Cloud Platform

Platform Email FAQs

 

This page details the FAQs that are specific to Platform Email.

Can I use Symfony Mailer with Platform Email?

Yes. Symfony Mailer is compatible with Platform Email. However, you must update the following code in the sites/default/settings.php file:

$settings['mailer_sendmail_commands'] = [
   '/usr/sbin/sendmail -t'
];

Can I use Symfony Mailer Lite with Platform Email?

Yes. Symfony Mailer Lite is compatible with Platform Email.

To set up Symfony Mailer Lite:

  1. Create a transport and set Transport type as Sendmail.

  2. Set the Sendmail command as /usr/sbin/sendmail -t.

  3. Delete any other transports. You must have only Sendmail transport.

Note
  • If the Symfony Mailer module is installed on the site, Symfony Mailer Lite might not work as expected.

  • The preceding instructions are tested in Drupal 10 applications. If you use another Drupal version, the instructions might change.

How can I use a custom return-path with Platform Email?

Acquia uses the return-path email address to send notifications about bounces or complaints. Acquia recommends that you track bounce or complain addresses and take corrective actions.

Note
  • The domain in a return-path email address must be a verified domain.
  • By default, the return-path is set to the email address configured in site details or admin/config/system/site-details. This is the from address. To customize the return-path to a specific email address and not use the from address, you can implement custom hooks. For more information, see function hook_mail.

How can I verify if Platform Email is set up correctly for my environment?

In the Cloud Platform user interface, navigate to Environment > Logs > Download fpm error log.

Cloud Platform displays the following message when emails are successfully sent using Platform Email:

MessageId=******* and Status=SUCCESS

INFO: MessageId=010001808415ee36-d53c6626-dd24-4611-96d6-23c47fe7ee19-000000, EnvUuid=ac7bfece-3a11-4426-ac58-ec9249fc5291, ClientId=56a3b7c4-a9fe-4b08-9e3e-d7836bfeab2d, Status=SUCCESS, To=7c1668dd0b7cc141ae8d5461a3c8f42f733efac1, From=f409dc0d8f70691b42742955e1fd9ee088fbc3d7

Additionally, the recipient of your email can inspect the headers of the email and verify that the Message ID contains amazonses, such as <random-uuid>@email.amazonses.com.

Can I remove DNS entries from my DNS record after Platform Email successfully verifies my domain?

No, you must not remove DNS entries for verified domains. Deleting DNS records at your DNS provider will revoke the verification.

DNS entries for verified domains must remain in your DNS records while your domain continues to use Platform Email.

Are DKIM keys rotated?

Yes, DKIM keys are rotated. Key rotation for DKIM is based on AWS internal criteria. For security reasons, this information is unavailable for public consumption.

Why do I need an MX record for sending an email?

Amazon SES requires you to publish an SPF record along with an MX record. An MX record must pass an SPF check while using your custom MAIL FROM domain. To define a strict policy that invalidates emails from other sources, Acquia uses a custom MAIL FROM domain in the SPF entry. For more information, see Using a custom MAIL FROM domain. In addition, a custom MAIL FROM domain ensures that your emails comply with Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC). DMARC enables a sender’s domain to indicate that the emails sent from the domain are protected by one or more authentication systems.

  • The MAIL FROM domain must be a subdomain of the verified identity (email address or domain) that you send an email from. For example, mail.example.com is a valid MAIL FROM domain for the example.com domain. As mail.<domain>.com is a common subdomain used by many organizations, Acquia requires that you use acq-mail.<domain>.com, which has less chances of conflicting with your existing subdomain.
  • Generally, a subdomain is used for sending an email to isolate the reputation of your emails to the subdomain level only. This does not impact the reputation of your main domain or other subdomains that you use to send emails. For more information about using subdomain for sending emails, see email subdomains.
  • The custom MAIL FROM domain (acq-mail.<domain>.com) is used as an email envelope address while sending an email to the recipient. Your actual from email address, which belongs to the main domain, remains unchanged. At the recipient end, SPF check happens against the envelope address.

The following example shows how SPF check happens when emails are transported with envelope:

What is the format of an SPF record and why do I need it for sending an email?

The format of an SPF record is as follows:

v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all

This snippet indicates that the domain authorises AWS SES to send mail on its behalf. To explicitly define a strict policy that invalidates emails from other sources, Acquia uses a custom MAIL FROM domain in the SPF entry. For more information, see Using a custom MAIL FROM domain. In addition, a custom MAIL FROM domain ensures that your emails comply with Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC).

In addition, the ~all parameter signifies that if the email sender’s IP address is not listed in the SPF record, such emails are marked as insecure or spam but acceptable.

Can I use IP allowlisting with Platform Email?

Acquia does not recommend that you use IP allowlisting with Platform Email. Amazon SES manages a pool of IP addresses on the backend. However, these addresses are subject to change without notice. For more information, see Amazon SES IP addresses.

How does Acquia calculate complaint and bounce rates?

Amazon SES calculates the complaint and bounce rates based on a representative volume of emails. This volume represents your typical email sending practices. To be fair to both high-volume and low-volume senders, this value is different for each customer and changes according to your sending patterns. For more information, see Bounce Rate Notification.

What are the Platform Email thresholds for complaints and bounce rates?

Platform Email has the following thresholds for complaints and bounce rates:

  • Bounce rates:
    • 4% for warning
    • 8% for block
  • Complaint rates:
    • 0.1% for warning
    • 0.4% for block

Will I get any email if I pass the warning threshold for bounce and complaint rates?

Yes. After you cross the defined threshold for bounce and complaint rates, Acquia sends an automated email with a CSV containing detailed information.

The CSV file consists of the following columns:

ParameterDescriptionSample Value
messageIdA string of characters that uniquely identifies the sent email.0100018700b8e709-cbdc5b94-263b-440b-87ee-eb1684670ccd-000000
subscriptionUuidThe subscription UUID of the customer.6b0b073b-da26-443a-93f6-cce34ae95d75
fromEmailThe address from which the email was sent.[email protected]
timestampThe time when the email was sent.2023-03-20T20:32:10.505Z
feedbackTsThe time when the email’s bounce or complaint feedback was received.2023-03-21T17:36:38.000Z
siteUrlThe URL of the site from which the email was sent.http://www.stage.com/musicals-shows/
recipientEmailThe recipient of the bounce or complaint email.[email protected]
causeSubTypeThe secondary reason for which the email is on the suppression list.repeated email
clientIdThe UUID of the customer’s application.a10a7145-c57e-4cfa-a310-47eecdd3ed15
causeTypeThe primary reason for which the email is on the suppression list.abuse

Why am I receiving an error message when sending an email?

The Drupal user interface might display the following error message if you are sending an email using Acquia’s legacy email service:

The Cloud Platform user interface also displays the following error message in the fpm error log if you are sending an email using Acquia’s legacy email service:

Cloud Platform provides the Platform Email service for sending emails. For more information, see Configuring Platform Email.

What are the flags supported by Platform Email for the Sendmail command?

Platform Email supports the following flags for the Sendmail command:

f, i, r, s, t, F

Note

Platform Email does not support bs.

 

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