How to Manage External Email Warning Messages for Trusted Domains in BoldDesk
When managing support emails via BoldDesk, warning banners from your email system may appear to prevent phishing. These can be misleading if emails come from your helpdesk address. This guide covers best practices for setting up your helpdesk email, using BoldDesk’s default or custom domain, to ensure trusted delivery and remove unnecessary warnings.
“CAUTION: This email came from outside of [Your Organization]. Do not open attachments or click on links if you do not recognize the sender.”
To prevent this, follow these best practices to ensure your helpdesk email is treated as an internal sender.
Scenario 1: Using the Default BoldDesk Email Address
If you select Default (BoldDesk) as your email type when configuring a support email address, your helpdesk email will use BoldDesk’s domain, for example: support@yourprefix.bolddesk.com
To keep these emails trusted and avoid external warnings:
- Ask your IT administrator to whitelist the BoldDesk domain (
*.bolddesk.com) in your email system. This prevents external warning banners for emails sent from BoldDesk. - Ensure that your organization’s email security rules allow trusted communication from BoldDesk servers.
- Avoid configuring auto-forwarding between support email addresses to prevent email loops.
Scenario 2: Using a Custom Email Address
If you select Custom email address as your email when configuring a support email address, your helpdesk email will be set up using your organization’s domain (e.g., support@yourcompany.com).
To ensure smooth delivery:
-
Configure your helpdesk email (e.g.,
support@yourcompany.com) using a domain that belongs to your organization. Avoid using external domains likegmail.comoryahoo.com, which are always treated as external. -
Ensure your domain’s DNS records are properly configured to authenticate outgoing emails:
- SPF: Authorizes BoldDesk to send emails on your behalf.
- DKIM: Verifies the integrity of the email content.
- DMARC: Helps prevent spoofing and ensures alignment between SPF/DKIM and the sender domain.
This setup helps your email system recognize helpdesk messages as internal and trusted.
-
Ask your IT administrator to create a rule that excludes your helpdesk email address from external warning banners. This ensures that emails from (
support@yourcompany.comorsupport@bolddesk.com) are treated as internal. -
Do not configure support email addresses to auto-forward or reply to each other. This can trigger email loops and cause messages to be suspended in BoldDesk.
-
Check the Suspended Requests section in BoldDesk regularly to identify emails that may have been flagged due to domain or header issues. Approve or reject them as needed.
- If warning banners appear for internal emails, verify that your domain’s authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are correctly set up to ensure trusted delivery.
- If users report missing external sender warnings, limit exceptions to verified domains only to maintain security and prevent spoofing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Why do I see warning banners on emails from my helpdesk address?
Your organization’s email system may treat helpdesk emails as external if the sender domain isn’t properly authenticated or whitelisted. This triggers security warnings to prevent spoofing or phishing.
2. How can I stop warning banners from appearing on internal helpdesk emails?
Ensure your helpdesk email domain is authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Also, ask your IT administrator to whitelist the BoldDesk domain or your custom helpdesk address.
3. What’s the difference between using the default BoldDesk email and a custom email address?
- Default (BoldDesk) uses a BoldDesk-managed domain (e.g.,
support@yourprefix.bolddesk.com). - Custom email uses your organization’s domain (e.g.,
support@yourcompany.com) and requires DNS authentication setup.
4. What DNS records should I configure for custom helpdesk emails?
You should set up:
- SPF to authorize BoldDesk to send emails on your behalf.
- DKIM to verify email integrity.
- DMARC to prevent spoofing and align sender identity.
5. Can I use Gmail or Yahoo as my helpdesk email address?
No. External domains like gmail.com or yahoo.com are always treated as external and will trigger warning banners. Use a domain owned by your organization.
6. What causes email loops in BoldDesk?
Email loops occur when support email addresses auto-forward or reply to each other. This can suspend messages and disrupt ticket flow.
7. Where can I find emails that were suspended due to domain or header issues?
Check the Suspended Requests section in BoldDesk.
8. What should I do if users stop seeing external sender warnings?
Ensure that exceptions in your email system are limited to verified domains only. This maintains security and prevents spoofing.
