How to create a custom email domain in a few easy steps—a concise guide

Learn how to set up a custom email domain and give your business a credibility boost. Explore ways to create a privacy-oriented personalized comms solution.

An email address contributes to the professional impression and credibility of any business. 75% of customers say they find it hard to trust products and services originating from generic domains like gmail.com and outlook.com. Using a custom email domain (along the lines of [email protected]) allows you to establish your brand as you interact with a potential client. The question is—how can you create one? Let’s walk you through the process.Creating your own email domain isn’t complicated once you determine which components you need and where to get them. We have summarized the process into three simple steps:

Owning a domain name
Finding a secure email service provider (ESP)
Setting up an email with the domain of your choice

Let’s examine each step in detail.

Personalize your email domainSkiff Email's custom domain feature can help you establish a professional online presence

Step 1: How to get a domain name for your email

If you don’t already own a domain name, finding the desired one with a domain registrar is your number one priority.A domain name is a human-readable identity of an IP (internet protocol) address, which is a numeric label assigned to websites, servers, and digital devices. There are thousands of domain registrars operating around the world, but we recommend going for one that focuses on privacy and the protection of domain owners’ rights.

Why is domain security important?

You have to provide your identification details whenever you register a domain, which makes your information prone to forward sharing via lookup protocols like WhoIs. Unprotected domains are highly vulnerable to security breaches.If you want better protection against domain hijackers and other attackers, choose a registrar that offers optional privacy protection. Options like Njalla and Cloudfare have WhoIs privacy by default, or you can also find registrars accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) that typically follow the best practices dictated by the body.

What are the logistics of purchasing and keeping a domain name?

The process of buying a domain name is different for every registrar. In general, you can expect the following steps:

Use the domain registrar’s inbuilt search bar to find your desired name
Compare available domains in terms of price, popularity, etc.—if the domain is taken, try variations of the search item
Choose an extension (like “.org” or “.net”) that’s suitable for your purpose (keep in mind that WhoIs privacy is not available for certain options due to government restrictions)
Add the chosen domain name to your cart
Select appropriate add-ons and payment options
Complete your purchase

Buying a domain name may not be a one-time investment, as most registrars require a small renewal fee after the initial registration expires.Keep in mind that domain registration and web hosting are two separate services. To build your website, you need to connect with a web hosting provider like BlueHost or HostGator, although companies like GoDaddy offer a combination of both services. We won’t go on this tangent as you don’t need a website to have a custom email domain—owning a domain name will suffice.

Step 2: How to find the right provider for your domain email

Once you have your domain name sorted, choosing a reliable email service provider should be your next step. Almost every provider allows you to use its domain name by default. Adding a custom email domain is an additional service you typically need to pay for. ESPs like Gmail offer free custom email domains if you subscribe to their Business plans, but they may not be the best option in terms of privacy.According to stats from 2021, 77% of organizations faced some form of business email attacks, with domain spoofing and phishing being some of the most devastating. Most ESPs have custom domain support, but It’s essential to choose end-to-end encrypted email services like Skiff if you want to focus on your business without worrying about security breaches.

How an end-to-end encryption (E2EE) email service protects a business

Your email communication is the central nerve of your business, but it’s not 100% safe by default. Emails travel through different servers to reach a particular destination, which means your data can be compromised at various points. Unauthorized third-party breaches can be prevented by end-to-end encryption (E2EE) protocols.In email terminology, encryption means turning the content of a message into ciphered text. The message can be deciphered only by someone with a decryption key. Common encryption protocols generally fall under three categories:

Encryption protocol	Description	Decryption key owner
In-transit	Consists of industry-standard TLS protocols that encrypt and decrypt data as they travel between various servers. The data becomes vulnerable every time it rests on a server	Email service provider
At-rest	Encrypts data while stored on a device	Cloud or email service provider
End-to-end	Encrypts data at the sender’s end and only the recipient(s) have the key to decrypt	User only

Big Tech ESPs like Gmail only have standard in-transit and at-rest protocols, and the decryption keys are housed on their servers. A hacker can compromise public servers and gain access to your sensitive communications, which is the foundation of attacks like spear phishing and whaling. Since providers create decryption keys, they also have access to your messages at every step.End-to-end encryption changes the narrative by letting users (and not the providers) create and control encryption and decryption keys. The keys are stored on individual user devices, so the email service provider cannot access them.Since the decryption key is never transferred via the internet, your communication is safe even if a hacker tries to attack the network.

