Setting Up Email
Connect your support email to receive and respond to emails in Helplane.
Email Inbound Setup
Route incoming emails to Helplane:
- Go to Settings > Email > Inbound
- Copy the forwarding address provided (e.g.,
[email protected]) - In your email provider, set up forwarding from your support address to this Helplane address
All forwarded emails will appear in your Helplane inbox.
Email Outbound Setup
Configure how outgoing emails appear to customers:
- Go to Settings > Email > Outbound
- Set your Sender Email (e.g., [email protected])
- Set your From Name (e.g., "Acme Support")
Without Domain Verification
If you haven't verified your domain, outgoing emails will be sent as:
- From: HelpLane ([email protected])
- Reply-To: Your unique inbound address
Customer replies will still route correctly to your Helplane inbox.
With Domain Verification (Recommended)
Verify your domain to send emails directly from your own address (e.g., [email protected]). This provides a professional, branded experience for your customers.
Domain Verification
To send emails from your own domain, add DNS records to authorize Helplane:
- Go to Settings > Email > Outbound
- Enter your sender email address
- Click Verify Domain to see the required DNS records
- Add the following records to your domain's DNS:
SPF Record
Add a TXT record to authorize Helplane to send on your behalf:
| Type | Host | Value |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | @ (or your subdomain) | v=spf1 include:sendgrid.net ~all |
include:sendgrid.net to the existing record.DKIM Records
Add CNAME records for email authentication:
| Type | Host | Value |
|---|---|---|
| CNAME | s1._domainkey | s1._domainkey.mailing.helplane.io |
| CNAME | s2._domainkey | s2._domainkey.mailing.helplane.io |
DMARC Record (Recommended)
Add a DMARC policy for additional protection:
| Type | Host | Value |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=none; |
- After adding the records, click Verify in Helplane
- DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate
Once verified, emails will be sent from your domain with proper authentication.
How It Works
| Domain Status | From Address | Reply-To |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | [email protected] | [email protected] |
| Not Verified | [email protected] | [email protected] |
- Emails are sent directly from your address
- DKIM signatures validate your domain
- Better deliverability and customer trust
Troubleshooting
Not receiving emails?
- Verify forwarding is set up correctly in your email provider
- Check spam/junk folders for the forwarding confirmation
- Ensure the forwarding address matches exactly
Domain verification failing?
- DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate
- Ensure CNAME records point to the exact targets shown
- Check for typos in the record names and values
- If you have an existing SPF record, merge rather than replace it
Emails going to spam?
- Verify your domain to enable DKIM signing
- Ensure SPF record is correctly configured
- Consider adding a DMARC policy
Replies going to wrong address?
- If domain is not verified, replies go to your inbound parsing address
- Verify your domain to have replies go directly to your sender email