Sending Emails From Your Own Address or Domain

Introduction

When MyHallWizard sends a booking confirmation, invoice, or reminder to one of your customers, they see two things on the From line: a name (e.g. "Dakeford Village Hall") and an email address. This article is about that email address.

You can choose one of three options:

Whichever you choose, replies always come back to your venue's contact email address — that doesn't change. This article is only about what your customers see in the "From" line.

To change the setting, go to Settings -> Emails.

Which option should I choose?

Use this table as a quick guide:

Delivery status and bounce management

When an email is sent from MyHallWizard default or Your own domain, we are able to manage these tightly for you. This is the most efficient way to send and track emails to your customers, and ensures you remain compliant with data protection legislation.

We receive delivery notifications for your emails - these are shown when you view the email in MyHallWizard. Similarly, we are told if the email bounces or if a complaint was raised by the recipient.

In the case of complaints and permanent bounces (e.g. email address does not exist) we add the recipients' address to a suppression list to ensure you do not send further emails to that address - you need to contact our support team to have that email address removed.

The disadvantage of these options is that the email does not go to the Sent Email folder of your email software. Instead, you would need to tick the copy to email address option in the email dialog in MyHallWizard if you want to see the email in your own software.

SMTP however sends the email directly using your own email system. Emails sent from MyHallWizard always show in your Sent Email folder in your email software.

However, we don't receive delivery notifications - emails will only show as Sent in MyHallWizard, never Delivered - and any bounce notifications or complaints come directly to you. We do not see these, so we are unable to add email addresses to our suppression list. It is up to you to ensure you do not send emails to customers who don't wish to receive them.

Why we don't recommend SMTP for Outlook.com / Hotmail

Microsoft is in the process of phasing out password-based access to Outlook.com / Hotmail / live.com / msn.com inboxes. "App Passwords" for these accounts are described in Microsoft's own documentation as a transitional fallback, and stop working without warning when Microsoft turns off basic authentication for your account.

If you own a domain, Your own domain is the right choice for you — better deliverability anyway. If you don't, sticking with the MyHallWizard default is the safer option.

Option 1: MyHallWizard default

Nothing to do. Booking confirmations and other customer-facing emails go out from no-reply@hallwizard.com with your venue name shown as the sender, and any replies your customers send come back to your venue's contact email address.

If you previously had something else configured and want to switch back, go to Emails, select MyHallWizard default, and click Save email settings.

Option 2: Your own SMTP server

SMTP is the protocol your email provider uses to send mail. By giving MyHallWizard your SMTP details, customer emails leave through the same server you use for your own day-to-day email — so customers see your address on the From line, and the emails appear in your own Sent folder.

Most modern email providers need an "App Password" rather than your account password. This is a separate, longer password that specifically authorises one application (in this case, MyHallWizard) to send mail on your behalf, and can be revoked any time without changing your real password. We walk you through generating one below.

Setting up SMTP in MyHallWizard

The flow is the same regardless of provider:

1. Open Emails in the venue menu.

2. Select My own SMTP server.

3. Fill in:

   • "From" email address — the address customers will see (usually the same address as the SMTP username).

   • "From" name — usually your venue name.

   • SMTP host, port, encryption, username, password — see your provider's section below.

4. Click Send test email to send yourself a one-off email verifying the settings work.

5. When the test arrives, click Save in the modal.

If the test fails, MyHallWizard shows the error message from your provider — usually a clue to which field is wrong (e.g. "authentication failed" → password or username is wrong; "connection refused" → host or port is wrong).

Gmail or Google Workspace

You'll need a Google App Password. This requires 2-Step Verification to be turned on first.

Step 1 — Turn on 2-Step Verification (if not already on):

1. Visit myaccount.google.com and sign in.

2. In the left sidebar, click Security.

3. Under "How you sign in to Google", click 2-Step Verification.

4. Follow the prompts to turn it on (usually involves verifying a phone number).

Step 2 — Generate an App Password:

1. Visit myaccount.google.com/apppasswords.

2. Type a name to identify the password (e.g. "MyHallWizard"), then click Create.

3. Google shows you a 16-character password in a yellow box. Copy it — you won't see it again.

Step 3 — Enter the SMTP details in MyHallWizard:

Then click Send test email.

More on Google App Passwords: Google's help article →.

BT Internet

BT Internet email runs on Yahoo's email service, so the App Password is generated via Yahoo's account pages.

Step 1 — Turn on 2-Step Verification on your BT/Yahoo account:

1. Sign in to login.yahoo.com with your full BT email address (you@btinternet.com) and BT password.

2. Click your name (top right) → Account info.

3. Click Account security in the left sidebar.

4. Find 2-step verification, click Turn on.

Step 2 — Generate an App Password:

1. Still in Account security, find Other ways to sign in → App password (the wording occasionally changes — look for "App password" or "Generate and manage app passwords").

