Configure CNAME
Carina Gotovcenco avatar
Written by Carina Gotovcenco
Updated over a week ago

Configure the CNAME (Canonical Name) to allow us to use your own domain for click and open tracking. This needs to be done to improve your email deliverability and to increase the sending limit.

In a nutshell: you create an alias for your domain that makes the links in your emails point to your own domain instead of c.ovrlptrck.com.

Note: Tracking domains are not configurable for webmail domains (@gmail.com, @outlook.com, etc.).

Why is it important to set up a CNAME?

To understand why the CNAME is so important, you need to know how we track email opens and link clicks.

Each email you send from Overloop contains a tracking pixel – a tiny invisible image, which we include in the body of every email. Your recipients can’t see it, but our system can track when the image is downloaded from our servers. This is how we know that the email was opened. The tracking pixel URL is rewritten with your domain when the CNAME is configured.

When you include links in your emails (either in the body or in the signature), we rewrite them to track the clicks. A rewritten link has the following format but forwards to your URL when opened:

The CNAME allows us to use your domain instead of c.ovrlptrck.com on all links.

Back to the point, it’s crucial to have the CNAME configured because modern spam filters are sensitive to such things as URLs in emails. So having all the URLs in your emails (the links that you added and the tracking pixel) pointing to your own domain increases the chances for your emails to pass the spam filters and be delivered to the prospects's mailbox.


How to configure the CNAME?

Note: to configure the CNAME, you need to have access to your DNS settings, and the process depends on your DNS host.

Once you've connected your email account to Overloop, your domain will appear in the Deliverability settings ready for you to add a CNAME.

Note: Tracking domains are not configurable for webmail domains (@gmail.com, @outlook.com, etc.).

  1. Navigate to the Settings > Deliverability.

  2. Click the Configure button next to your new domain.

  3. Enter the preferred subdomain (for example click or tracking) and hit the Next button.
    !!! Do not use www as your prefix.

  4. Create a CNAME record on your DNS setting using the values you get on the screen.
    Note: For some hosts, you will need to add a dot at the end of the "Points to" (Destination or Target) link.
    Please, check your DNS host's documentation on CNAME.

  5. When the CNAME is set in the DNS settings, click Verify and Save button.

CNAME setup for GoDaddy

If your DNS host is GoDaddy, here is their instruction on how to add a CNAME.

You will need to enter the following values but replace domain-com and domain.com with your own domain name.

  • Host: click

  • Points to: click-domain-com.ovrlptrck-cstm.com

Then navigate to Settings > Deliverability and verify your tracking domain: click.domain.com

For example: if your website is mycompany.us, you will use these values:
Host: click
Points to: click-mycompany-us.ovrlptrck-cstm.com
And then verify click.mycompany.us in Overloop

CNAME setup for Cloudflare

If your DNS host is CloudFlare, here is their instruction on how to add a CNAME.

You will need to enter the following values but replace domain-com and domain.com with your own domain name.

  • Name: click

  • Content > Target: click-domain-com.ovrlptrck-cstm.com

Make sure that the Proxy status is on "DNS only". The orange cloud should become grey.

Then navigate to Settings > Deliverability and verify your tracking domain: click.domain.com

For example: if your website is mycompany.us, you will use these values:
Name: click
Target: click-mycompany-us.ovrlptrck-cstm.com
And then verify click.mycompany.us in Overloop


If you are having trouble with this, please check in with your network administrator or contact us at support@overloop.com.

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