets TNZ manage the email-specific DNS settings on a dedicated subdomain, without touching your normal email setup. You still send as name@company.com, so recipients see your main address.

Benefits:

• Protects your main domain email setup
• Simpler DNS configuration (two records)
• Easier to track TNZ Email separately from other email
• TNZ handles bounces automatically

Step 1: Log into your DNS provider

Open the dashboard where your domain's DNS is managed. Most providers call this area "DNS", "DNS Management", "Zone File", or "Nameservers".

Common providers: GoDaddy, Cloudflare, CrazyDomains, 1st Domains, Domainz, FreeParking.

Step 2: Add a CNAME record for the subdomain

This record lets TNZ manage SPF and bounce routing automatically.

Save the record.

Step 3: Add a CNAME record for DKIM

This record lets TNZ sign outgoing emails on your behalf.

Save the record.

Step 4: Let TNZ know

Email support@tnz.co.nz to say the CNAMEs are in place. The team will verify the settings and approve your subdomain for sending.

Once approved, emails will send with:

• SMTP From = bounces@email.yourcompany.com (what mail servers see)
• From Email = your.name@yourcompany.com (what recipients see)

🛠️ Option 2: Use Your Main Domain

Example domain: company.com

Step 1: Log into your DNS provider

Same as Option 1. Find your DNS management area at GoDaddy, Cloudflare, 1st Domains, or wherever your domain lives.

Step 2: Update your SPF record

SPF authorises TNZ to send email on behalf of your domain. A domain can only have one SPF record, so if you already have one, add to it rather than replace it.

If you already have an SPF record

Find the existing TXT record starting with v=spf1 and add include:_spf.tnz.co.nz before the ~all or -all at the end.

If you don't have an SPF record

Step 3: Add a DKIM record

DKIM proves emails really came from TNZ.

Step 4: Add a DMARC record

DMARC monitors email security and reports on SPF and DKIM results. If you already have a DMARC record, skip this step.

p=none is monitor-only, so no emails are blocked. You can tighten this later once you're confident everything is signing correctly.

Step 5: Let TNZ know

Email support@tnz.co.nz to say the DNS changes are done. The team will verify and approve your domain.

🔧 Verify Your DNS Is Live

DNS changes can take a few minutes, or up to 24 hours, to propagate. To check whether your records are visible to the wider internet:

⚡ API Settings

When sending via the TNZ API, set these variables.

Using a subdomain

{
    "SMTPFrom": "bounces@email.company.com",
    "From": "Your Company",
    "FromEmail": "user@company.com"
}

Output: "Your Company" <user@company.com>

Using your main domain

{
    "SMTPFrom": "user@company.com",
    "From": "Your Company",
    "FromEmail": "user@company.com"
}

Output: "Your Company" <user@company.com>

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

📞 Need More Help?

Visit the TNZ Help Centre or contact the TNZ support team.

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