When setting your “From” email address for outgoing invoices, the Return-Path is an optional but useful setting. If you are using DMARC to authenticate your outgoing emails, then setting the Return-Path is mandatory.

You can configure your Return-Path under the “Advanced options” toggle un the Sender email address (see your Settings page).

What is a Return-Path?

A Return-Path is an email address that specifies where bounced emails, delivery failures, and other delivery-related information are sent. It’s sometimes referred to as the bounce address or envelope sender address. Unlike the "From" address seen by recipients, the Return-Path is used behind the scenes by email servers.

How It's Used by Email Service Providers

When an email is sent, the Return-Path is included in the email’s header. If the email can't be delivered (e.g., if the recipient's inbox is full or the email address is incorrect), the email server will send a notification back to the Return-Path address, letting the sender know that the email failed. This allows email service providers to track bounces and address delivery issues efficiently.

Why It's Important for Email Deliverability

The Return-Path plays a critical role in maintaining good email deliverability. A correctly configured Return-Path helps:

• Monitor Bounces: By tracking bounce-back emails, you can remove invalid addresses from your mailing list, ensuring higher deliverability for future campaigns.
• Improve Reputation: Consistently monitoring delivery failures and cleaning up your list helps maintain a positive sender reputation with email providers like Gmail and Outlook. This, in turn, reduces the chances of your emails being marked as spam.
• Enhance Reporting: Proper Return-Path setup allows you to receive valuable reports about why emails are bouncing, helping you make adjustments to improve deliverability.

Why It's Important to Set a Return-Path If Using DMARC

If you're using DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) to authenticate your emails and protect your domain from fraud, setting up a proper Return-Path becomes even more crucial.

DMARC relies on accurate authentication data to determine how to handle emails that fail SPF (Sender Policy Framework) or DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) checks. If an email fails these checks, the Return-Path ensures that bounce notifications and other delivery-related reports are properly routed to the correct address.

Without a properly configured Return-Path, you may miss important DMARC reports and bounce notifications. This can prevent you from identifying and fixing delivery issues, ultimately harming your email deliverability and sender reputation.

By setting a Return-Path, you ensure that your DMARC policies can be effectively monitored and maintained, leading to better control over your email deliverability.