Constant Contact - Setting up e-mail authentication

Description

Setting up an email address with a Cornell subdomain helps ensure that email sent through third-party mailing services, such as Constant Contact or MailChimp, is not blocked by email security protocols such as Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC). This article covers how Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) staff can request a Cornell subdomain email address and configure it within Constant Contact.

Requesting a Subdomain Email Address

Submit a helpdesk request to your regional Shared Business Network (SBN) IT staff: https://helpdesk.cce.cornell.edu

Include the following information in your request:

• The vendor you use (e.g., Constant Contact, MailChimp, Ultracamp)
• The group email account(s) you would like to use (e.g., monroe@cornell.edu)
• Your preferred subdomain address(es), which will end with @[county].cce.cornell.edu (e.g., news@monroe.cce.cornell.edu)

You may request multiple subdomain email addresses. Be sure to indicate which reply-to group email address corresponds to each new subdomain email address.

Constant Contact Setup

After SBN IT staff have created your subdomain email address, log into your Constant Contact account to verify the new email address(es) and authenticate your domain name.

Verifying the New Subdomain Email Address(es)

1. Click your profile name in the upper left corner of the webpage, then click Account Settings.
2. Click the Account Emails tab.
3. Click the Add Email Address button.
4. Click Verify New Email Address.
5. Enter your new email address (e.g., 4H@monroe.cce.cornell.edu) and click Verify Email.
6. Open Outlook and navigate to the group email inbox. Look for a verification email from Constant Contact and click Verify Email.
7. When a browser page opens, click Take Me to Constant Contact.
8. Navigate back to Account Settings > Account Emails to view your newly verified email address(es) or to add additional addresses if needed.

Authenticating Your Domain

1. Click your profile name in the upper right corner of the webpage, then click Account Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. Click the Advanced Settings tab.
3. Click the Add Self-Authentication button.
4. Confirm that Self-authenticate using DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) CNAME records is selected and click Continue.
5. Select the new domain [county].cce.cornell.edu from the drop-down menu and click Continue.

Note: By this point in the process, SBN IT staff will have already registered the Constant Contact information in the Cornell system. You do not need to copy or save any information shown on the next screen.

6. Click OK on the DNS/DMARC screen.
7. Click Got It.

You may receive an email confirmation that your domain has been activated. You can also verify the activation status directly in Constant Contact:

1. Click your profile name and select Account Settings.
2. Click Advanced Settings.
3. Under Self-Authenticate Your Email Address, click the Manage button.
4. The pop-up box will display the current activation status.
   • If the status shows Activated, no further action is needed.
   • If the status shows Ready to Activate, click the Activate button.
   

Sending a Test Email

Note: The test function within Constant Contact uses their ccsend email address, which will not confirm delivery from your new email address(es). Follow the steps below to properly test your new address.

1. Log into Constant Contact and navigate to Contacts.
2. If you do not already have a Test list, create a new list named Test.
3. Add yourself, a colleague, an IT staff member, and one or more non-Cornell email addresses to the Test list.
4. Create a new marketing campaign email or copy an existing one, then send it to the Test list only.
5. Set the From address to your new subdomain email address.
   • The From Name field can be set to the display name you want recipients to see (e.g., Monroe County 4-H).
   • The reply-to address can be either your new subdomain email address or the group email address. Either way, replies will go to the same group email inbox.

Recommendation: In the first email you send to recipients using your new address, consider notifying them of the change so they know the email is legitimate. For example:

Please note our new sender email address and save it to your address book: [new sender email address]

Our new email address is fully authenticated with email servers to better ensure our email communications arrive in your inbox rather than in junk or spam folders. If you have any questions or issues, please let us know.

Related Information

Cornell Information Technology (CIT) and Constant Contact provide the following additional resources:

• CIT to Begin DMARC-based Email Security Initiative | IT@Cornell
• Constant Contact: Understanding email authentication | Constant Contact (youtube.com)
  Note: The DKIM CNAME setup discussed after minute 2:19 in this video will be completed by SBN IT staff on your behalf.