Have you ever opened an email and noticed the "On Behalf Of" in the sender's address?
While it might raise some questions, rest assured, it's a common occurrence with a simple explanation. Let's dive into why this happens and what you can do about it from a technical standpoint.
Understanding the Difference between 'Sender' and 'From' Addresses
Every email you send has two key addresses: the sender and the 'from' address.
The sender address is what the receiving email server sees when the email is sent;
The 'from' address is what your recipients see.
For better email deliverability, using the same domain for both the sender and 'from' addresses is recommended.
For example, the sender domain ('from address') example.com should match the sender's address (sender email address): [email protected]. Read more below ↓
Why "On Behalf Of" Appears
The "On Behalf Of" typically appears when there's a mismatch between the sender domain and the 'from' address domain.
This means the email is sent from one domain (the sender's email) but appears to be coming from another (the 'from' sender domain).
In Omnisend, you can find the settings for the sender's and 'from' addresses in the following areas:
'From' address (domain) is selected in Store settings → Sender domains;
The sender's email is selected in Store settings → Email addresses.
A Simple Example
For instance, imagine you receive an email with the following sender and 'from' addresses.
Sender: [email protected] From: [email protected]
In this case, the sender (email) is on "mail.example.com," while the 'from' domain is "example.com." This discrepancy triggers the "On Behalf Of" in some email clients.
While this setup works well with most major email providers, Outlook displays the sender's address as info=[email protected] on behalf of Info [email protected] instead of using the display name and address specified in the 'From' header.
How to Resolve It
To eliminate the "On Behalf Of" notation, ensure that the sender and 'from' addresses use the exact same domain.
In the example above, changing the 'from' (sender) domain to "mail.example.com" would remove the notation.
A Less Common Scenario
In rare cases, the "On Behalf Of" can also occur when your emails are DKIM-signed with a domain that differs from the sender and 'from' address domains.
To resolve this, follow the instructions for a verified DKIM record in Omnisend Store settings → Sender domains.
Technical Considerations
When configuring your email settings, pay close attention to the SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records for your domain. These records help verify the authenticity of your emails and can impact how they are delivered and displayed by email clients.
While sometimes unexpected, the "On Behalf Of" is nothing to worry about. By understanding why it occurs and how to resolve it, you can ensure that your emails are delivered smoothly without any confusion.