--- description: "Public guide: Generate short domain names, check availability, purchase on Dynadot, switch nameservers, set up on Zapmail, create inboxes, and export to your email sending platform. Requires your own Dynadot and Zapmail API keys. Use when someone wants to set up cold email domains end-to-end." --- # Cold Email Domain Setup: Dynadot + Zapmail (Public Edition) Complete workflow to generate short domain names, purchase them on Dynadot, and set them up on Zapmail with inboxes ready for cold email sending. --- ## First-Time Setup (Onboarding) Before running anything, you need two API keys stored as environment variables. ### 1. Get Your Dynadot API Key 1. Log into [dynadot.com](https://www.dynadot.com) 2. Go to **Tools > API** in the left sidebar 3. Enable API access and copy your API key 4. Whitelist your IP address (required by Dynadot) ### 2. Get Your Zapmail API Key 1. Log into [zapmail.ai](https://zapmail.ai) 2. Go to **Settings > API** 3. Copy your API key ### 3. Store Your Keys Add these to a `.env` file in your project root (or export them in your shell): ```bash # .env — NEVER commit this file DYNADOT_API_KEY=your_dynadot_key_here ZAPMAIL_API_KEY=your_zapmail_key_here ``` Load them in your script: ```python import os from dotenv import load_dotenv load_dotenv() DYNADOT_API_KEY = os.environ["DYNADOT_API_KEY"] ZAPMAIL_API_KEY = os.environ["ZAPMAIL_API_KEY"] ``` ### 4. Verify Access Test both APIs before doing anything: **Dynadot — check wallet balance:** ``` GET https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json?key=&command=account_info ``` Response includes `AccountBalance` (e.g., `"$106.20"`). **Zapmail — list domains:** ``` GET https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/domains/assignable?limit=10&page=1 Header: x-auth-zapmail: ``` If both return 200, you're ready. --- ## Full Workflow Overview ``` Step 1: Generate domain name candidates ~instant Step 2: Check availability on Dynadot ~1 min per 500 domains Step 3: Purchase available domains ~1 min per 100 domains | (domains now registered on Dynadot) Step 4: Switch nameservers to Zapmail ~1 min per 500 domains | WAIT 15-20 minutes for DNS propagation Step 5: Connect domains on Zapmail ~2 min per 500 domains | WAIT 10-30 minutes for domains to become assignable Step 6: Create inboxes on Zapmail ~3 min per 500 domains | WAIT 4-6 HOURS for inbox provisioning Step 7: Export to your email sending platform ~instant ``` --- ## Step 1: Generate Short Domain Names The goal is **short, clean domains** that look like real brands. Shorter = better deliverability and more professional appearance. ### Domain Name Strategy Use a **brand keyword** (your company name or a variation) combined with short prefixes/suffixes: **Tier 1 — Prefix + Brand** (shortest, try these first): ``` go{brand}.com try{brand}.com get{brand}.com my{brand}.com the{brand}.com hey{brand}.com use{brand}.com run{brand}.com one{brand}.com ``` **Tier 2 — Brand + Suffix** (still short): ``` {brand}hq.com {brand}hub.com {brand}now.com {brand}app.com {brand}pro.com {brand}lab.com {brand}ai.com {brand}co.com {brand}go.com ``` **Tier 3 — Prefix + Brand + Suffix** (use only if tiers 1-2 don't yield enough): ``` go{brand}hq.com try{brand}hub.com get{brand}pro.com ``` ### Full Prefix List (36 options) ``` go, get, try, join, find, search, explore, reach, access, boost, team, send, email, connect, launch, start, build, discover, meet, use, hello, hey, my, the, top, best, run, open, live, grow, with, via, one, all, new, pro ``` ### Full Suffix List (40 options) ``` hub, hq, online, today, direct, teams, projects, outreach, works, signal, scope, flow, edge, radar, desk, global, core, base, systems, engine, link, next, source, circle, stack, zone, path, spot, wave, grid, point, shift, field, net, way, pulse, vault, peak, sync, lab ``` ### Filtering Rules - **Max SLD length:** 40 characters (shorter is always better — aim for under 20) - **Banned substrings:** mega, ultra, grp (look spammy) - **Awkward substring check:** Screen for unintended words (e.g., "therapist" = "the+rapist", profanity, slurs). Run each candidate through a blocklist. - **Deduplicate globally:** Never use the same domain for two different senders/clients ### Recommended TLD - `.com` — primary choice (~$10-14 on Dynadot). Best inbox trust, cleanest pattern-match for recipients. - `.co` — secondary (~$8-30 depending on name). Looks professional, often available when .com is taken. - Avoid `.info`, `.xyz`, `.click`, `.top`, `.buzz`, `.loan` — these hurt deliverability with recipients who pattern-match on TLD. ### Example: Generating for brand "acme" ``` Tier 1: goacme.com, tryacme.com, getacme.com, myacme.com ... Tier 2: acmehq.com, acmehub.com, acmepro.com, acmeflow.com ... Tier 3: goacmehq.com, tryacmehub.com (only if needed) ``` For 1 brand keyword, tiers 1+2 produce ~76 candidates. Most brands need 10-30 domains. --- ## Step 2: Check Domain Availability ### Dynadot Search API (batch up to 100 per request) ``` GET https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json ?key= &command=search &show_price=1 ¤cy=USD &domain0=goacme.com &domain1=tryacme.com &domain2=getacme.com ...up to &domain99=... ``` **Response:** ```json { "SearchResponse": { "SearchResults": [ {"DomainName": "goacme.com", "Available": "yes", "Price": "2.99"}, {"DomainName": "tryacme.com", "Available": "no"}, ... ] } } ``` **Important:** - Max 100 domains per request - Add 1 second pause between batches to avoid rate limiting - Set a max price cap (recommended: $3.50 for `.com`) - Filter out unavailable domains before proceeding --- ## Step 3: Purchase Domains ### Check Wallet Balance First ``` GET https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json ?key= &command=account_info ``` Calculate: `number_of_domains × price_per_domain`. Make sure your balance covers it. ### Register Domains (one per API call) ``` GET https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json ?key= &command=register &domain=goacme.com &duration=1 ``` **Important:** - One domain per API call (Dynadot doesn't support batch registration) - Add 0.5 second pause between registrations - Always verify wallet balance before starting - `duration=1` = 1 year registration --- ## Step 4: Switch Nameservers to Zapmail After purchase, point each domain's nameservers to Zapmail's DNS. ### Zapmail Nameservers ``` pns61.cloudns.net pns62.cloudns.com pns63.cloudns.net pns64.cloudns.uk ``` ### Dynadot NS Switch API (batch up to 100 domains) ``` GET https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json ?key= &command=set_ns &domain=goacme.com,tryacme.com,getacme.com &ns0=pns61.cloudns.net &ns1=pns62.cloudns.com &ns2=pns63.cloudns.net &ns3=pns64.cloudns.uk ``` **CRITICAL: Comma encoding bug.** When building the URL in Python, default `urllib.parse.urlencode()` encodes commas as `%2C`, which breaks the batch request. Fix: ```python import urllib.parse params = { "key": DYNADOT_API_KEY, "command": "set_ns", "domain": "goacme.com,tryacme.com,getacme.com", "ns0": "pns61.cloudns.net", "ns1": "pns62.cloudns.com", "ns2": "pns63.cloudns.net", "ns3": "pns64.cloudns.uk", } url = f"https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json?{urllib.parse.urlencode(params, safe=',')}" ``` **Response:** ```json {"SetNsResponse": {"ResponseCode": 0, "Status": "success"}} ``` ### After NS Switch: WAIT 15-20 Minutes DNS propagation takes time. Don't proceed to Step 5 until at least 15 minutes have passed. 