2. Click Get started (or Add app password).

3. Type a name (e.g. "MyHallWizard"), click Generate password.

4. Copy the 16-character password shown.

Step 3 — Enter the SMTP details in MyHallWizard:

Then click Send test email.

If mail.btinternet.com:587 doesn't work, try smtp.mail.yahoo.com on port 587 — the Yahoo-branded host name works equivalently because BT email is on Yahoo's servers.

More on Yahoo App Passwords: Yahoo's help article →.

Other providers

Most other providers follow the same pattern (App Password + standard SMTP). Look up your provider's "How do I generate an App Password" documentation and use:

• iCloud: host smtp.mail.me.com, port 587, TLS, username = full iCloud email, password = Apple App-Specific Password (from appleid.apple.com → Sign-In and Security → App-Specific Passwords).

• TalkTalk: host smtp.talktalk.net, port 465, SSL, username = full TalkTalk email, password = account password.

• Sky: hosted on Yahoo — same process as BT, but use host smtp.tools.sky.com on port 465 with SSL.

If your provider isn't listed and you're not sure of the right host / port, search " SMTP settings" — most provider help articles list them on a single page.

Option 3: Your own domain

This is the most polished customer experience, but needs a few minutes of one-time setup with your domain registrar / DNS provider.

The way it works:

1. You tell MyHallWizard which domain you'd like to send from (e.g. bookings@yourvenue.com).

2. MyHallWizard gives you five DNS records to add to your domain.

3. You add those records at your DNS provider (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, IONOS, Wix, WordPress.com, etc.).

4. You come back to MyHallWizard and click Verify DNS records.

5. MyHallWizard checks the records are in place, and switches your sending over to your domain.

The DNS records authenticate that MyHallWizard is allowed to send mail on behalf of your domain. Without them, mail providers would reject the message as a forgery — exactly as they should.

You don't need to host your own email to use this. The records sit alongside any other email records your domain already has (e.g. an MX record pointing at Google Workspace or your existing email provider) — they don't conflict.

Starting the process

1. Open Emails in the venue menu.

2. Select My own domain.

3. Enter the "From" email address you'd like customers to see (e.g. bookings@yourvenue.com).

4. Optionally set a "From" name (defaults to your venue name).

5. Click Start setup.

MyHallWizard registers your domain with our email infrastructure and shows you a table of five DNS records.

What the five records are

The exact values are unique to your domain and shown in the panel. Copy them exactly — small typos are the most common cause of verification failing.

Adding the records

How you do this depends on your DNS provider. Find your provider below. If it's not listed, the principle is the same — add records of the type, name, and value shown in the MyHallWizard panel.

Cloudflare

1. Sign in to dash.cloudflare.com.

2. From the dashboard, click your domain.

3. In the left sidebar, click DNS → Records.

4. For each of the five records shown in MyHallWizard:

   • Click Add record.

   • Type: choose CNAME, MX, or TXT (matching the panel).

   • Name: paste the Host / Name from the panel — but trim off your domain at the end. Cloudflare appends your domain automatically. For example, if the panel shows abc123._domainkey.yourvenue.com, you enter just abc123._domainkey.

   • Target (for CNAME), Mail server (for MX), or Content (for TXT): paste the Value from the panel.

   • For MX records, Priority is 10.

   • Proxy status: ⚠️ Important — click the orange cloud to turn it grey ("DNS only"). Cloudflare's proxy breaks DKIM signing. This must be DNS only for all five records.

   • TTL: Auto.

   • Click Save.

5. When all five are in, switch back to MyHallWizard and click Verify DNS records in the Emails panel.

Cloudflare's own help: Manage DNS records →.

GoDaddy

1. Sign in at godaddy.com.

2. Click the person icon (top right) → My Products.

3. Under Domains, find your domain and click DNS (or the three-dot menu → Manage DNS).

4. Scroll to the DNS Records section.

5. For each of the five records shown in MyHallWizard:

   • Click Add New Record.

   • Type: choose CNAME, MX, or TXT.

   • Name: paste the Host / Name from the panel, trimming off your domain at the end (GoDaddy appends it automatically). For abc123._domainkey.yourvenue.com you enter just abc123._domainkey. For records like mail.yourvenue.com you enter just mail.

   • Value (for CNAME / TXT) or Mail server (for MX): paste from the panel.

   • For MX, Priority is 10.

   • TTL: 1 Hour.

   • Click Save.

6. Switch back to MyHallWizard and click Verify DNS records.

GoDaddy's own help: Add a DNS record →.

IONOS

1. Sign in at my.ionos.co.uk (or your local IONOS portal).

2. Click Domains & SSL in the top menu.

3. Find your domain in the list and click the three-dot menu → DNS.

4. For each of the five records:

   • Click Add Record.

   • Type: choose CNAME, MX, or TXT.

