Custom Email Return Path
You can specify a custom return path for email sent by SuiteProjects Pro.
To do so, go to Administration > Global Settings > Display > Email Settings and enter the custom return path in the Set up email return path box. Review the best practice guidelines before using this feature. See Custom Return Path Best Practice Guidelines.
By default, the Return-Path
header (sometimes referred to as "envelope address") is set to www@openair.com
by the SuiteProjects Pro email relay server for all email messages originating from SuiteProjects Pro. If you have a DMARC policy for your domain, this results in failing SPF alignment when the SuiteProjects Pro application sends an email message with a user email address in the From
header. See DMARC Alignment and SuiteProjects Pro Email.
The Custom Email Return Path feature allows the Return-Path
to be changed to a custom value when appropriate, depending on the scenario. If a custom return path is specified for your account and the custom return path domain matches the email header in the From
domain, the SuiteProjects Pro application sets the Return-Path
header to this custom return path and tells the SuiteProjects Pro email relay not to modify the Return-Path
header.
The following table summarizes the three possible scenarios for SuiteProjects Pro email when a custom return path is specified for the account. The example custom return path for all three scenarios is pm-bounces@pm-bounces.example.com
.
Scenario |
|
|
SPF Alignment |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Email coming from user email address. |
Account user email address. Example: |
Set to custom return path by the SuiteProjects Pro application. Example: |
Pass |
The email addresses in the If a forward email address is specified for undeliverable SuiteProjects Pro email in Administration > Global Settings > Display > Email Settings, it has no impact in this scenario. |
Email coming from |
|
Set by the SuiteProjects Pro email relay server.
|
Pass |
The custom |
Email coming from user email address. |
Account user email address Example: |
Set by the SuiteProjects Pro email relay server.
|
Fail |
The email addresses in the |
Custom Return Path Best Practice Guidelines
Review the following guidelines:
-
You should specify an email address for undeliverable SuiteProjects Pro email to be forwarded to. To do so, go to Administration > Global Settings > Display > Email Settings and enter the email address in the Forward undeliverable email to this email address box. See Email Settings.
-
You should set a custom return path as a preventive measure if you send notification email from SuiteProjects Pro with a custom
From
header such as the user email address. However, setting a custom return path is necessary only if email messages sent from SuiteProjects Pro fail to be delivered – when Mimecast blocks email delivery with error550 Envelope Blocked
, for example. It offers little benefit over forwarding undeliverable email to a specific address otherwise.Note:Mimecast DMARC tool is the only known tool that checks SPF alignment. Generic mailing services, such as Microsoft Exchange, Gmail, or Yahoo, for example, omit SPF alignment checks by default. When email is sent to such mailboxes and a custom return path is specified for the account, all three scenarios pass.
-
Bounce (undelivered) notification messages are sent to the address in the
Return-Path
header. If you specify a custom return path for your account:-
In some scenarios, the custom return path bypasses the forward address for undeliverable SuiteProjects Pro email as SuiteProjects Pro no longer receives the bounce email notification.
-
You should set both the custom return path and the forward address for undeliverable SuiteProjects Pro email (Forward undeliverable email to this email address) to the same email address.
-
The custom return path you enter must correspond to a valid email inbox on your email servers.
-
-
Setting a custom return path does not provide a complete solution unless the
From
email domain is the same for all email sent with customFrom
header from your account. The feature has little to no use if you send SuiteProjects Pro email from a wide range of email domains – Email messages would pass SPF alignment checks only for those customFrom
email addresses with a domain matching theReturn-Path
email domain; all other email with a customFrom
email address would fail SPF alignment.