20 minutes is the safe default. --- ## Step 5: Connect Domains on Zapmail ### Zapmail Connect API ``` POST https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/domains/connect-domain Header: x-auth-zapmail: Content-Type: application/json Body: {"domainNames": ["goacme.com", "tryacme.com", "getacme.com"]} ``` **Important:** - Max 50 domains per request - Add 3 second pause between batches - Domains go through verification stages: `CHECKING_BLACKLISTED_STATUS` -> `CHECKING_IF_DOMAIN_IS_REGISTERED` -> assignable ### After Connect: Wait for Domains to Become Assignable Poll the assignable endpoint to know when you can create inboxes: ``` GET https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/domains/assignable?limit=100&page=1 Header: x-auth-zapmail: ``` **Typical timeline:** - 10 minutes: ~8% assignable - 20 minutes: ~50-80% assignable - 30 minutes: ~99% assignable **Strategy:** Poll every 5 minutes. Proceed to inbox creation when >95% of your domains are assignable. The stragglers can be retried later. --- ## Step 6: Create Inboxes ### Get Domain UUIDs First, get the UUIDs for your assignable domains: ``` GET https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/domains/assignable?limit=100&page=1 Header: x-auth-zapmail: ``` Match your domain names against the response to get their UUIDs. ### Create Mailboxes ``` POST https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/mailboxes Header: x-auth-zapmail: Content-Type: application/json Body: { "": [ {"firstName": "Sarah", "lastName": "Chen", "mailboxUsername": "sarah", "domainName": "goacme.com"}, {"firstName": "Sarah", "lastName": "Chen", "mailboxUsername": "sarahchen", "domainName": "goacme.com"} ], "": [ {"firstName": "Sarah", "lastName": "Chen", "mailboxUsername": "sarah", "domainName": "tryacme.com"}, {"firstName": "Sarah", "lastName": "Chen", "mailboxUsername": "sarahchen", "domainName": "tryacme.com"} ] } ``` ### Inbox Naming Convention Create 2 inboxes per domain for sending variety: - `{firstname}@domain` (e.g., `sarah@goacme.com`) - `{firstnamelastname}@domain` (e.g., `sarahchen@goacme.com`) ### Important Notes - Max 25 domains per request - Add 3 second pause between batches - Response returns UUID strings, NOT mailbox objects - **If ANY mailbox in a batch already exists, the ENTIRE batch fails with 400.** Handle this by retrying failed domains one at a time. ### After Inbox Creation: WAIT 4-6 HOURS Zapmail returns 200 immediately, but inboxes show "In Progress" status. Full provisioning takes 4-6 hours. Do NOT attempt export until inboxes are ACTIVE. --- ## Step 7: Export to Email Sending Platform ### Zapmail Export API ``` POST https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/exports/mailboxes Header: x-auth-zapmail: Content-Type: application/json Body: { "apps": ["SMARTLEAD"], "ids": [], "excludeIds": [], "tagIds": [], "contains": "sarah", "status": "ACTIVE" } ``` ### Supported Platforms `SMARTLEAD`, `INSTANTLY`, `REACHINBOX`, `REPLY_IO`, `QUICKMAIL`, `EMELIA`, `FIRSTQUADRANT`, `WARMY`, `SUPERAGI`, `LEMLIST`, `PIPL`, `LUELLA`, `MASTER_INBOX`, `SAILE`, `SNOV`, `EMAILBISON` ### Important - **Always filter by `status: "ACTIVE"`** — exporting "In Progress" inboxes fails silently - Use `contains` to filter by sender name if you have multiple senders - Your sending platform account must be linked first via Zapmail's dashboard or API: ``` POST https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/exports/accounts/third-party Body: {"email": "your-platform-login@example.com", "password": "your-platform-password", "app": "SMARTLEAD"} ``` --- ## Automation: Running End-to-End Unattended For a fully automated run, chain the steps with appropriate waits: ```python # 1. Generate & check availability available_domains = generate_and_check(brand="acme", tld="info", count=30) # 2. Purchase purchase_domains(available_domains) # 3. NS switch