Access special domain features on a secure serverSkiff combines top-notch security measures with an extensive feature variety

Skiff offers end-to-end email encryption with custom domain features

Go for Skiff Mail if you're looking for a full-featured E2EE email service provider with a custom domain option. The company has designed a minimalistic and intuitive user interface that enables easy navigation and interactivity for all users. Whether you want to create a personalized email domain for your family or business, Skiff is the ideal service!After creating a Skiff account, you can easily:

Configure domains—Skiff enables a convenient verification and setup process for custom domains using a PC or mobile device
Purchase a domain name—With Skiff Domains, you can privately purchase and register any domain for private email
Add aliases—You can add multiple aliases from a single account to go with your custom domain. For example, inbound emails to [email protected] and [email protected] can be created and operated with the same account
Invite team members—You can invite your colleagues to your workspace so they can use your custom domain and have individual aliases as well

Besides hosting an email service, Skiff also offers a free-to-use E2EE productivity suite for every account. You get access to:

Skiff Pages (for creating and collaborating on notes, wikis, etc.)
Skiff Drive (with 10 GB of free storage)
Skiff Calendar

Step 3: How to create an email address with your domain name—the configuration

Whether you choose Skiff or another email service provider, configuring a custom domain name for your account requires a basic verification process. Your domain name is merely a text-based identifier to your IP address and other DNS (Domain Name System) records. While the configuration process varies for different providers, you basically need to enter your DNS records to set up your custom domain.The following table explains some of the DNS records a user is typically asked to fill in:

DNS record	Purpose
Mail exchanger (MX) record	An MX record directs email delivery agents to the server associated with your custom domain so that messages are transmitted using standards of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
Text (TXT) record	Your domain TXT record is used to establish domain ownership and promote email security. It prevents domain spoofing, phishing, spamming, and other forms of malicious attacks
Canonical name (CNAME record)	A CNAME record is used when you have registered several domain names or use multiple subdomains and want them all to be directed to your main domain (instead of deflecting toward various IP addresses)
Service (SRV) record	An SRV record is used to identify the location (hostname and port) of the server associated with a specific service

These are technicalities handled by experts, but we wanted users to know how every DNS record is provided for a reason. You have to configure these records with your domain provider—let’s understand how this works with Skiff.

How to make a custom email address with Skiff

To get started with Skiff, you first need to create an account. Here’s what you need to do:

Visit the signup page
Set up a username and password
Enter your E2EE-protected inbox

E2EE email services can be pricey, but Skiff has a generous free plan for average users. Since creating custom domains is a business-friendly feature, it’s only available on paid Pro and Business tiers.Once you create your account, upgrade to a Pro or Business account to activate support for personalized domains. If you want custom email domains for free, you have the option to use Skiff Credits (earned by completing tasks like installing our Android or iOS app). After upgrading, navigate to Settings and click on Custom Domains.

Here are the steps you must follow:

Select Add Domain
Enter your domain name and hit Next
Wait until you arrive at a screen of DNS records displaying entries like:
1. One MX record
2. Two TXT records
3. Two CNAME records
Visit your domain registrar or hosting provider and add the records for your domain (have the Skiff MX record at priority zero)

Wait for a couple of minutes for the records to be verified with Skiff, and you’re all set! You can now create aliases and invite collaborators to use your domain. You can add two unique custom domains at the Pro tier and five at the Business tier (the limit for aliases is higher). Refer to the following table to find out more about the three tiers:

Features	Free	Essential	Pro	Business
Drive storage	10 GB	15 GB	100 GB	1 TB
Sending messages (limit)	200/day	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Folders and labels	5	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Custom signatures
Auto reply
Schedule or undo send
Email + doc text search
E2EE link sharing
Document limit	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Skiff.com aliases	4	10	10	15
Custom domains	0	1	2	15
Workspace collaborators	6	6	6	Unlimited
Doc version history	24 hours	24 hours	Unlimited	Unlimited

Advantages of switching to Skiff

You get way more from Skiff than easy custom domain setups! It is one of the few ESPs offering complete email privacy across all collaboration tools—even Skiff has no permission to view any content you create, upload, or share on the platform. It also offers zero-info login and two-factor authentication (2FA) options that strengthen anonymity and security for businesses and individuals.

Check out some other benefits you get with Skiff:

Seamless crypto integrations—You can integrate Skiff with aliases for wallets like MetaMask, Keplr, and Brave if you want to send and receive emails anonymously
Distributed storage option—Skiff optionally integrates with IPFS (InterPlanetary File System), enabling you to securely store your files on a fully decentralized storage platform
Multi-platform usability—Access Skiff from any browser or download apps designed for your OS
Fast performance—Skiff provides robust end-to-end cryptography at high speed. You can read more about its encryption architecture in the whitepaper
Skiff Domains—If you want to add more domains for private email, you can purchase them directly in-app from the custom domains tab

Skiff is open source and constantly evolving with new upgrades. Create an account and start exploring custom email domains and other services.

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