How to verify Mandrill custom sending domain without a mail receiving client?

6
votes

The Background

I am using Mandrill as my SMTP sending mail server. After setting up MX in my custom domain DNS, I am able to send emails through Mandrill.

However, when reading the email from Gmail client, there's always an "on behalf of" line showing. I understand this signature could be removed by setting DKIM and SPF Settings, and I did so on Mandrill backend.

The Problem

Here comes the funny part: Mandrill requires you to "verified domain" by sending you a email to that custom domain. However, I didn't have a backend application to receive the "Inbound email" by Mandrill. Since there's no other mail client provided by Mandrill, how could I verify the Sending Domain?

References

3
wordpressemailmandrillmail-server
Did you ever sort this out? I am thinking of switching to Mandrill but this problem is what is worrying me. – 2pha
Not really. Still waiting for some better solutions. – kavare
@kavare You don't need MX records to send emails. MX records are set to receive emails whereas TXT records are used to send email. – mrudult
This would be dramatically simplified if they did what many others do and allow verification of the domain through a simple DNS TXT record. Takes the customer all of 5min to setup and confirm instead of building out a mail infrastructure to support simply verification. – Josiah

3 Answers

6
votes

I was having the same problem earlier. I had a web application running on a server. So I configured incoming mails on mandrill by adding some MX records, then creating a route for the same domain for a random address which points to one of the POST endpoints on my web application.

So, whenever someone sends an email to that address, I get a POST request on the web endpoint which I put in the control panel. Mandrill gives a confirmation url in the email body. So, by inspecting the logs, we can directly copy the url and paste it in the browser and the domain is verified.

You can delete the incoming domain in mandrill afterwards if you don't need it.

1
votes

I followed the advice but forth by Melyssa Griffin and used Google Suite to create an email address with domain of @mycompany.com. It was pretty easy to setup, though you do have access to your DNS system, and be willing to enter some credit card details. Be sure to cancel the suite services before 30 days or you'll be charged.

-1
votes

I was able to use the steps in this article to verify without setting up mail services. Similar to a previous answer but uses requestb.in.

  1. set up MX records in Mandrill as per documentation
  2. create new RequestBin https://requestb.in
  3. add route to an email address e.g. [email protected] (this needn't be a working email address), which posts to the RequestBin e.g. https://requestb.in/wwxxyyzz
  4. send domain verification email from Mandrill "sending domains" interface
  5. the email should be viewable in the RequestBin e.g. https://requestb.in/wwxxyyzz?inspect
  6. find the verification link (may need to remove backslashes) in the raw email message and paste into browser to complete process

https://blog.ashfame.com/2016/11/verify-sending-domain-mandrill-email-hosting/