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Optimizing Platform Email Performance in Docebo Learn

  • 19 January 2022
  • 9 replies
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  • Docebian
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This guide explains how to optimize email performance in your Docebo Learn platform by ensuring emails are sent via a prioritized server.

 

Understanding Email Delivery in Docebo Learn

To ensure that notifications are delivered as intended, Docebo utilizes two different SMTP servers for each region: 

  1. This server is reserved for sender domains which have the three DNS parameters in place (SPF, DKIM, and MX records)

  2. This server is used for sender domains that are missing at least one of the three DNS parameters.

 

Docebo configured the SMTP servers this way to avoid email recipient providers and servers that block Docebo’s SMTP server. Here’s an overview of the purpose that SPF, DKIM, and MX records serve when sending emails:

  • SPF: Provides permission for an email server to use a domain as the sender of its emails.
  • DKIM: Signs the email with a preconfigured key to validate the platform domain name identity associated with the email messages sent by the platform for a given domain.
  • MX: Verifies that the sender email address is a domain that is actually configured to send emails.

Intended email recipients might not receive emails from your platform or may experience delays in receiving emails if you haven’t configured SPF, DKIM, and MX records for your domain.

 

Having the three DNS parameters (SPF, DKIM and MX records) configured ensures that the SMTP server has a higher reputation as all emails sent from this domain are verified and trusted senders.

 

The following table shows the different SMTP servers based on platform type and hosting region:

 

Region / Scope

Platform Type

SMTP Host

SMTP Host (with DKIM/SPF/MX properly configured)

ap-southeast-2 (au)

Production

d-au-smtpgw.docebopaas.com

d-au-smtpgw-2.docebopaas.com

ca-central-1

Production

d-ca-smtpgw.docebopaas.com

d-ca-smtpgw-2.docebopaas.com

eu-central-1

Production

d-eu-central-1-smtpgw.docebopaas.com

d-eu-central-1-smtpgw-3.docebopaas.com

eu-west-1

Production/ Sandboxes

d-eu-smtpgw-2.docebopaas.com

d-eu-west-1-smtpgw-2.docebopaas.com

eu-west-2

Production

d-eu-west-2-smtpgw.docebopaas.com

d-eu-west-2-smtpgw-2.docebopaas.com

us-east-1

Production

d-us-smtpgw-2.docebopaas.com

d-us-smtpgw-5.docebopaas.com

us-east-1

Sandboxes

d-us-smptsnbx.docebopaas.com

 

eu-west-1

SaaS

gw1.mail.docebosaas.com gw2.mail.docebosaas.com gw3.mail.docebosaas.com gw4.mail.docebosaas.com

 


 

Please note: Docebo cannot guarantee any delivery timing for email notifications that are using a sender domain without the three mentioned DNS records (SPF, DKIM and MX).

 

What should you do?

To make sure your platform’s email deliverability is optimized, we recommend checking the DNS settings for each of the domains you use to send emails from your platform. Here’s how to check for each record:

 

SPF

xkMl-PNGwPszNvqOGFjF_8x-4VbLH3yj6-6cw_BFxytmGmjNs_GGnC0IQxHOhzbDCQOXpST3QwKdqIV3xsLE93vMrrGlVKHsvrwWt-XaaOLN1m4i0bHEStjHTz8_TVEgN-pfUeLC

 

A note on SPF flattening: If your company uses an SPF flattening service our advice is to not include Docebo within that service as it will lead to your emails being routed through our "untrusted" server which might lead to delays. Our suggestion is to include Docebo in it's own top level entry to ensure that the configuration meets our requirements and notifications will be delivered in a timely manner. 
 

 

DKIM

  • Login in your Docebo Learn platform as a super-admin, navigate to Advanced settings > Email preferences > DKIM > Select Manage DKIM Keys. This will show you a list of all DKIM keys activated. Ensure your sender domain is listed here and it has been verified. If you do not see your sender domain(s), generate DKIM keys for each of your domains by following the instructions in the Managing the DKIM Feature knowledge article.

 

yypXneLnXWUN_a76RCuRiPSSqfZyongIRZcIN0veXtn7bkiXArMwy7O5wUt4aCmal9A2z4XS5abmmPPkZ-z6xqmkC8W57Ma3io-AcrIT-Pi8qhr20qiUtFdNsTXPtUxdLwU4LdDL

u40-YZNRsnLeKsWNjXJE-55eiKXtbO4x9Lsci7VNIo89Wq6wpQFY9vkHWJipmkVZUR6wAwwK2vUloCkoWUDeiYK2lOMWbkxThd0hTMrKw4OVlN8NQ3thvjCLyIjtQqs3s7UfBJis

 

MX

  • Browse https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/dig/, type your sender domain and click on the “MX” tab, you should find at least one existing record.

  • If no MX record exists please contact your IT team to assist with the creation of the record. 

 

brOrkPFzW5phHQr62jZ2eZdCZxTho5VdjqbGVAhlgXtNyjA3aP_AwOdlB_P34oVylaZKXJIdgWFFZ-NEux1Hy3YRzTSTTIOB60hiQsiDNvncxaX4MPMgfuoXSEUF1FnBz9EnFV2H

 

If you are not familiar with these configurations, we recommend reaching out to your IT department.

 

Support

Docebo is not in a position to investigate and provide support for email notifications delivery issues when the platform is using a sender domain without SPF, DKIM and MX records.


9 replies

Userlevel 6
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Thank you for putting this together for us! Is there a way to share this with someone who is not in the community, or is there a way to download the file? I need to share this with my IT team. 

Userlevel 7
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Thank you for putting this together for us! Is there a way to share this with someone who is not in the community, or is there a way to download the file? I need to share this with my IT team. 

The guides section of the community is open to anyone, therefore, they do not need to be a member in order to view this guide. You can simply share this link with your IT team for their reference!

Userlevel 3
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This is amazing! Sorry if this is an easy question, but I would appreciate if anyone can assist me with CNAME - host name and alias name? Would it be related to the sender domain or docebosaas.com? 

Userlevel 3

@pmo Hi, once the SMTP server feature is released (anticipating July 2023) …….will you still require clients to have all 3 (DKIM/SPF/MX) implemented in order for you provide clients ANY type of support when notification issues arise?

 

Userlevel 7
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@pmo Hi, once the SMTP server feature is released (anticipating July 2023) …….will you still require clients to have all 3 (DKIM/SPF/MX) implemented in order for you provide clients ANY type of support when notification issues arise?

 

Hi @oliviachow Im not certain but I think it will not require the configuration of SPF/MX but I’ve followed up with our product team to see if they can provide additional information. 

I think my question is related to Teresa’s can someone break down to me where to share the Public Key, Selector, and Configuration Text on my domain.

I have GoDaddy. Is it to a CNAME record? Can someone break down what goes in each field of the CNAME record?

Thank you!

Userlevel 3

@pmo any updates from the product team?

Userlevel 3

@pmo just following up to see if you’ve heard any news from the product team? 

Userlevel 7
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@oliviachow Thanks for your patience. If you continue to rely on Docebo in order to send those notifications then yes but if you’re going to be using your own SMTP server than no you will not be required to configure all three as you will be expected to configure and maintain those settings on your own within your SMTP server. 

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