   • Host name: paste the Host / Name from the panel, trimming off your domain (IONOS appends it). E.g. abc123._domainkey not abc123._domainkey.yourvenue.com.

   • Points to (CNAME), Mail server (MX), or Value (TXT): paste from the panel.

   • For MX, Priority is 10.

   • TTL: leave the default (1 hour).

   • Click Save.

5. Switch back to MyHallWizard and click Verify DNS records.

IONOS's own help: DNS settings →.

Wix

Wix's DNS interface varies depending on whether you bought the domain through Wix or connected an external one. The steps below cover the common case (domain bought from Wix).

1. Sign in at wix.com.

2. Click your account icon (top right) → Domains.

3. Find the domain in the list, click the three-dot menu → Manage DNS records.

4. For each of the five records:

   • Find the section matching the record type (CNAME, MX, or TXT) and click + Add Record next to it.

   • Host name: paste from the panel; some Wix flows want just the subdomain (abc123._domainkey), others want the full host name — try the short form first.

   • Value: paste from the panel.

   • For MX, Priority is 10.

   • TTL: leave default (3600).

   • Save.

5. Switch back to MyHallWizard and click Verify DNS records.

If your domain was bought elsewhere and only connected to Wix, you manage DNS at the original registrar instead of in Wix. Check your registrar's docs for adding CNAME / MX / TXT records.

Wix's own help: Adding records to a Wix-hosted domain →.

WordPress.com

WordPress.com's DNS settings panel needs at least a paid plan (typically Personal or higher) — Free-plan domains can't add custom DNS records.

1. Sign in at wordpress.com.

2. In your dashboard, click Upgrades → Domains in the left sidebar.

3. Click the domain you want to edit.

4. Scroll to DNS records and click Manage.

5. For each of the five records:

   • Click Add a record.

   • Type: choose CNAME, MX, or TXT.

   • Name (sometimes called "Host"): paste from the panel, trimming off your domain. E.g. for abc123._domainkey.yourvenue.com, enter abc123._domainkey.

   • Alias of / Points to / Handled by (CNAME / MX), or Text (TXT): paste from the panel.

   • For MX, Priority is 10.

   • TTL: leave default.

   • Click Add new DNS record.

6. Switch back to MyHallWizard and click Verify DNS records.

WordPress.com's own help: Custom DNS records →.

Verifying your domain

Once you've added all five records, switch back to MyHallWizard and click Verify DNS records.

If everything is in place: you'll see a green "All set up" message, and customer emails will start going out from your address.

If something's not in place: MyHallWizard tells you which group is missing — for example "All three CNAME records are in place, but the MX or the TXT record is still missing". DNS can take a while to propagate — usually a few minutes, sometimes up to 24 hours. Add any missing records and try again.

You can come back to the Emails page any time and click Verify DNS records to re-check. Once your domain is verified, the panel shows the verified date and a "Disconnect domain" option in case you ever want to undo it.

Troubleshooting

"Test email succeeded but I never received it"

• Check your spam folder.

• Send another test email. If MyHallWizard shows "Test email sent" but you still don't get it, the message left MyHallWizard cleanly but was rejected silently by your mail provider — contact us at support@hallwizard.com and we'll check the delivery logs.

"Test email shows an authentication error"

The password is wrong, or the username doesn't match the password. With Gmail and Yahoo / BT, double-check:

• You used the App Password, not your normal account password.

• The username is your full email address, including the @gmail.com / @btinternet.com part.

"DNS verification keeps failing"

Most common causes:

• Records not yet propagated — DNS changes can take a few minutes to a few hours to take effect. Wait, then click Verify again.

• Typo in a record — copy each value from the MyHallWizard panel exactly. Watch out for trailing dots or wrapping quotes some providers add automatically.

• Cloudflare proxy enabled — for DKIM CNAMEs the proxy must be off (grey cloud, "DNS only").

• Wrong record type — the TXT record must be TXT, not CNAME (a common mix-up because the other two MAIL FROM-related records are often CNAMEs at other providers).

If you've checked all of these and verification is still failing after 24 hours, click Cancel setup and start over — that gives you fresh DKIM tokens which sometimes resolves stale state.

"I want to switch back to MyHallWizard default"

Open Emails, select MyHallWizard default, and click Save email settings. If you were in domain mode, you can optionally click Disconnect domain first to release your domain from MyHallWizard's mail infrastructure (you don't have to — disconnecting is reversible, and leaving the records in place doesn't cost you anything).

"Can two of my venues share one verified domain?"

Yes, as long as the same person is an admin on both venues in MyHallWizard. Set up domain mode on the first venue, then on the second venue choose My own domain and enter an email at the same domain — MyHallWizard recognises the existing setup and links the second venue to it. You don't need to repeat the DNS records.

Still stuck?

Email support@hallwizard.com with your venue name and a description of what's happening. We can see the same delivery records you can and can usually identify the cause quickly.