A custom email address is used for account invitations, password resets, and report delivery. Emails come from an address you control (like [email protected]) instead of from Strategy Overview. This is especially important when inviting client portal users. The invitation should look like it's coming from your MSP, not from a tool they've never heard of.
Requirements
Subscription plan: Backer or higher
User role: Administrator or Manager
Custom domain: Must be configured first. See Setting Up a Custom Domain if you haven't done that yet.
Step 1: Create a distribution list
Create a distribution list in your Office 365 or Google Workspace. We recommend [email protected] as the address. This will be the "From" address on emails sent by Strategy Overview.
The distribution list must be able to receive email from external sources, because you'll receive a verification email during setup. Test it by sending an email from an external account before moving on.
Tip: Add your admins and managers to this list so your team sees any replies or bounce-backs from client invitations.
Step 2: Configure DNS records for SendGrid
Strategy Overview uses SendGrid to send emails. You need to add DNS records so SendGrid can verify your domain and deliver emails reliably. Without these records, emails may be flagged as spam or fail to deliver.
Log in to your DNS management portal and add the following records. Replace YOURDOMAIN with your actual email domain.
Add all 3 of the following CNAME records:
Type | Host/Name | Value |
CNAME | emso.YOURDOMAIN.com | u23365381.wl132.sendgrid.net |
CNAME | so._domainkey.YOURDOMAIN.com | so.domainkey.u23365381.wl132.sendgrid.net |
CNAME | so2._domainkey.YOURDOMAIN.com | so2.domainkey.u23365381.wl132.sendgrid.net |
SPF record (TXT):
If you have no existing SPF record, add this TXT record to your domain:
v=spf1 include:sendgrid.net -all
If you already have an SPF record, insert include:sendgrid.net before the terminating mechanism. For example: v=spf1 a -all becomes v=spf1 a include:sendgrid.net -all.
DMARC policy:
Important: You should have a DMARC policy set to Quarantine or Reject. If you don't have one yet, PowerDMARC (powerdmarc.com) can help you set one up.
Tip: If your DNS TTL values are set high, you can temporarily lower them to speed up propagation.
Step 3: Add and verify the custom email
Navigate to Settings > Branding > Custom email
Click Add Data
Enter your company or app name in the Sender name (From) field (e.g., "Dunder Mifflin App")
Enter the distribution list email address you created
Click Add
The email address will appear in the table with a status of Unverified, and a confirmation email will be sent to your distribution list.
Open the confirmation email and click Confirm Custom Email (the link is valid for 168 hours)
Once confirmed, the status updates to Verified
If the status doesn't update right away, wait a few minutes and refresh. Confirmation sometimes takes a moment to process. If you haven't received the confirmation email, check your junk or quarantine folder. If it still doesn't arrive, use the chat in the bottom right corner of the app to submit a support ticket.
Note: It usually takes a few minutes after verification for the custom email to start working. Test it by inviting a new user using an external (personal) email address. The invitation should arrive from your custom email address and display your company logo.