Technical requirements for setting up Electronic Direct Mail (eDM) in RMS, including domain verification, Domain Name System (DNS) configuration, Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records, and email server settings.

Overview

The Electronic Direct Mail (eDM) module in RMS allows you to create, send, and track email campaigns. Using the Campaign Editor, you can design a professional email template to send to a selected mailing list. Mailing lists can be generated in Report Writer based on any criteria from the Guest Profile or Reservation, including Guest Classification, Number of Stays, Guest Loyalty or Membership, Guest Location, Reservation Stay Dates, Rate Type, Category, and Area.

Before you send a campaign, you must configure either Domain Verification or EDM Email Settings. This article explains the technical requirements and steps to set up both options.

Before You Begin

Before proceeding, ensure you have the following:

• Access to RMS with System Administrator permissions
• Access to your email hosting provider account (you will need to add DNS records)
• Your email domain name (the part after the @ symbol in your email address)
• If configuring a custom mail server: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) settings from your mail client, including server name, username, password, and port number
• Basic understanding of these technical terms:
  • DNS (Domain Name System) - Servers that translate domain names into Internet Protocol addresses
  • eDM (Electronic Direct Mail) - Email campaign functionality in RMS
  • internet protocol (Internet Protocol) address - Unique numerical identifier for a server or computer on a network
  • SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) - Protocol used for sending emails
  • SPF (Sender Policy Framework) - Email validation system that specifies authorized internet protocol addresses for sending emails
  • Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) - Security protocol that encrypts data transmission
  • txt Record - Type of DNS record containing text information

Electronic Direct Mail (eDM) Technical Requirements: Domain Verification

Domain Verification ensures that the correct Domain Name System (DNS) records are used when sending emails from RMS. It confirms that you have access to an email address on the specified domain and are authorized to send emails from it.

The email domain is the part of the email address after the '@' symbol, and for most businesses, it matches the domain used for your website.

Verifying the property's email domain in RMS guarantees the correct DNS settings are applied when sending emails and removes the "Sent from RMS on behalf of" message in the sender field for verified domains.

Step 1: Add a Domain in RMS

In the side menu of RMS, go to Setup > Security.

1. Proceed to the Domains menu.
2. Select Add.
   
    
3. Enter the Email Address.
4. Select Save.
   

Step 2: Verify Domain Access

1. Go to the Email Address you entered above.
2. Click the Verify Domain Access button in the email sent from RMS.

Step 3: Confirm Domain Verification

1. Select Edit to confirm the verified domain.
   

Add DNS Records to Your Hosting Provider

Each domain has DNS (Domain Name System) records that DNS servers use to retrieve information about the domain, including associated Internet Protocol addresses, which dictate how the server processes requests.

1. Log into your Hosting Provider and navigate to the DNS section. The DNS section may be listed under 'DNS', 'Networking', or 'Zone Editor' depending on your hosting provider.

1. Select Add Record and enter a txt Record for your property's email domain.

1. Enter a second txt Record with the following Hostname:

mx._domainkey.mail.yourdomain.com

SPF Records and Email Technical Requirements

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email validation system used by mail servers worldwide to specify which Internet Protocol addresses are authorized to send emails on behalf of a particular domain. SPF creates a trusted list of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) permitted to send emails from your domain.

Why Update SPF Records

When no SPF record is set up for sending emails through RMS, some mail servers may reject the messages, leading to undelivered emails or bounce backs in eDM campaigns.

Recommended SPF Record Settings for RMS

1. RMS recommends adding an 'include' entry to your SPF record, which will incorporate all Internet Protocol addresses from the RMS SPF record used for sending emails.
2. Updating your SPF record this way will ensure future compatibility with any new servers or network changes, eliminating the need for further amendments.

SPF Record Example

If your current SPF record is:

yourdomain.com descriptive text "v=spf1 mx ip4:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/32 ~all"

The updated SPF record should include the following:

yourdomain.com descriptive text "v=spf1 mx ip4:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/32 include:_spf.rmscloud.com ~all"

EDM Email Settings (Alternative Method)

As an alternative to Domain Verification, eDM can be configured to use your property's own email server. This method bypasses email validation requirements when sending correspondence through RMS Mail Servers. To set up eDM with your property's mail server, you will need the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) settings from your mail client.

In the side menu of RMS, go to Setup > Property Options > General Information.

1. Navigate to the Email Settings tab.
2. Enter your Property's SMTP Mail Server Name.
3. Select the SMTP Server requires authentication checkbox.
4. Enter the SMTP Mail Server Username.
5. Enter the SMTP Mail Server Password.
6. Select the Using SSL checkbox (Optional).
7. Enter the SMTP Port Number (Optional).
8. Select Save/Exit.
   

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues while setting up eDM technical requirements, try the following:

Domain Verification Not Completing

• Check that you can access the email address you provided. The verification email from RMS must arrive in your inbox.
• Check your spam or junk folders if you do not see the verification email.
• Wait 24-48 hours for DNS changes to propagate before attempting verification again.
• Verify that all DNS records from the RMS domain screen have been correctly added to your hosting provider.

Emails Not Being Delivered

• Confirm that your SPF record includes the RMS entry (include:_spf.rmscloud.com).
• Wait 24 hours after updating SPF records for changes to propagate across mail servers.
• Check your hosting provider to ensure all txt records are correctly configured.
• Contact your hosting provider to verify that DNS changes have been applied.

SMTP Configuration Issues

• Verify that you are using the correct port number (465 or 587) for your mail server.
• Confirm that SSL is enabled if you are using Port 465.
• Check that the SMTP username and password are correct for your mail server.
• Contact your mail server provider if you are unsure of the correct SMTP settings.