How to set or change your publication's reply-to address
Every beehiiv publication must have a designated reply-to address, which determines where subscriber replies will be directed. Having this address set is not only required but also important for ensuring successful email delivery and maintaining direct communication with your audience.
You can find the reply-to email address in the header data of any email.
For added brand recognition and trust, it’s recommended to use an email address from a custom domain (e.g., name@yoursite.com) as your reply-to address.
Understanding your reply-to address vs. other email settings
Your reply-to email address differs from other types of email settings in your beehiiv account. Here’s a breakdown of these different aspects and their purposes:
Account email vs. reply-to email address
The reply-to email address is separate from your account email, which is used solely for logging into your beehiiv account. If a reply-to address is not set, your account email will automatically become the default reply-to address (due to the requirement). You can update your account email anytime in your profile settings.
Sender name vs. reply-to email address
Your sender name is what appears in the ‘From’ field of your emails. For a more personal approach, avoid using an email address as your sender name. Instead, use a name that resonates with your brand or identity, like in the image example above, where the sender name is ‘Tyler from beehiiv.’ This can drive engagement and strengthen your relationship with subscribers. You can adjust your sender name in your account settings, in the same area you update your reply-to address.
Email username vs. reply-to email address
The email username is the address your subscribers will see your newsletters being sent from. Each publication is automatically assigned a working email username that can be updated anytime in Settings > Domains.
Handling auto-replies and out-of-office responses
Auto-replies and out-of-office responses from subscribers are managed by their Email Service Provider (ESP) and not by beehiiv. If these types of responses become frequent or disruptive, consider changing your reply-to email address, as outlined below.
How to set or change your publication's reply-to address
- From the left hand panel dashboard, scroll down and select Settings.
- Your publication settings will open. Click Emails from the left panel.
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In the Email Sending Details section, you’ll find options to update your sender name or reply-to address. Enter your designated email in the reply-to field. If you’re updating to a new address, simply replace the old email with the new one.
If the new reply-to address is not already associated with a team member on your publication, you will be prompted to verify ownership of that address before it becomes active. Check the inbox of the new address for a verification email. If you don't receive it, see the Verifying your reply-to address section below.If you don’t set a reply-to email address, it will automatically default to your account email due to the requirement.
- Your changes will save automatically and will be displayed in the preview below.
Verifying your reply-to address
When you update your reply-to email address to one that is not already associated with a team member on your publication, you will be asked to verify ownership of that address before it can be used. beehiiv will send a verification email to the new address containing a confirmation link.
Verification emails are sent from your publication's email sending domain, the same domain used to send your newsletters. If your publication uses a custom sending domain, the verification email will come from that domain. If you're using the default beehiiv.com sending domain, it will come from your publication's specific beehiiv subdomain (for example, yourpubname@mail.beehiiv.com).
If you don't receive the verification email
If you don't receive the verification email within a few minutes, try the following steps in order:
- Check all email folders: Look in spam, junk, promotions, social, and forums tabs, since verification emails can be filtered by your email provider. If you're using a business or custom domain email address, also check any quarantine or security filtering folders your organization's email administrator may have configured.
- Safelist your publication's sending domain: Because verification emails are sent from the same domain your publication uses to send newsletters, you'll need to safelist that specific domain with your email provider. To find your sending domain, check a recent newsletter send (it appears in the From field) or go to Settings > Domains. If your publication is in Smart Warming, the verification email may come from either your custom domain or a secondary beehiiv subdomain, so safelist both.
- Resend the verification email: After safelisting your sending domain, go back to Settings > Emails and click Resend next to the pending address (this also appears in the verification modal). You can resend up to two times in 24 hours.
- Test with a different email address: If one provider (Gmail, Outlook, a corporate domain) is consistently blocking the verification email even after safelisting, try verifying with an address from a different provider or your custom domain to confirm whether the issue is provider-specific.
Alternative verification method
If the steps above don't resolve the issue, you can verify your reply-to address by inviting that email as a team member instead. Team invitation emails come from beehiiv's domain, which is far more likely to reach the inbox than a verification email sent from your publication's sending domain. Accepting the invitation automatically verifies any matching pending reply-to address with no separate verification email required.
For step-by-step guidance on adding team members, read How to add team members to your publication or workspace.
If you no longer need that email address to have team member access once verification is complete, you can remove it from your team. The reply-to address will remain verified.
Once the confirmation link is clicked (or the team invitation accepted), your new reply-to address will be active for future sends.