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Custom Notification Email Addresses

Overview

Custom email domains allow you to send scheduling notification emails from your own branded email address instead of the default [email protected] email. This provides a professional, consistent brand experience for your invitees throughout the entire scheduling process.

Benefits

  • Brand Consistency: All notification emails come from your domain (e.g., [email protected])

  • Professional Image: Invitees see emails from your company domain, not a third-party service

  • Trust & Deliverability: Emails from verified domains have better deliverability and are less likely to be marked as spam

  • Team-Specific Emails: Different teams can use different email addresses for their notifications

What Emails Are Affected

When you configure a custom email domain, the following notification emails will be sent from your custom address:

  • Booking confirmations to invitees

  • Event reminders before meetings

  • Follow-up emails after meetings

  • Cancellation notifications

  • Reschedule confirmations

  • Meeting updates and changes

Requirements

  • Business Plan: Custom email domains are available on the Business tier

  • Domain Access: You need access to your domain's DNS settings

  • Email Verification: You must verify ownership of the email address

How It Works

Custom email setup involves three main steps:

  1. Domain Setup: Configure DNS records to authorize email sending

  2. Email Addition: Add your custom email address to your account

  3. Email Verification: Verify you have access to the email address

Setup Instructions

Step 1: Add Your Custom Email Address

  1. Log in to your account and navigate to https://zcal.co/account

  2. Click the Add Email button

  3. Enter your custom email address (e.g., [email protected])

  4. Click Continue

Important Notes:

  • You can use any email address on your domain

  • Common choices: noreply@, notifications@, calendar@, bookings@

  • Each user can have multiple custom emails (one default + one per team)

Step 2: Configure DNS Records

Note: DNS setup only needs to happen once per domain. Once the initial set up is complete, your team members using the same custom email domain can link their email address without needing to do any DNS setup.

After adding your email, you'll be prompted to configure DNS records. You need to add two DNS records to your domain:

DNS Record Details

Record Type
Name/Host
Value/Target
Purpose

TXT

[unique-dkim-host]

[unique-dkim-value]

DKIM signature for email authentication

CNAME

pm-bounces

pm.mtasv.net

Handle bounce notifications

Example: If your custom email is [email protected], you'll add records to yourcompany.com:

Where to Add DNS Records

The location of DNS settings depends on your domain provider. Below is an example of what adding the DNS settings to Cloudflare looks like:

Tips:

  • Copy the exact values from your dashboard using the copy buttons

  • DKIM record names are unique to your domain and auto-generated

  • Some DNS providers require you to wrap the DKIM value in quotes

  • Don't include the root domain in the record name if your provider adds it automatically

Step 3: Verify DNS Configuration

  1. After adding both DNS records, wait at least 5-15 minutes for propagation

  2. Click the I Have Configured DNS button in the wizard

  3. Wait for the system to verify your DNS records

DNS Propagation Time:

  • Typical: 5-15 minutes

  • Maximum: Up to 48 hours (rare)

  • You can retry verification if it fails initially

Step 4: Verify Email Access

After DNS verification succeeds, you'll receive a verification email at your custom email address.

Important: Even though you're using a send-only email (like noreply@), you still need to verify it. Here's how:

  1. Check the inbox of someone who can receive emails for your domain

  2. If using [email protected], emails might go to:

    • Your catch-all address (if configured)

    • Your domain administrator

    • Your email admin panel

  3. Look for an email from zcal with subject "Verify your custom email"

  4. Click the verification link in the email

  5. You'll be redirected back to Zcal with a success message

Email Management

Default Email

Your default email is used for all personal scheduling links and invitations.

Setting a Default Email:

  1. Go to Settings > Custom Email

  2. Find the email you want to set as default

  3. Click the menu icon (⋮) next to the email

  4. Select Set as Default

Requirements:

  • Email must be fully verified (both DNS and email access)

  • Only one email can be default at a time

  • Default emails are marked with a green "Default" badge

Team Email Assignments

If you're a member of teams, you can assign specific custom emails to specific teams.

How Team Assignments Work:

  • Default email: Used for all personal links

  • Team-specific emails: Used when scheduling through that team

  • One email per team: Each team can use a different custom email

  • No team assignments: Email is available but not actively used

Assigning Emails to Teams:

  1. Find the email in your custom email list

  2. Click the menu icon (⋮)

  3. Select Manage Team Assignments

  4. Check the teams that should use this email

  5. Click Save

If a team doesn't have an email assigned to it, it will just use the default email.

