ChurchDesk Inbox is part of ChurchDesk Workflows.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through setting up your ChurchDesk Inbox feature. You'll learn how to configure email forwarding from your existing email client and verify your custom domain with DNS records to enable professional, branded communication.

Things you need to get started

• Access to your email client (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.)
• Your custom domain name (e.g., yourchurch.com)
• Access to your domain registrar account (Hosteurope, One, Strato, etc.)
• Your ChurchDesk generated forward email address**++

Topic overview:

• Step 1 - Configure Email Forwarding
• Step 2 - Add Your Domain in ChurchDesk
• Step 3 - Verify DNS Records
• Step 4 - Setup DMARC
• Troubleshooting

Step 1 - Configure Email Forwarding

To use ChurchDesk Inbox, you need to forward emails from your existing email account to your ChurchDesk forward email address. Below are instructions for the most popular email clients.

Gmail

Note: Automatic forwarding can only be set up on desktop, not on mobile devices.

1. 1.Open Gmail and click the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top right
2. 2.Click See all settings
3. 3.Navigate to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab
4. 4.Click Add a forwarding address
5. 5.Enter your ChurchDesk forward email address and click Next → Proceed
6. 6.Gmail will send a verification email to your ChurchDesk forward address. Check your ChurchDesk Inbox and click the verification link
7. 7.Return to Gmail Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab
8. 8.Select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and choose your ChurchDesk forward address
9. 9.Choose what happens to Gmail's copy (recommended: Keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox)
10. 10.Click Save Changes

Outlook (Web/Outlook.com)

1. 1.Go to Outlook.com or Outlook on the web and sign in
2. 2.Click the Settings icon (gear icon) at the top right
3. 3.Select View all Outlook settings
4. 4.Go to Mail → Forwarding
5. 5.Toggle Enable forwarding
6. 6.Enter your ChurchDesk forward email address
7. 7.Optional: Check Keep a copy of forwarded messages if you want to keep emails in Outlook
8. 8.Click Save

Apple Mail / iCloud Mail

Note: Automatic forwarding for iCloud Mail must be configured via the web interface at iCloud.com.

1. 1.Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID
2. 2.Click on the Mail app
3. 3.Click the gear icon (Settings) in the bottom left
4. 4.Select Preferences
5. 5.Go to the General tab
6. 6.In the Forwarding section, enter your ChurchDesk forward email address
7. 7.Click Save

Yahoo Mail

Note: Automatic email forwarding requires Yahoo Mail Plus (paid subscription). Free Yahoo Mail accounts do not support automatic forwarding.

1. 1.Sign in to Yahoo Mail
2. 2.Click the Settings icon (gear icon) in the upper right
3. 3.Select More Settings
4. 4.Click Mailboxes in the left sidebar
5. 5.Select your email account
6. 6.Under Auto-forward, enter your ChurchDesk forward email address
7. 7.Click Verify and follow the confirmation process
8. 8.Once verified, click Save

Mozilla Thunderbird

Note: Thunderbird uses Message Filters to forward emails automatically.

1. 1.Open Thunderbird
2. 2.Click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) → Tools → Message Filters
3. 3.Select the email account you want to forward from
4. 4.Click New to create a new filter
5. 5.Name your filter (e.g., "Forward to ChurchDesk")
6. 6.Under Match all messages (or set specific conditions if you want selective forwarding)
7. 7.In Perform these actions, select Forward Message to
8. 8.Enter your ChurchDesk forward email address
9. 9.Click OK to save the filter

Step 2 - Add Your Domain in ChurchDesk

After setting up email forwarding, you'll need to add your custom domain in ChurchDesk. This allows you to send emails from a professional address using your domain (e.g., inbox@yourchurch.com).

1. 1.Go to the Inbox Settings page in ChurchDesk
2. 2.Scroll to the Domain Management section
3. 3.Click Add Domain
4. 4.Enter your domain name (e.g., yourchurch.com) without "www."
5. 5.Click Add to save

Add Your Email Prefix for Replying to Inbound Emails

To ensure replies to incoming emails are sent from the correct address (matching what recipients see), add the "prefix" (local part) of your email address in ChurchDesk. For example, if forwarding from "info@yourchurch.com", add "info" so replies come from info@yourchurch.com - not a generic ChurchDesk address.

