What transactional email is#
Transactional email is triggered by a user action (receipts, password resets, alerts) and is exempt from most marketing consent rules. Marketing email promotes products and requires consent and unsubscribe links.
Why it matters#
Mixing the two on one domain or stream means a bad campaign can block password resets. Separating them protects critical mail.
What GoHighLevel handles#
Most platforms, including GoHighLevel, generate the records or settings you need under a domain authentication or sending settings page, and expose bounce and complaint data in reports. Confirm the exact location in GoHighLevel's current documentation.
What you still own#
- Send transactional mail from a dedicated subdomain (for example mail.yourdomain.com) or separate stream.
- Send marketing from a different subdomain (news.yourdomain.com).
- Keep promotional content out of transactional messages to preserve their exemption.
- Apply DMARC to the organizational domain so both subdomains are covered.
Common mistakes#
- Adding upsell banners to receipts, which reclassifies them as marketing under many laws.
- Using one shared IP pool for both streams.
Frequently asked questions#
Do transactional emails need an unsubscribe link?
Not under CAN-SPAM if purely transactional. Gmail's bulk-sender rules still expect one-click unsubscribe for anything sent at volume, so many senders include it anyway.
Does GoHighLevel set up transactional email automatically?
GoHighLevel provides the values and some checks, but publishing DNS, aligning domains, and monitoring results remain your responsibility.