switch_nameservers(available_domains) # 4. Wait for DNS propagation time.sleep(20 * 60) # 20 minutes # 5. Connect on Zapmail connect_domains(available_domains) # 6. Poll until assignable (up to 30 min) wait_until_assignable(available_domains, timeout_minutes=30, poll_interval=300) # 7. Create inboxes create_inboxes(available_domains, first_name="Sarah", last_name="Chen") # 8. Wait for provisioning time.sleep(6 * 3600) # 6 hours # 9. Export to sending platform export_to_platform(contains="sarah", app="SMARTLEAD") ``` **Tips for long runs:** - On macOS, use `caffeinate -i` to prevent sleep during the 6-hour wait - Log each step's results to a file for debugging - Send yourself a notification when complete: ```bash osascript -e 'display notification "All inboxes are live!" with title "Domain Setup Complete"' ``` --- ## Common Gotchas 1. **Dynadot comma encoding** — `urllib.parse.urlencode()` encodes commas as `%2C`, breaking batch NS requests. Always use `safe=','`. 2. **Batch inbox failures** — If even 1 mailbox in a Zapmail batch already exists, the entire batch returns 400. Retry failed domains individually. 3. **Export requires ACTIVE status** — Exporting "In Progress" mailboxes fails silently. Always wait the full 4-6 hours or poll for ACTIVE status. 4. **DNS propagation varies** — Most domains propagate in 15 min, but some take 30+. Poll the assignable endpoint rather than using a fixed sleep. 5. **Dynadot IP whitelist** — API calls will fail if your IP isn't whitelisted in Dynadot's API settings. 6. **Zapmail rate limits** — Add pauses between batches (3s for Zapmail, 1s for Dynadot search, 0.5s for Dynadot register). Going too fast gets you temporarily blocked. 7. **Domain length matters** — Shorter domains = better deliverability. Prioritize tier 1 (prefix+brand) over tier 3 (prefix+brand+suffix). --- ## Quick Reference: API Endpoints | Action | Method | URL | |---|---|---| | Dynadot wallet balance | GET | `https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json?key=KEY&command=account_info` | | Dynadot search (batch 100) | GET | `https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json?key=KEY&command=search&show_price=1&domain0=...` | | Dynadot register | GET | `https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json?key=KEY&command=register&domain=X&duration=1` | | Dynadot NS switch (batch 100) | GET | `https://api.dynadot.com/api3.json?key=KEY&command=set_ns&domain=X,Y&ns0=...` | | Zapmail connect (batch 50) | POST | `https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/domains/connect-domain` | | Zapmail assignable check | GET | `https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/domains/assignable?limit=100&page=N` | | Zapmail create inboxes (batch 25) | POST | `https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/mailboxes` | | Zapmail export | POST | `https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/exports/mailboxes` | | Zapmail link platform | POST | `https://api.zapmail.ai/api/v2/exports/accounts/third-party` | --- ## What to do next **Run `/smartlead-inbox-manager`** to configure warmup + signatures + tags on your newly-created inboxes. **Then WAIT 2 WEEKS for warmup before sending real emails.** This is the single most important rule — do not skip. Under-warmed inboxes land in spam, damaging your domain reputation permanently. **During the 2-week wait:** build your list (`/prospeo-full-export`, `/disco-like`, etc.), write copy (`/campaign-copywriting`). You'll be ready to launch the moment warmup finishes. ## Related skills - `/smartlead-inbox-manager` — configure the inboxes you just provisioned - `/email-deliverability-audit` — check auth records (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) after setup - `/cold-email-kickoff` — the orchestrator that usually invokes this skill