How to Set Up Tifamail Business Email on Your Domain (2026 Guide)
How to Set Up Tifamail Business Email on Your Domain
Tifamail puts your whole team on branded email at your own domain (name@yourcompany.co.ke) for one company-wide fee. Setup is guided inside the app, and this walkthrough explains each step so you know what to expect before you start. Plan for about an hour of hands-on work, plus waiting time while DNS changes spread.
Before You Start
You need three things:
- A domain name you control - for example yourcompany.co.ke. If you do not have one, see how to register a .co.ke domain.
- Access to your DNS settings - usually in your domain registrar's or web host's control panel (cPanel, Cloudflare, or the registrar dashboard).
- Your logo - a PNG or JPG; a transparent PNG gives the best result.
If you already use email on the domain, keep it running. Nothing changes for your current mail until the final step.
Step 1: Create Your Workspace
Go to tifamail.com/signup, enter your company details and pay the one-time setup fee - KES 3,200 by M-Pesa or card in Kenya, or USD 25 by card elsewhere. This covers the first full year and includes KES 500 of AI credit. The person who signs up becomes the company Admin.
Step 2: Verify Your Domain
Setup asks you to prove you own the domain by adding a TXT record to its DNS. Copy the value from the setup screen (copy buttons are provided), add it at your DNS provider, and click verify. Most DNS providers apply TXT records within minutes, though some take a few hours.
Step 3: Create Your Addresses
Add an address for each person (jane@, peter@) and for shared functions (info@, accounts@, sales@). There is no per-user charge, so create what the business actually needs. Each person receives sign-in details and can then set their own password and turn on two-step sign-in.
Step 4: Set Your Brand
Upload your logo - Tifamail crops and trims it, and detects white logos automatically so they sit cleanly on dark headers. Choose your brand colours and fonts, add a signature, then pick one of the 65 brand packages. Each package gives you a matching email template, A4 letterhead and invoice. You can preview them on the designs page.
Step 5: Import Your Old Mail (If You Have Any)
If your domain already has mailboxes elsewhere, import them now, before switching DNS. Enter each old mailbox's IMAP login and Tifamail copies inbox, sent items and folders in the background. Our migration guide covers this step in detail.
Step 6: Add the Sending Records
To send from your domain, add the records shown in setup:
| Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| SPF (TXT) | Lists the services allowed to send mail for your domain |
| DKIM (CNAME/TXT) | Cryptographically signs your mail so receivers trust it |
| Return-Path (CNAME) | Handles bounces for your domain |
| DMARC (TXT) | Tells receivers what to do with mail that fails checks |
Tifamail shows each record with a live check. Sending is only enabled once these records verify, so you cannot accidentally launch with mail going to spam. If your domain already has an SPF record, merge the new include into it rather than creating a second SPF record - a domain must have only one.
Step 7: Add the Receiving Records, Then Switch MX Last
Next come the records for receiving mail, and finally the MX record. Tifamail shows the MX record only once receiving is confirmed, which is deliberate: the MX switch is the moment new mail starts arriving at Tifamail, so everything else should be ready first. Remove the old MX records when you add the new one.
Step 8: Go Live
After the MX switch, DNS takes anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to update worldwide. During that window some mail may still reach your old provider - so for seven days Tifamail keeps re-checking the old mailboxes and pulls in anything that arrives there. After that, the stored old passwords are wiped.
After Setup: Quick Wins
- Install the app on your phone and desktop from the browser for one-tap access.
- Require two-step sign-in for all staff from the admin settings.
- Set AI limits per user if you want to control spending.
- Send a test to a Gmail and an Outlook address to see your branding in action.
Troubleshooting
- Domain will not verify: check you added the TXT record to the right domain (not www) and wait an hour.
- Sending still blocked: one of SPF, DKIM or Return-Path has not propagated or has a typo. The live check shows which.
- Two SPF records: merge them into one; two SPF records cause failures everywhere.
- Mail still arriving at the old host: normal during propagation; the seven-day catch-up handles it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Tifamail setup take? The hands-on steps take about an hour. DNS changes can take a few minutes to 48 hours to spread, and mail imports run in the background.
Can I set up Tifamail if my website is hosted elsewhere? Yes. Your website and email are separate services. You only add or change the email-related DNS records, and your website keeps working as before.
Do I need technical skills? No. Setup shows every DNS record with copy buttons and live checks. If someone else manages your DNS, you can share the records with them.