How Do I Set Up Notify With My Sending Domain and API Key?

Here's exactly how I set this up the last time I added Notify to a project. It's genuinely about ten minutes of active work — the only thing that takes longer is DNS propagation, which is out of your hands either way.

Step 1: Sign Up and Grab Your API Key

Every account gets an API key from the Credentials page — the dashboard checklist walks you through generating your first one the moment you sign up, so you don't really need this guide open for this part. Copy it once (it's only shown in full at creation time) and store it as an environment variable rather than hardcoding it anywhere:

NOTIFY_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Every request to Notify's API needs this key in the x-api-key header. Keep it out of client-side code and version control — if it ever leaks, you can regenerate it from the same Credentials page and the old one is invalidated immediately.

Step 2: Verify Your Sending Domain

Production sends with a custom from address require a verified domain. Head to the Domains dashboard, add your domain, and Notify gives you three DNS records to add:

1. SPF — authorizes Notify to send on your behalf
2. DKIM — signs your outgoing messages
3. DMARC — tells receiving servers what to do if authentication fails

Add all three exactly as shown — don't paraphrase the values — and expect the verification to take anywhere up to 24–48 hours for DNS to propagate. There's nothing to actively wait on; the domain's status just updates from pending to verified once it's picked up. Free accounts get 1 verified domain, Pro gets 3, Scale gets 10 — worth knowing if you're planning to verify separate domains for staging and production.

Step 3: Send a Test Email Before Your Domain Verifies

This part I didn't expect the first time: you don't have to wait on DNS to try the API. New accounts can send test emails immediately through Notify's sandbox, so you can confirm your API key and request shape work correctly while the domain verification is still pending in the background.

Step 4: Send From Your Verified Domain

Once the domain shows as verified, use it in the from field of a normal send request:

await fetch('https://notify.cx/api/email/send', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'x-api-key': process.env.NOTIFY_API_KEY
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    from: 'noreply@your-verified-domain.com',
    to: 'recipient@example.com',
    subject: 'Hello from your domain',
    message: 'This email is sent from your verified domain.'
  })
});

Emails sent with a from address on an unverified domain get rejected, so this is the one step that has to happen in order — API key first, domain verified second, then production sends.

If Verification Fails

A few things worth checking before assuming something's broken:

1. Confirm the DNS records match exactly what Notify's dashboard shows — typos in a DKIM value are the most common cause
2. Give it the full 24–48 hours before troubleshooting further
3. Confirm you actually have edit access to the domain's DNS (obvious, but easy to overlook if a teammate manages it)
4. If it's still stuck after that, Notify's support is reachable directly at hello@notify.cx

Putting It All Together

The full setup is really just three things: an API key stored as an environment variable, a domain with three DNS records added, and one HTTP call once both are in place. I've found the free tier is enough to go through this entire flow — key, domain, test send, production send — without needing to pay anything first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I set up Notify with my sending domain and API key?

Generate an API key from the Credentials page and store it as an environment variable, then add your domain in the Domains dashboard and add the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records Notify provides. Once the domain shows as verified (allow 24–48 hours for DNS propagation), pass it in the from field of your send requests, authenticated with the API key in the x-api-key header.

How long does domain verification take with Notify?

Up to 24–48 hours, since it depends on DNS propagation rather than anything on Notify's side. You can test your API integration in the sandbox in the meantime, before the domain finishes verifying.

Can I send emails before my domain is verified?

Yes — new accounts can send test emails immediately through Notify's sandbox. Production sends with a custom from address require the domain to be verified first.

How many domains can I verify with Notify?

1 on the Free plan, 3 on Pro, and 10 on Scale.

What happens if I send from an unverified domain?

The request is rejected. The from address has to be on a domain that's already shown as verified in your Notify dashboard.