When your institution sends emails through Almabase — newsletters, campaign updates, event invitations, or system notifications — those emails are sent from a masked domain by default. That means your alumni and donors see a sending address that may not look familiar to them, which can affect whether they open the email, click a link, or trust it at all.
The unmasked email domain setting lets you change this. Instead of sending bulk and system emails from a masked domain, you can configure Almabase to send them from your institution's own domain — the one your community already recognizes.
For example, say your Almabase website is set up at alumni.bluefield.edu. By default, emails would go out from an address like johndoe@alumni.bluefield.edu (the masked domain). If you set up an unmasked email domain of bluefield.edu, those same emails would go out from johndoe@bluefield.edu instead — a domain your alumni already know and trust.
This applies to bulk emails (newsletters, giving day campaigns, event invitations) and system emails (password resets, notifications).
One-to-one emails — like a personal note from a gift officer to a donor — always continue to send from the masked domain. There are no changes to one-to-one emails.
How It Works
Setting up your unmasked email domain
To get started, go to Settings > Site Settings > Domain Setup in your Almabase account.
Step 1: Add your unmasked email domain
Enter the domain you want your bulk and system emails to send from — for example, bluefield.edu. This is the domain your community will see in the "from" address on every newsletter, campaign email, and system notification sent through Almabase.
Click Get DNS records to generate the records you'll need for the next step.
Step 2: Add the DNS records
After clicking Get DNS records, Almabase generates a set of DNS records that you need to add with your domain provider (like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or wherever your institution's IT team manages DNS). These records prove to email providers that your institution owns the domain and that Almabase is authorized to send emails on your behalf.
You'll see four records to add:
A CNAME record pointing your domain's host to Almabase
A CNAME record for the mail subdomain
A TXT record for DKIM authentication — a security signature that verifies your emails haven't been tampered with
A TXT record for DMARC — a policy that tells email providers how to handle unauthenticated mail from your domain
For each record, copy the values shown on screen and add them in your domain provider's DNS settings. The TXT record for DKIM includes a Copy TXT record button to make this easier.
Step 3: Validate the records
Once you've added all the records, click Validate unmasked domain. Almabase checks each record and shows a green checkmark next to anything that's set up correctly, or a red X with instructions if something needs attention.
DNS changes can take some time to propagate depending on your provider. If a record shows as unresolved right after you add it, wait a few minutes (sometimes up to a few hours) and try validating again.
Step 4: Contact support to enable unmasked email
Once all your DNS records are validated and showing green checkmarks, reach out to your Almabase support team or your customer success manager. They'll enable the unmasked email domain for your account.
If you're running into issues during setup — for example, validation isn't passing even after you've added all the records — reach out to support as well, and they can help troubleshoot.
What sends from where
Once your unmasked domain is set up and enabled:
Email type | Sends from |
Bulk emails (newsletters, campaign updates, event invitations) | Your unmasked domain |
System emails (password resets, notifications) | Your unmasked domain |
One-to-one emails (personal messages from a gift officer or admin) | Your masked domain (always — no change) |
What this does not cover
This setting does not change how one-to-one emails are sent. The one-to-one emails sent between constituents always follow a masked domain. This is to maintain the privacy and security of the constituents on the platform.
Setting up the unmasked domain does not happen automatically. You (or your IT team) need to add the DNS records with your domain provider and have support enable the toggle before it takes effect.
FAQs
Do I need to set up an unmasked email domain to use Almabase?
No. If you don't set one up, your bulk and system emails will continue sending from the masked domain, just as they always have. Everything works the same — this is an optional configuration.
Who can add the DNS records?
Whoever manages your institution's domain — typically your IT team or webmaster. You'll need access to your domain provider's DNS settings (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, or similar). If you're not sure who manages this, check with your IT department.
How long does DNS validation take after I add the records?
It depends on your DNS provider. Most changes propagate within a few minutes to a few hours, though it can occasionally take longer. If a record shows as unresolved right after adding it, wait and try validating again.
What if validation fails even after I've added all the records?
Double-check that you've copied the record values exactly as shown — especially the DKIM TXT record, which is long and easy to mistype. Use the Copy TXT record button to avoid errors. If everything looks correct and validation still isn't passing, reach out to your Almabase support team for help.
What happens to one-to-one emails if I set up an unmasked domain?
Nothing changes. One-to-one emails always send from the masked domain, whether or not you have an unmasked domain configured.
What happens if I've set up the domain and DNS records but haven't contacted support to enable it yet?
Your emails will continue sending from the masked domain until support enables the unmasked email toggle for your account. The setup and DNS validation are a prerequisite — the switch doesn't happen until it's enabled.