Why? Without it, recipients may not receive your responses. This matches the sender's "Reply-To" field, preventing replies from bouncing or going undelivered.

1. In Inbox Settings > Domain Management, find your added domain.
2. Under Add domain email, click Add email.
3. Enter the prefix only (e.g., "info" or "thor" for thor@yourchurch.com). Do not include "@yourchurch.com".
4. Click Add email.
5. A modal appears: Confirm "What email are you forwarding from?" matches (e.g., info@yourchurch.com). This ensures replies route correctly.
6. Click Add.

Important: The prefix must exactly match the email you're forwarding from. Case-sensitive - use lowercase unless specified.

Once added, you'll need to verify your domain ownership by updating DNS records (covered in Step 3).

Step 3 - Verify DNS Records

To verify domain ownership and enable email sending, you need to add three types of DNS records to your domain: an initial verification record, SPF, and DKIM.

What is SPF?

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is an email authentication protocol that specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. When an email is sent, the receiving server checks your SPF record to verify the email came from an authorized source.

What is DKIM?

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to your email messages, allowing the receiving server to verify that the email content hasn't been altered and was sent from an authorized domain. This signature uses public-private key encryption to confirm the email is legitimate and hasn't been tampered with during transit.

These DNS records need to be configured at your domain registrar (the company where you registered your domain). Below you'll find step-by-step instructions for the most popular domain services.

Jump to your domain provider:

Cloudflare - DanDomain - GoDaddy - Hosteurope.de - IONOS - Namecheap - One.com - Scannet - Strato.de

Cloudflare

Note: Cloudflare DNS changes propagate almost instantly on their network.

Step 1: Creating Initial DNS Record

This first record verifies that you own the domain.

1. 1.Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard
2. 2.Select your domain from the account homepage
3. 3.Navigate to DNS → Records
4. 4.Click Add record
5. 5.Enter the DNS record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name: Enter the host value shown in ChurchDesk
  • • Content: Paste the verification code from ChurchDesk
  • • TTL: Auto

6. 6.Click Save

Step 2: Adding SPF Record

1. 1.Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard
2. 2.Select your website/domain from the list
3. 3.Click DNS in the left sidebar or top menu
4. 4.Click Add record
5. 5.Enter the SPF record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name: @ (for root domain)
  • • Content: Paste the SPF value
  • • Proxy status: Gray cloud (DNS only)
  • • TTL: Auto

6. 6.Click Save

Step 3: Adding DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity.

1. 1.Click Add record again
2. 2.Enter the DKIM record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name: Enter the DKIM hostname (e.g., mailjet._domainkey)
  • • Content: Paste the complete DKIM key
  • • Proxy status: Gray cloud (DNS only) - never proxy TXT records
  • • TTL: Auto

3. 3.Click Save

DanDomain

Step 1: Creating Initial DNS Record

This first record verifies that you own the domain.

1. 1.Log in to your DanDomain control panel
2. 2.Navigate to Domains → DNS Settings
3. 3.Select the domain you want to configure
4. 4.Click Add Record or Add TXT Record
5. 5.Enter the DNS record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name/Host: Enter the host value shown in ChurchDesk
  • • Value: Paste the verification code from ChurchDesk
  • • TTL: 3600 (or default)

6. 6.Click Save

Step 2: Adding SPF Record

1. 1.In the DNS settings, click Add Record
2. 2.Enter the SPF record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name/Host: @ (for root domain)
  • • Value: Paste the SPF value
  • • TTL: 3600 (or default)

3. 3.Click Save

Step 3: Adding DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity.

1. 1.Click Add Record again
2. 2.Enter the DKIM record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name/Host: Enter the DKIM hostname (e.g., mailjet._domainkey)
  • • Value: Paste the complete DKIM key
  • • TTL: 3600 (or default)

3. 3.Click Save

GoDaddy

Step 1: Creating Initial DNS Record

This first record verifies that you own the domain.

1. 1.Log in to your GoDaddy account
2. 2.Go to My Products and find your domain
3. 3.Click DNS to manage DNS records
4. 4.Click Add New Record
5. 5.Enter the DNS record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name/Host: Enter the host value shown in ChurchDesk (e.g., mailjet._082129a3)
  • • Value: Paste the verification code from ChurchDesk
  • • TTL: Leave as default or set to 3600

6. 6.Click Save

Step 2: Adding SPF Record

1. 1.Log in to your GoDaddy account
2. 2.Go to My Products and find your domain
3. 3.Click DNS to manage DNS records
4. 4.Click Add New Record
5. 5.Enter the SPF record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name/Host: @ (for root domain)
  • • Value: Paste the SPF value (e.g., v=spf1 include:spf.mailjet.com mx -all)
  • • TTL: Leave as default or set to 3600

6. 6.Click Save

Step 3: Adding DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity.