Example Setup:

User: [email protected] (default)
├── Personal links → Use: [email protected]
├── Sales Team → Use: [email protected]
└── Support Team → Use: su

Features & Functionality

How Emails Appear to Invitees

When you use a custom email domain, your invitees will see:

From Field:

From: Richard Smith <[email protected]>

Email Types:

  1. Booking Confirmation

    • Sent immediately after booking

    • From your custom email

    • Contains meeting details and calendar links

  2. Reminder Emails

    • Sent before the meeting (configurable timing)

    • From your custom email

    • Can be customized per invite type

  3. Follow-Up Emails

    • Sent after the meeting

    • From your custom email

    • Can include custom questions or feedback requests

  4. Cancellation Notifications

    • Sent when meetings are cancelled

    • From your custom email

    • Includes cancellation reason if provided

Default Email Usage

Your default email is automatically used for:

  • All personal scheduling links

  • Profile page bookings

  • Direct bookings (not through teams)

  • Any invites not assigned to a team

Troubleshooting

DNS Verification Failed

Problem: When you click "I Have Configured DNS," verification fails.

Common Causes:

  1. DNS Not Propagated: Changes take 5-15 minutes (up to 48 hours)

  2. Incorrect DKIM Record: The TXT record value must match exactly

  3. Wrong Record Name: DKIM host must match the provided value exactly

  4. Missing Bounce Record: Both records are required

  5. DNS Provider Issues: Some providers have delays or formatting requirements

Solutions:

  1. Wait for Propagation

    • Wait at least 15 minutes after adding DNS records

    • Try verification again

    • Use a DNS checker tool (e.g., mxtoolbox.com, whatsmydns.net)

  2. Verify Record Accuracy

    • Double-check the DKIM record name against the dashboard

    • Copy and paste values to avoid typos

    • Ensure no extra spaces or characters

    • Check that quotes are correct (some providers require them)

  3. Check DNS Provider Settings

    • Some providers auto-append your domain - don't add it twice

    • Use the correct record type (TXT for DKIM, CNAME for bounce)

    • Set TTL to 3600 seconds if required

Email Verification Not Received

Problem: You don't receive the verification email after DNS verification.

Cause: The email address doesn't have an active mailbox or catch-all configured.

Solutions:

  1. Check Catch-All Settings

    • Configure a catch-all address in your email admin panel

    • Common locations:

      • Google Workspace: Admin Console > Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Default routing

      • Microsoft 365: Exchange Admin Center > Mail Flow > Rules

      • cPanel: Email > Forwarders > Set default address

  2. Temporarily Forward the Email

    • Create a temporary forward from your custom email to a real mailbox

    • Complete verification

    • Remove the forward after

  3. Use a Real Email Initially

    • Start with a real email address you can access

    • Verify it fully

    • Change it to noreply@ after verification

  4. Check Spam/Junk Folders

    • Verification emails might be filtered

    • Add [email protected] to your safe senders list

    • Check quarantine if you have email filtering

  5. Resend Verification Email

    • Click the menu (⋮) next to the email

    • Select "Resend Verification"

    • Wait 2 minutes between attempts

Management & Administration

Managing Team Assignments

To assign emails to teams:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Custom Email

  2. Find the email to assign

  3. Click the menu icon (⋮)

  4. Select Manage Team Assignments

  5. Check/uncheck teams in the dialog

  6. Click Save

Rules:

  • Only one email can be assigned per team

  • Default email cannot be assigned to teams (it's for personal use)

  • Must be fully verified to assign to teams

  • Unassigning removes custom email from that team's notifications

Removing a Custom Email

To remove a custom email from your account:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Custom Email

  2. Find the email to remove

  3. Click the menu icon (⋮)

  4. Select Delete

  5. Confirm the deletion

Effects of Removal:

  • Email is removed from your account

  • Domain DNS records can stay (shared by multiple emails)

If this was your only custom email and you're on Business tier, new notifications will revert to zcal's default sender.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a free email domain like Gmail or Outlook?

No, you must use a domain you own and control. You cannot use free email providers like gmail.com, outlook.com, yahoo.com, etc., because you don't have access to their DNS settings.

What's the difference between custom domain and custom email?

  • Custom Domain: Changes where your scheduling pages are hosted (e.g., meet.company.com)

  • Custom Email: Changes who notification emails come from (e.g., [email protected])

These are separate features that can be used independently or together for complete branding.

Can multiple users share the same domain?

Yes! Multiple users in your organization can configure custom emails on the same domain:

The DNS records only need to be set up once per domain. Once they are set up they will be available to use by any team member.

Do custom emails work with all invite types?

Yes, custom emails work with:

  • One-on-one meetings

  • Group meetings

  • Round-robin events

  • Collective events

  • Team events

  • Group polls

  • All notification types (confirmation, reminder, follow-up, cancellation)

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