Google Postmaster Tools

Google Postmaster Tools shows how Gmail sees the mail sent from your domain: the spam complaint rate, how much of it passed SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and whether the domain meets the Gmail sender rules. Once a sender domain is connected, EmailElement reads that data every day and uses it in the domain's Reputation score.

Where it is

On a sender domain, open Advanced and find Google Postmaster Tools. The section is shown for domains that send through EmailElement or through another sending service. It is not shown for domains that send through a Gmail send integration.

Which Google account to use

You connect by signing in with a Google account. That account must have this exact domain in its own list in Postmaster Tools. It can be:

the account that added and verified the domain in Postmaster Tools, or
an account the owner shared the domain with under Manage users.

A personal Gmail account and a Google Workspace account both work. It does not have to be the address your email is sent from.

If the account you sign in with does not list the domain, the connection shows Failed. Sign in again with an account that does, or share the domain with the account you want to use.

Before starting

A sender domain already created in EmailElement.
Access to the DNS settings for the domain.
Mail already being sent from the domain to Gmail users. Google needs a steady daily volume before it shows any data, so a new or quiet domain can stay empty for a while.

Setup

Follow the steps in this order.

Step	Where	What to do
1	Postmaster Tools	Go to https://postmaster.google.com and sign in with the Google account that will hold the domain.
2	Postmaster Tools	Click Add new domain and enter the sender domain exactly as it is in EmailElement, for example mail.your-domain.com.
3	Postmaster Tools	Click Verify domain and choose the TXT record. Copy the value. It starts with google-site-verification=.
4	DNS provider	Add the value as a TXT record on the sender domain itself. Use TXT, not CNAME, because EmailElement only checks for the TXT record.
5	Postmaster Tools	Click Verify. It usually passes at once but can take up to 10 minutes.
6	EmailElement	Open the sender domain and click Validate DNS Records. Google Site Verification turns green.
7	EmailElement	Open Advanced, go to Google Postmaster Tools and click Sign in with Google. Pick the account from step 1 and allow access. The status reads Authorized when it is done.

Google says a subdomain does not need its own record once the main domain is verified. EmailElement still checks the sender domain itself, so add the TXT record there anyway, or Google Site Verification stays red.

Use this when someone else owns the domain in Postmaster Tools, or when a shared team account should hold the connection.

The owner opens Postmaster Tools, clicks the three dots next to the domain and chooses Manage users.
They click New user and enter the other person's Google email address.
That person adds the same domain in their own Postmaster Tools. It shows as verified straight away, with no new DNS record.
They can now sign in from the sender domain page in EmailElement.

What access EmailElement asks for

Google asks you to let EmailElement see your Postmaster Tools data. EmailElement only reads the data for the domain you connected. It does not change your domains or their users.

Statuses

Status	What it checks
Google Site Verification	The sender domain publishes a google-site-verification TXT record. Any value counts, because Google issues it to your own account.
Authorized	The Google account you signed in with can read Postmaster Tools data for this domain.

The Feedback-ID header

Gmail does not send spam complaint reports back to senders. Instead, it counts complaints against the values in a Feedback-ID header and shows the totals in the Feedback loop dashboard in Postmaster Tools. That is how you find which campaign or mail type is getting complaints.

The header looks like this:

Feedback-ID: campaign:customer:mailtype:senderid

Up to three optional values, then a required sender ID. Separate them with colons.
The sender ID is 5 to 15 characters and stays the same on all of your mail.
Keep the values the same across a whole mail stream. Never put something unique to each email in it, such as a message ID. Gmail only reports on a value once enough mail and enough complaints share it in one day.
The mail must be DKIM-signed by a domain you verified in Postmaster Tools. A Feedback-ID on mail signed by your sending service's own domain is ignored.

Example: Feedback-ID: spring-sale:acme:promo:acmemail01

Adding it in EmailElement

How the domain sends	What to do
EmailElement	Nothing. EmailElement adds a Feedback-ID to every message for you.
Any other send integration	Open Send Integrations, open the integration, expand Custom Headers and add a header named Feedback-ID with your value. Save. Every email sent through that integration then carries it.

Your sending service must DKIM-sign with your own sender domain for Gmail to accept the header. Check its domain authentication settings if the Feedback loop dashboard stays empty.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Google Site Verification is Failed	The TXT record is missing, was added on the main domain instead of the sender domain, was added as a CNAME, or has not propagated yet.	Add the google-site-verification TXT record on the sender domain itself, wait a few minutes and click Validate DNS Records again.
Connection shows Failed: Domain was not found	The Google account you signed in with does not list this exact domain in Postmaster Tools.	Sign in with the account that owns the domain, or have the owner share it with you under Manage users and add it to your own list. A subdomain has to be added on its own.
Connected, but the Reputation score shows no Postmaster data	Google has not reported any data yet. Postmaster Tools needs a steady daily volume of mail to Gmail users.	Keep sending. Data appears once Google starts reporting for the domain.
The Feedback loop dashboard is empty	Not enough mail or complaints share one Feedback-ID value in a day, or the mail is not DKIM-signed by your verified domain.	Use values shared by a whole mail stream, and make sure your sending service signs with your sender domain.

Reputation Scoring - how the Postmaster data counts toward the score
Sender Domain Advanced Options - the rest of that panel
Sender Domains - creating and verifying a domain