1. 1.Click Add New Record again
2. 2.Enter the DKIM record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name/Host: Enter the DKIM hostname (e.g., mailjet._domainkey)
  • • Value: Paste the complete DKIM key (starts with k=rsa; p=...)
  • • TTL: Leave as default or set to 3600

3. 3.Click Save

Hosteurope.de

Step 1: Creating Initial DNS Record

This first record verifies that you own the domain.

1. 1.Log in to your Host Europe customer information system (KIS)
2. 2.Navigate to Domain → Domain Administration
3. 3.Select your domain and click Edit DNS Settings
4. 4.Scroll to TXT Records section and click Add
5. 5.Enter the DNS record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Host Name: Enter the host value shown in ChurchDesk
  • • Value: Paste the verification code from ChurchDesk
  • • TTL: 3600 (or default)

6. 6.Click Save

Step 2: Adding SPF Record

1. 1.In the TXT Records section, click Add
2. 2.Enter the SPF record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Host Name: @ (for root domain)
  • • Value: Paste the SPF value
  • • TTL: 3600 (or default)

3. 3.Click Save

Step 3: Adding DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity.

1. 1.Click Add again in the TXT Records section
2. 2.Enter the DKIM record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Host Name: Enter the DKIM hostname (e.g., mailjet._domainkey)
  • • Value: Paste the complete DKIM key
  • • TTL: 3600 (or default)

3. 3.Click Save

IONOS

Step 1: Creating Initial DNS Record

This first record verifies that you own the domain.

1. 1.Log in to your IONOS account
2. 2.Go to Domains & SSL → Select your domain
3. 3.Click DNS tab
4. 4.Click Add Record
5. 5.Enter the DNS record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Host Name: Enter the host value shown in ChurchDesk
  • • Value: Paste the verification code from ChurchDesk
  • • TTL: 3600 (or default)

6. 6.Click Save

Step 2: Adding SPF Record

1. 1.In the DNS settings, click Add Record
2. 2.Enter the SPF record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Host Name: @ (for root domain)
  • • Value: Paste the SPF value
  • • TTL: 3600 (or default)

3. 3.Click Save

Step 3: Adding DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity.

1. 1.Click Add Record again
2. 2.Enter the DKIM record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Host Name: Enter the DKIM hostname (e.g., mailjet._domainkey)
  • • Value: Paste the complete DKIM key
  • • TTL: 3600 (or default)

3. 3.Click Save

Namecheap

Step 1: Creating Initial DNS Record

This first record verifies that you own the domain.

1. 1.Log in to your Namecheap account
2. 2.Go to Domain List and click Manage next to your domain
3. 3.Click Advanced DNS
4. 4.Click Add New Record
5. 5.Enter the DNS record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT Record
  • • Host: Enter the host value shown in ChurchDesk
  • • Value: Paste the verification code from ChurchDesk
  • • TTL: Automatic

6. 6.Click the checkmark to save

Step 2: Adding SPF Record

1. 1.In Advanced DNS, click Add New Record
2. 2.Enter the SPF record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT Record
  • • Host: @ (for root domain)
  • • Value: Paste the SPF value
  • • TTL: Automatic

3. 3.Click the checkmark to save

Step 3: Adding DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity.

1. 1.Click Add New Record again
2. 2.Enter the DKIM record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT Record
  • • Host: Enter the DKIM hostname (e.g., mailjet._domainkey)
  • • Value: Paste the complete DKIM key
  • • TTL: Automatic

3. 3.Click the checkmark to save

One.com

Step 1: Creating Initial DNS Record

This first record verifies that you own the domain.

1. 1.Log in to your One.com control panel
2. 2.Click on DNS Settings
3. 3.Click Add Record
4. 4.Enter the DNS record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Host: Enter the host value shown in ChurchDesk
  • • Value: Paste the verification code from ChurchDesk
  • • TTL: 3600

5. 5.Click Save

Step 2: Adding SPF Record

1. 1.In DNS Settings, click Add Record
2. 2.Enter the SPF record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Host: @ (for root domain)
  • • Value: Paste the SPF value
  • • TTL: 3600

3. 3.Click Save

Step 3: Adding DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity.

