Should my link domain match my sending domain?

Link domains don't need to exactly match your sending domain, but they should be recognizably related for best deliverability and brand trust.

Good alignment examples:

Sending from: newsletter@yourbrand.com

Links to: shop.yourbrand.com, click.yourbrand.com, yourbrand.com

All share the organizational domain; filters and recipients see consistency.

Problematic mismatches:

Sending from: newsletter@yourbrand.com

Links to: totally-different-domain.com, suspicious-tracking.net

Filters may flag the inconsistency as suspicious. Recipients might not click unfamiliar domains.

Acceptable variations:

Using a dedicated tracking subdomain: click.yourbrand.com

Linking to partner sites (if legitimate and expected)

Product-specific domains that recipients would recognize

Spam filter perspective: Filters look for consistency as a trust signal. Legitimate brands typically link to their own properties. Phishing and spam often use mismatched domains (From looks like a bank, links go elsewhere).

Recommendation:

Use your own domain for tracking links (click.yourbrand.com)

When linking to other sites, ensure they're legitimate and expected

Avoid unnecessary third-party domains in your link structure

Keep the visible link text honest about destinations