> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.decodahealth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Emails
> Customize the header, signature, sender identity, and sending domain for your outgoing emails.
Navigate to **Settings > Emails** to access these settings.
Control how your automated emails look by editing the header and signature that appear on receipts, invoices, and notifications. You can set the name and address that appear on emails your staff sends to patients from the inbox, and connect a custom domain so emails come from your own address instead of a generic one.
The Emails page has four tabs: **Header**, **Signature**, **Sender**, and **Domain**.
The email header appears at the top of every automated email your clinic sends -- receipts, invoices, appointment notifications, and more. Use it to add your clinic branding, a welcome message, or important contact details.
### Edit the Email Header
Go to **Settings > Emails** and select the **Header** tab (selected by default).
Use the editor to compose your header. The editor is organized into rows -- each row is a section you can move around and edit independently.
* **Click** a row to select it, then **double-click** to edit its content.
* Use the toolbar to format text -- bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, headings, lists, links, and alignment.
* **Insert images** -- click the image button to upload a logo or banner.
* **Insert links** -- highlight text and click the link button, or press `Cmd+K`.
* Type **/** to insert different content types like headings, images, or buttons.
* **Drag** a selected row up or down to rearrange your header layout.
Type `@` anywhere in the editor to see a list of available variables. Select a variable to insert it. These values are automatically filled in when the email is sent. Available variables include your clinic name, phone number, and other details.
Click **Save Header**. Your changes apply to all future automated emails.
The email signature is added to the bottom of every outgoing email. It typically includes the sender's name, title, and clinic contact information.
### Choose a Template
At the top of the Signature tab, you will see pre-built templates to get started quickly:
| Template | What it includes |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Minimal** | Closing line, provider name, and title. |
| **Professional** | Provider name and title, clinic name, phone, and email. |
| **Complete** | Full signature with provider details, clinic name, location, and contact info. |
| **Clinic Focused** | Emphasizes the clinic name and location, with the provider name at the bottom. |
Click a template to load it into the editor. You can then customize it further.
### Edit the Signature
Go to **Settings > Emails** and select the **Signature** tab.
Click one of the template cards to load a starting layout, or type directly into the editor to create your own.
The signature editor works the same way as the Header tab. Click a row to select it, double-click to edit, and drag rows to rearrange. Use the toolbar to format text, add links, insert images, and attach files. Type **/** to insert different content types.
Type `@` to insert variables like provider name, provider title, clinic name, clinic phone, clinic email, and location. These fill in automatically for each email.
Click **Save Signature**. The updated signature appears on all future outgoing emails.
The **Sender** tab controls the name and address in the "From" line on emails your staff sends to patients from the inbox -- when they compose a new message, reply, or forward. Automated emails (receipts, appointment reminders, invoices) always show your clinic name.
### Sender Name
Choose what patients see as the sender's name:
| Option | What patients see |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Sending provider's name** | The name of the staff member who sends the email (for example, "Dr. Jane Smith"). |
| **Clinic name** | Your clinic's name on every staff email, no matter who sends it. |
### Sending Address
This is the part of the email address before the **@** -- for example, the `frontdesk` in `frontdesk@mail.yourclinic.com`.
* Leave it blank to use your clinic's subdomain as the address.
* Spaces are automatically replaced with hyphens as you type, so "front desk" becomes "front-desk".
* Only letters, numbers, and the characters `. _ + -` are allowed.
* Customizing the address requires a verified email domain. Until one is set up, staff email is sent from the default address -- see the **Domain** tab to connect one.
### Preview
A live **Preview** at the bottom of the tab shows how the "From" line will look with your current choices, for example: `From: Jane Smith `.
### Edit the Sender
Go to **Settings > Emails** and select the **Sender** tab.
Select **Sending provider's name** or **Clinic name**.
Type the address you want staff email to come from, or leave it blank to use your subdomain.
Click **Save**. Your choices become the default for staff email going forward.
