Salesforce Marketing Cloud users often struggle to understand the benefits that a Sender Authentication Package (SAP) has to offer. It’s included with every Pro, Corporate and Enterprise Licence. We also are often asked about the difference between SAP and a Private Domain; both are designed to optimize deliverability and sending reputation – but do they provide equal value? Included in Salesforce Marketing Cloud Packages Professional and above, the SAP offers a collection of tools which include: link and image wrapping, a dedicated IP, and Reply Mail Management (RMM). A private domain is also included in the use of SAP. While Private Domains, dedicated IPs and RMMs can be purchased individually – link and image wrapping is exclusive to SAP. In addition, only one SAP can be assigned per MID, however multiple Private Domains can be assigned per MID.
What are the differences?
Dedicated IP addresses require a warm-up in order to establish a legitimate sending reputation. Since the minimum number of email sends for an IP warm up is 100k/month, companies who gain SAP with their Salesforce Marketing Cloud licence will typically benefit more when able to hit this monthly volume. If your company does not reach 100k emails per month, it will be difficult for ISPs to detect you – making it next to impossible to establish a sending reputation. If you don’t hit this monthly target, contact Marketing Cloud’s Deliverability Team to discuss your options.
Acquiring a Private Domain is a viable option for any company regardless of email volume. Private Domains are designed for senders who want to send authenticated mail and ensure that their landing pages direct back to the company instead of the Marketing Cloud. Link and image wrapping is not available via Private Domains and so should be considered in the decision making process.
Why would my company need a Private Domain if we already have the SAP?
Companies operating under multiple brand names often need to use more than one sending domain. Since the SAP only comes with a single domain, they must purchase additional sending domains in order to achieve this end. If you plan to use multiple Private Domains within the same MID, be sure to choose a more generic sending domain when setting up your SAP.
