How to use your .CA domain to create a custom email address

A .CA domain says you’re Canadian loudly and proudly to the digital world. And it can be used for more than your website—use your .CA to create a custom email address, such as yourname@yourdomain.ca.

There are a ton of good reasons why you should get a custom .CA email. Top of the list is that they provide a higher level of trust and credibility, signal that you are local and help boost brand awareness.

Really, it’s a win all around and something you should totally do—like adding extra bacon and chives to a glorious late-night poutine.

Now, let’s dive into the process for creating your own custom email address.

Step-by-step: how to create your own .CA email address

Step 1: choose a domain name.

To get started, you need to choose a .CA domain name, check to see if it’s available and then get it registered. And just like that—you’re off and running. You can use our domain search tool below to begin your search!

Need a few pointers around picking the best domain name for your business, or getting your .CA registered? We can help on both those fronts!

Step 2: pick an email hosting provider.

More often than not, your domain registrar (the folks you get your .CA from) will provide bundles that include services like web and email hosting at an attractive price. 

To be on the safe(est) side, you’ll want a provider who can offer key security features like malware filtering, spam protection and multi-factor authentication.

Then, depending on your needs—you’ll want to look at how much storage capacity is provided, and whether your hosting provider can integrate easily with popular platforms like Gmail and Outlook.

Step 3: get your email up and running.

Now, we get to the technical bit! First, you’ll need to grab the MX (Mail Exchanger) records from your email hosting provider.

MX records list which servers are responsible for sending and receiving mail on behalf of your domain. Without them, your messages likely won’t reach their intended recipients, which would be a very sad day for you.

Next, log into your domain registrar account and find the DNS settings for your domain. Here, you can add the MX records from your email hosting provider.

Also—depending on your email hosting provider, you may be asked to set up a few other types of records—namely, the Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC).

The main purpose behind these records is security and privacy. They basically help ensure that people on the internet can’t fake your email domain to send out spam.

Step 4: verify your domain ownership.

Your email hosting provider may require you to verify that you actually own your domain and can use it for email hosting.

Each hosting provider’s verification process will differ slightly, but it’s usually as straightforward as clicking a link in an email or adding a unique TXT record (from your provider) to your domain’s DNS settings.

Follow their instructions to a tee and you should be fine!

Step 5: create your custom email accounts.

Once you’ve gotten everything configured, verified and pointing in the right direction, it’s time to set up your custom email accounts!

We recommend using a consistent naming convention—like firstname@yourcompany.ca or firstname.lastname@yourcompany.ca to keep everything crisp, professional and easy to remember.

You may also need to set up dedicated accounts for other departments in your business—i.e., sales@yourcompany.ca or an account for general inquiries (hello@yourcompany.ca).

To accomplish all this, log into your email hosting provider, and navigate to the “control panel” section. This is where you’ll enter in your email account names, create passwords and configure permissions and security features like two-factor authentication.

And just like that you’ve just created a custom .CA email address for your business. The only thing to do now is bid goodbye to that ratty old Gmail or Hotmail account and embrace cool, sophisticated professionalism. We’ve got to say—it suits you well!