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Infra basics - getting started 1

Infra basics - getting started 2

Infra basics - getting started 3

Infra basics - getting started 4

Infra basics - getting started 5

Infra basics - getting started 6

Infra basics - getting started 7

Infra basics - getting started 8

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Setup Essentials

Proper setup creates the foundation for everything that follows. This lesson covers the essential configuration steps that every cold outreach infrastructure needs. Getting these basics right prevents problems and positions your operation for success.

DNS Authentication

DNS authentication verifies that your emails legitimately come from your domain. Three protocols work together to establish this verification.

SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, tells receiving servers which mail servers are authorized to send email from your domain. You publish this information as a DNS record. When servers receive email claiming to be from your domain, they check your SPF record to verify the sending server is authorized.

DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, adds a cryptographic signature to your emails. You publish a public key in DNS, and your sending server signs emails with the corresponding private key. Receiving servers use the public key to verify signatures, confirming emails have not been altered and genuinely originated from your domain.

DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance, ties SPF and DKIM together. It specifies what should happen when authentication fails and enables reporting about authentication results. DMARC gives you visibility into how your domain is being used for email.

Configuring Authentication Records

Setting up authentication requires adding DNS records for your sending domains.

SPF records list all the servers that send email on your behalf. This includes Instantly.ai's servers plus any other services that send email from your domain. The platform provides the specific include statement to add.

DKIM records publish the public key used to verify your email signatures. The platform generates these keys and provides the DNS records to add. Each domain needs its own DKIM configuration.

DMARC records start in monitoring mode to gain visibility without risking delivery. As confidence builds, DMARC policies can move to quarantine or reject mode for stronger protection.

DNS changes take time to propagate across the internet. After making changes, wait several hours before testing. Premature testing often shows failures that resolve themselves as propagation completes.

Tracking Domain Configuration

Custom tracking domains require their own DNS configuration.

CNAME records point your tracking subdomain to Instantly.ai's tracking servers. This creates the connection that lets the platform handle tracking on your behalf while using your domain name.

SSL certificates secure the connection between recipients and your tracking domain. The platform handles certificate provisioning and renewal automatically once DNS is configured correctly.

Verification through the platform confirms that tracking domain setup is complete. The platform checks DNS configuration and SSL status, reporting any issues that need attention.

Sending Settings

Beyond authentication, sending settings control how your accounts behave.

Daily sending limits cap how many emails each account sends per day. These limits protect account reputation by preventing volume spikes. Set limits that match your warm-up stage and capacity plans.

Sending windows define when emails go out. Sending during business hours in recipient time zones tends to produce better engagement. Configure windows that match your audience's work patterns.

Delay settings add time between individual emails. Small random delays make sending patterns look more natural. Providers expect some variation in how humans send email.

Reply detection settings determine how the platform identifies and routes replies. Proper configuration ensures replies appear in your interface and trigger appropriate automations.

Initial Verification

After completing setup, verify that everything works correctly before sending real campaigns.

Send test emails to yourself and colleagues. Verify that emails arrive, sender information appears correctly, and links track properly. Check spam folders to ensure emails reach the inbox.

Use email testing tools to verify authentication. Services that analyze email headers can confirm SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are passing. This verification catches configuration errors before they affect real sending.

Confirm platform settings match your intentions. Double-check limits, windows, and other configuration. Errors caught now are much easier to fix than errors discovered during campaigns.

Documentation helps future maintenance. Record what you configured and why. When settings need adjustment later, documentation helps you understand the current state and reasoning behind it.

Video transcript

Once your accounts are connected, there are a few key setup steps to make sure your infrastructure is bulletproof. The first is DNS authentication. That means setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records in your domain's DNS settings.

Sounds intimidating, but all it really means is proving to inbox providers that your emails are legit and authorized. Think of it like a passport. Without those stamps, you look suspicious at the border. With them, you sail right through.

Why does this matter? Because without these records, your chances of hitting spam, they skyrocket. And with them, you're telling providers like Google and Outlook, yes, this message really is from us and it hasn't been tampered with. Now the good news is you don't need to memorize how DNS works.

We've got a step by step guide that shows you exactly where to click and what to paste in. It takes a few minutes and once it's done, it's done. The second piece is your tracking domain. By default, gives you one, but if you want full control over reputation, it's smart to set up your own custom tracking domain.

That way you're not sharing reputation with anyone else and your domain health is completely in your hands. If you don't plan to track opens or clicks, you can skip this step, but most senders benefit from having their own. The last piece is your sending settings. This covers how many messages go out per day, how much delay there is between them, and what your daily sending pattern looks like.

The key here is to mimic human behavior. You don't want to blast two hundred emails at exactly nine am every day. That looks robotic. You want natural spacing, gradual ramp up, and safe daily limits.

So in short, DNS tracking and sending settings are the pillars of setup. They're not flashy, but they're the reason your messages land. And once they're configured, you rarely have to touch them again.

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