These are defaults. When your staff composes, replies to, or forwards an email, they can still adjust the sender name and address for that one message right from the "From" line in the composer.
By default, automated emails are sent from a generic address. Connect your own domain so emails come from an address like `mail.yourclinic.com`, which builds trust with patients and improves deliverability.
### Add a Custom Domain
Go to **Settings > Emails** and select the **Domain** tab.
If no domain is configured, you will see an **Add Domain** button. Click it to open the setup form.
Type your domain name in the field. We recommend using a subdomain like `mail.yourdomain.com` rather than your root domain.
Click **Add Domain**. The system creates the domain and shows you the DNS records you need to add.
### Configure DNS Records
After adding your domain, you will see a table of DNS records to add at your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap). The records are organized into three groups:
* **Sending Records** (required) -- These authenticate your domain so emails are delivered successfully. You must add these records for the domain to work.
* **Receiving Records (MX)** (optional) -- Add these if you also want to receive emails at your custom domain.
* **DMARC Records** (optional) -- These help protect your domain from email spoofing and improve deliverability.
Each record shows:
| Column | Description |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Type** | The DNS record type (e.g., TXT, CNAME, MX). |
| **Name/Host** | The record name to enter at your DNS provider. Click the copy button to copy it. |
| **Value** | The record value to enter. Click the copy button to copy it. |
| **Priority** | Shown for MX records only. Enter this priority value at your DNS provider. |
| **Status** | Shows **Verified** (green) when the record is detected, or **Pending** (yellow) when it has not been found yet. |
### Verify DNS Status
After adding DNS records at your provider, come back to this page and click **Verify DNS**. The system checks whether your records are correctly configured and updates each record's status.
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to take effect, so if verification fails right away, wait and try again later.
### Domain Status
Your domain shows one of these statuses:
| Status | Meaning |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Active** | All required DNS records are verified. Emails will be sent from your domain. |
| **Unverified** | The domain was added but DNS records have not been verified yet. |
| **Disabled** | The domain has been disabled and is not in use. |
### Sender Warming
Once your domain is active, a **Sender Warming** card appears on the page showing the daily sending cap, how many emails are left for today, and how close the domain is to the next cap tier. New domains start with a low daily cap that grows automatically as you build a track record of successful sends. See [Email Warming](/modules/comms/email-warming) for a full explanation of how caps are set and how blasts are paced during warming.
### SMTP Credentials
Once your domain is added, the page shows your **SMTP Login** beneath the domain name. This is the address used to send emails through the mail service.
### Reply-to Address
Each domain has its own **Reply-to address** -- the address that receives replies when a patient responds to an email sent from that domain. Because it is set per domain, you can point replies to different inboxes for your everyday (transactional) emails and your marketing emails.
* Leave it blank (the default) so replies go to the sending address and stay in your Decoda inbox.
* Type an address only if you want replies to go somewhere specific, then click **Save**. The address must be a valid email address.
Patient replies go to whatever address you enter here. Use an address at this same domain so replies still land in your Decoda inbox -- an outside mailbox (like a personal Gmail) receives them instead, and they will not appear in Decoda.
### DNS Provider Guides
If you need help adding DNS records, click **Need help setting up DNS records?** at the bottom of the page. You will find links to setup instructions for common providers including GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, Squarespace Domains, and Digital Ocean.
### Delete a Domain
To remove your custom domain, click the **Delete** button next to the domain name and confirm when prompted. After deletion, emails will be sent from the default address.
## Advanced Configuration
Both the header and signature editors support dynamic variables via the `@` shortcut. When an email is sent, variables are replaced with real values such as the provider's name, clinic phone number, or location address. This means a single template works for all providers and locations without manual editing.
Email settings use these permissions:
* **Manage Email Domains** -- Required to add, verify, or delete a custom email domain. Without this permission, domain actions are disabled.
* **View Email Domains** -- Required to view the email domain configuration and DNS records.
* Users with standard admin access can edit the header, signature, and sender settings.