Domain Changes Needed to Continue Sending Emails From Help Scout Servers

Overview

In preparation for Google's upcoming email authentication changes, we've make some changes to how we verify and send emails. This will require updates to your domain's DNS records if your DMARC record is set to reject emails that don't pass.

The final deadline to make these updates is January 31, 2024. Your action is required by this date to ensure you can continue to send emails from Help Scout servers.

If you are sending email from Help Scout using Help Scout servers, and your domain has a DMARC record set to p=reject but does not have the proper CNAME records to allow DKIM authentication, the emails you send from Help Scout will be rejected by other email servers after January 31.

What Can I do to prepare?

To continue sending email via Help Scout’s servers, you have two options:

You can add the required CNAME records to allow for DKIM authentication for emails sent from Help Scout. Our article Use DKIM to Help With Email Deliverability has a bit more information if you need it, but adding authentication helps with deliverability overall.
You can change to using your email provider using SMTP or an OAuth connection to send from Help Scout instead of using our servers to send. You do not need to make changes to your DNS records if you choose to change the sending method. The article Outgoing Email Settings explains a bit more about the different options and has links to help with setting up the connection to your provider.

Alternatively, you can check with your IT department to see if relaxing the settings for your DMARC record is a better option. When your DMARC is set to tell servers to reject email, you must make sure that every vendor you're sending email from (like Help Scout) has the appropriate DNS records in place — if you're not able to create those DNS records for Help Scout, your DMARC likely shouldn't be set to reject.

When is the deadline?

Your preferred solution must be implemented prior to January 31, 2024 to avoid disruption to outbound email sent from Help Scout. If your solution is not implemented, emails sent from your Help Scout account will not send.

We understand that not everyone has a dedicated team that handles this sort of thing and that you might have more questions, and we’re here for you.