1. 1.Click Add Record again
2. 2.Enter the DKIM record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Host: Enter the DKIM hostname (e.g., mailjet._domainkey)
  • • Value: Paste the complete DKIM key
  • • TTL: 3600

3. 3.Click Save

Scannet

Step 1: Creating Initial DNS Record

This first record verifies that you own the domain.

1. 1.Log in to your Scannet control panel
2. 2.Navigate to Domains → DNS Administration
3. 3.Select your domain
4. 4.Click Add Record
5. 5.Enter the DNS record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name: Enter the host value shown in ChurchDesk
  • • Value: Paste the verification code from ChurchDesk
  • • TTL: 3600

6. 6.Click Save

Step 2: Adding SPF Record

1. 1.In DNS Administration, click Add Record
2. 2.Enter the SPF record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name: @ (for root domain)
  • • Value: Paste the SPF value
  • • TTL: 3600

3. 3.Click Save

Step 3: Adding DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity.

1. 1.Click Add Record again
2. 2.Enter the DKIM record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Type: TXT
  • • Name: Enter the DKIM hostname (e.g., mailjet._domainkey)
  • • Value: Paste the complete DKIM key
  • • TTL: 3600

3. 3.Click Save

Strato.de

Step 1: Creating Initial DNS Record

This first record verifies that you own the domain.

1. 1.Log in to your STRATO customer login
2. 2.Navigate to Domains → Domain Management
3. 3.Click on your domain and select DNS Settings
4. 4.Find the TXT Records section and click Add
5. 5.Enter the DNS record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Subdomain/Host: Enter the host value shown in ChurchDesk
  • • Value: Paste the verification code from ChurchDesk

6. 6.Click Save

Step 2: Adding SPF Record

1. 1.In the TXT Records section, click Add
2. 2.Enter the SPF record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Subdomain/Host: Leave empty or enter @ (for root domain)
  • • Value: Paste the SPF value

3. 3.Click Save

Step 3: Adding DKIM Record

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to verify email authenticity.

1. 1.Click Add again in the TXT Records section
2. 2.Enter the DKIM record details from ChurchDesk:

• • • Subdomain/Host: Enter the DKIM hostname (e.g., mailjet._domainkey)
  • • Value: Paste the complete DKIM key

3. 3.Click Save

Step 4 - Setup DMARC

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks.

What is DMARC?

DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM to provide an additional layer of email authentication. It tells receiving mail servers what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, and can send you reports about email authentication attempts.

Benefits: Protects your domain reputation, reduces spam/phishing using your domain, and improves email deliverability.

How to Add DMARC Record

Add a TXT record to your DNS with the following details:

• Record Type: TXT
• **Hostname: **_dmarc
• Value (Basic): v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourchurch.com

Replace dmarc@yourchurch.com with an email address where you want to receive DMARC reports.

DMARC Policy Options:

p=none Monitor only - No action taken on failed emails (recommended to start)

Troubleshooting

DNS records not validating

If your DNS records are showing as "Pending" after 48 hours:

• Double-check that you copied the exact values from ChurchDesk (including quotes if present)
• Verify that you're using the correct hostname (@ for root, or the specific subdomain)
• Use a DNS checker tool (e.g., whatsmydns.net) to verify the records are published
• Contact your domain registrar's support if records still don't appear

Email forwarding not working

If emails aren't being forwarded to ChurchDesk:

• Verify the forwarding address in your email client settings matches your ChurchDesk forward email
• Check if you completed the verification step (required for Gmail and some other providers)
• Send a test email to your original address and check both inboxes
• Check your email client's spam/junk folder for verification emails

Can't find DNS settings at domain registrar

If you can't locate where to add DNS records:

• Look for sections named "DNS Management", "DNS Settings", "Advanced DNS", or "Zone Editor"
• Contact your domain registrar's support team with this guide
• Some registrars require upgrading to a paid plan to access DNS management

Need more help?

If you continue to experience issues, please contact ChurchDesk support with:

• Your domain name
• Your domain registrar name
• Screenshots of your DNS settings
• Description of the specific issue you're facing

Updated on: 19/02/2026