Greenhouse Recruiting allows you to send emails from within your account that will appear to the candidate as being sent from your organization's domain. This article answers frequently asked questions about verifying your domain to use in emails.
How does Greenhouse Recruiting send emails?
Greenhouse Recruiting uses the third-party email provider Mailgun to send emails. By default, all originating in Greenhouse Recruiting are sent via Mailgun. This includes (but is not limited to) emails such as new user invitations, notifications, emails to candidates, and @mention messages between users.
As a part of the Greenhouse Recruiting implementation process, we ask all organizations to register their domain within the Greenhouse application and complete the email verification process. This process registers your domain with Mailgun, which then generates DNS records (SPF, DKIM, and sometimes MX records) to be added to your DNS settings.
Greenhouse Recruiting also offers the option to send mail from your own server by setting up a custom SMTP.
What's the difference between a root domain and a subdomain?
A root domain is your primary main domain, which is purchased through a domain name provider and houses all the pages on your website. For example, the URL omniva-corp.com is a root domain.
A subdomain is a subsection of your root domain which, in a URL, comes before the root domain along with a period. For example, in the URLsupport.omniva-corp.com, support is the subdomain.
What's the difference between a domain registrar and a Domain Name Server (DNS) provider?
A domain registrar is a service from which your purchase a domain. A Domain Name Server (DNS) provider is a service you use to host your domain. Some services provide both domain registration and domain hosting, so you may use the same service for both.
You can look up your domain registrar by searching for your domain name on ICANN.org.
How do I find my DNS provider?
Common DNS providers include Google, Cloudflare, and GoDaddy, but your organization may use a different one. If you don't know who your DNS provider is, we recommend reaching out to someone on your team.
We created the following message template to help you collect the info you need. Copy the message below and send it to a member of your team:
Hello, I’m working on setting up our account with Greenhouse Recruiting, and I need to know what DNS provider we use. Do you know the answer, or do you know someone who would?
How do I edit my DNS settings?
Find the area in your account where you can edit your DNS settings. The process of finding and navigating this section of your account will differ depending on the DNS provider you use.
Tip: Look for buttons or links like "Host Record," "New Record," or "Add Items to DNS."
If you need help locating your DNS settings, you may need to consult the DNS provider's support center or contact their support team.
Copy the message below and send it to your DNS provider's support team:
Hello, I’m trying to update my DNS records to include TXT, MX and CNAME. Where can I go to edit these settings?
If you still need help after contacting your DNS provider's support team, reach out to the Greenhouse Recruiting Technical Support team.
Why is gh-mail added to my domain?
When you register a new root domain, you may encounter some situations that prevent or complicate the process of updating your DNS records. These include the following:
- Your root domain may have already been registered with our email provider, Mailgun
- You may have reached the limit of 10 DNS lookups of your root domain's SPF
- Your IT team may have strict policies on adding new DNS records to your root domain
By adding the gh-mail subdomain to your root domain automatically, a new subdomain is created in your DNS records, avoiding the possibility of the above issues. In simple terms, using the gh-mail subdomain avoids common complications that impede your organization's ability to send emails reliably.
Using the gh-mail subdomain doesn't change the email experience for your users. They can send and receive messages through Greenhouse Recruiting from their standard email address.
My company won't let me use the gh-mail subdomain. What do I do?
Some companies have a strict security, or DMARC, policy on their domain that prohibits using the gh-mail subdomain. In this case, your organization won't be able to send emails successfully with our standard process. Instead, you'll need to register your domain without the gh-mail subdomain.
To start, click the Configure icon > Email Settings.
If your domain is already registered with the gh-mail subdomain, remove the domain.
Add your domain again, this time with an exclamation point ! before the domain name (For example, !omniva-corp.com.) The exclamation point tells Greenhouse Recruiting not to add the gh-mail subdomain.
When you finish, click Register. Follow the steps to verify your email domain.
How do I know if my domain has been verified?
On the Email Settings page in Greenhouse Recruiting, click Check DNS Records Now. When the icons in the table turn from ellipses to check marks
, your domain has been verified.
What should I do if my domain isn't being verified?
If the table on your Email Settings page shows ellipsis icons instead of check mark icons
, your domain records still need to be verified.
To start, we suggest you review the troubleshooting steps in our article Why isn’t my domain name system (DNS) verified?
If you still need help, reach out to the Greenhouse Recruiting Technical Support team.
Why aren't my emails being delivered?
Your Greenhouse Recruiting emails may not be sent in the following situations:
- Your domain hasn't been verified: Domain registration is the first step in setting up your emails in Greenhouse Recruiting. If your domain hasn't been verified, you may receive an error message such as "Heads up! It's unlikely this email will be delivered!". Make sure to verify your email domain before sending any emails from your Greenhouse Recruiting account.
- Your organization has a strict DMARC policy: Some companies have a strict security, or DMARC, policy on their domain that prohibits using the
gh-mailsubdomain. In this case, your organization won't be able to send emails successfully with our default process. Instead, you'll need to register your domain withoutgh-mail. - The recipient's email address is on our bounce list: Mailgun may add an email address to its bounce list after numerous failed attempts to deliver mail. These failed attempts can be caused by the following:
- An email being sent to an email address that hasn't been fully set up
- Your organization rejecting the email from Mailgun
- An unexpected error
Mailgun adding an email address to its bounce list is an effort to prevent potential abuse and protect your sender score. However, some email addresses may be added to the bounce list in error. If you suspect this is the case, reach out to the Greenhouse Recruiting Technical Support team.
I'm getting the error message "Heads up! It's unlikely this email will be delivered!" What should I do?
The error message "Heads up! It's unlikely this email will be delivered!" may display when sending an email in Greenhouse Recruiting if your email domain is not yet verified. Follow the steps to verify your email domain.
How do I remove my email domain from Greenhouse Recruiting?
In some cases, it may be necessary to remove a previously registered email domain from your Greenhouse Recruiting account.
To remove an email domain, click the Configure icon on your navigation bar and then click Email Settings on the left. Click Show verification details to view your previously registered email domain, then click Remove.