Overview
A tracking domain is a secondary (or sub) domain name related to your original domain. It allows Apollo to redirect a tracking pixel added to emails to track opens, clicks, and unsubscribes.
Tracking pixels are often flagged as spam. Set up a custom tracking subdomain to improve the delivery rates for the emails you send through Apollo.
Custom tracking subdomains is only one part of the equation. To make it into your contact's inbox consistently, take a look at these email deliverability best practices. Also, stay within recommended sending limits and download this checklist anytime you need a cheat sheet.
Refer to the sections below to create, connect, and manage a new tracking subdomain.
Create a Custom Tracking Subdomain
To create a custom tracking subdomain, you need to first create a CNAME record. To do so, you need admin access to your domain management account.
Please note, every domain provider has a different domain management interface. If you need help creating a CNAME record, visit the online knowledge base for your domain provider and search for "create CNAME".
The table below provides more details about the type of information you will need.
| Field | Definition | Field Information | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNS Record Type | DNS Records include essential information about your domain or host. To set up a tracking subdomain, you need to select the record type: Canonical Name (CNAME). | CNAME | A CNAME record maps an alias name to a canonical domain name. |
| Host/Host Name/Name | Choose any name that is not directly related to your website. This name will become the subdomain in the URL that you create: subdomain.yourdomain.com | subdomainexample |
|
| Value/Data/Points To | The value you enter establishes the connection between your subdomain and the Apollo tracking servers. | aplolinks.com |
This field must be aplolinks.com. |
| TTL | TTL is a technical term that refers to how often your subdomain information will be rechecked by relevant servers. | Leave as Default | You can leave this field as whatever value your domain provider uses by default. |
As an example, here's the layout from an Amazon Web Services (AWS) account, one of the most popular providers. You will need to add data into all of the same CNAME record fields. Once you create and save your CNAME record, it can take between 2-24 hours to fully propagate.
If you're using other providers like GoDaddy or Cpanel, reference their documentation on subdomains to ensure you're reviewing the most up-to-date information specific to your use case.
Connect a Custom Subdomain to Apollo
To connect a custom subdomain to Apollo:
- Launch Apollo, click the settings icon in the navbar, and then click Tracking Subdomains.
- Click New Subdomain.
- Enter the custom subdomain in the Domain text-box.
- Click Create.
Please note, you can only use 1 tracking subdomain at a time. If you connect several tracking subdomains, Apollo will only use the one you set as default.
When you connect your CNAME record, the word healthy appears on the right-hand side of your screen.
You have now connected your custom tracking subdomain.
Please note, if you receive an error message or see the word Unhealthy on the right of your tracking subdomain when you connect it with Apollo, check for spelling mistakes and confirm that you filled in all the required fields in your domain management account. If the problem persists, contact your domain provider's support team. Your account may have been deleted or deactivated on their end.
Manage Tracking Subdomains in Apollo
Refer to the section below for more information about how to make a tracking subdomain the default domain, check the statistics, and deactivate a subdomain.
Make a Tracking Subdomain Default in Apollo
You can only use one tracking subdomain at a time. The tracking subdomain you set as default is the one that Apollo will use.
To set a tracking subdomain as default, click the additional options (...) button on the right-hand side of the tracking subdomain. Then, click Make Default.
You have now changed the default tracking subdomain.
View Tracking Statistics
To evaluate the performance of the emails you send and keep track of the open, click, and unsubscribe rates, you can access the Apollo tracking statistics.
To view tracking statistics, click the additional options (...) button on the right-hand side of the tracking subdomain. Then, click Check Stats.
The Stats modal includes key statistics related to the performance of the emails sent with the default tracking subdomain.
Please note, few contacts open an email immediately after you send it. For this reason, Apollo tracking stats reflect data from the previous week and month rather than from the current week and month.
Deactivate a Tracking Subdomain
If your tracking subdomain is Healthy, your recipients’ email servers are not flagging your emails as spam. When you check your email statistics in Apollo, you should see high open rates and low bounce rates. If your tracking subdomain is Unhealthy, your recipients’ email servers are flagging your emails as spam.
You can expect that email servers will still occasionally flag your emails as spam. If you start to see a dramatic decrease in your open rates or an increase in spam-blocked emails, you can follow the instructions in the Create a Custom Tracking Subdomain section to create a new tracking subdomain. Then deactivate the current tracking subdomain to remove it from your options and reset your deliverability. Also, remember to follow email deliverability best practices to avoid that pesky spam filter.
To deactivate a tracking subdomain, click the additional options (...) button on the right-hand side of the tracking subdomain. Then, click Deactivate.
You have now deactivated the tracking subdomain.
Please note, tracking links that utilize your custom tracking subdomain do not expire unless you delete the domain.