Configure reply addresses and signatures

Updated Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · Marc Staine

Reply addresses give agents a recognizable sender identity and reusable signature for outbound case communication. Configure the address customers should see, explain when agents should choose it, and verify a complete reply conversation. Creating an address does not create an inbound route, authenticate its domain or guarantee delivery.

Applies to: Supportbench Core. Location: Settings → Email configuration → Address / signature. You need Administer outbound email addresses permission and edit access to this settings section. DNS and mailbox-provider changes require their own authorized administrators.

Before you begin

Identify the exact mailbox and domain, the customer-facing display name and the team that should use it. Confirm that this is an approved sending identity.
Plan incoming replies separately under Routes (inbound email). A reply identity and a generated forwarding destination are different records with different purposes.
Decide whether this should be the account default or a specialized identity. Review applicable division and case sender choices; a default is not proof every existing draft uses this address.
Have the domain administrator and Supportbench confirm the current sender-authentication setup. Do not assume the Enable custom DKIM switch creates DNS or provides a signing key.
Prepare a concise customer-facing signature and a harmless test conversation. Essential contact details should be readable without loading a logo.

Configure and verify

Open Settings → Email configuration → Address / signature. The page is headed System email addresses. Choose New Address or open the existing identity.
In the profile area, enter Name and a Description explaining the intended team or channel. Review Active so the identity appears only when it is ready for use.
Under Reply address, enter one valid Email address and the desired Display name. Check the mailbox carefully before the first save; the saved email address cannot later be edited.
Under behavior, choose Default active address deliberately. Keep specialized Billing or equipment identities separate from the general support default where appropriate.
Open Signature and compose the formatted sign-off. Review it alongside the team’s activity templates and agent signature practice to prevent duplicated names, logos or disclaimers.
If custom DKIM is appropriate, open Custom DKIM DNS setup and copy the correct TXT host. A TXT value reading Provided by Supportbench Support is a placeholder: obtain the real value from Supportbench Support, then have DNS and sending-side readiness verified before enabling custom DKIM.
Save the address and reopen it. Confirm the mailbox, display name, active/default choices, signature and intended DKIM state. A successful save is configuration evidence, not delivery proof.
Compose a response on an approved case and inspect the actual Reply Address and complete body. Send to the approved test recipient, verify the received sender/signature, then reply and confirm the conversation returns to the intended case.
If the mailbox must change later, create and verify a replacement identity instead of renaming the locked email value. Review consumers and active work before deactivating the old identity.

Settings reference

Address profile

Setting	What it controls	How to choose
Name	Internal name used to recognize this sending identity.	Use a short name such as Support or Billing.
Description	Administrative context about when this identity should be used.	Explain the intended mailbox or team.
Email address	One valid sending mailbox; locked after creation.	Check spelling before the first save. Create a replacement identity when the mailbox changes.
Display name	Optional name shown beside the address in outbound messages.	Use the brand or support team name customers recognize.

Availability and authentication

Setting	What it controls	How to choose
Active	Makes this sender available in normal sending choices. Inactive identities remain in history.	Deactivate an obsolete identity after moving active work to the replacement.
Default active address	Selects the account’s active default outbound reply address.	Use the main support identity and verify a new response selects the expected sender.
Enable custom DKIM	Enables custom domain signing after its DNS TXT record is installed.	Review the displayed setup with Supportbench Support before relying on it.
TXT host / TXT value	Read-only host and value display with copy controls; the value may say Provided by Supportbench Support.	Copy the actual host and obtain the real TXT value from Supportbench Support. Never publish the placeholder. Verify DNS and sending-side readiness before enabling custom signing.
Signature	Formatted signature appended when agents send from this address.	Keep it concise and preview a response to avoid duplicate signatures.

Behavior to know

TXT host uses the sbmail selector for the sender domain. TXT value is supplied by Supportbench Support; never publish the displayed placeholder as a DNS record.
Enable custom DKIM is a saved configuration choice. It does not perform DNS verification or prove that a sent message passes authentication. Supportbench recommends bounce domains for most setups; obtain current account-specific instructions.
Inbound forwarding belongs to Email routes. Outbound transport, identity, authentication and the customer’s return path must be verified separately.
Email address is locked after creation to preserve identity/history. Changing the internal Name or Display name is not changing the underlying mailbox.
Inactive identities remain in history but are hidden from normal sending choices. Existing case history is not rewritten to pretend earlier messages used a replacement address.
Review the composer’s actual selected identity and final signature. Account defaults, applicable division choices and an existing response context can differ.

Recommended use

Use a small set of identities with clear purposes. A customer should recognize who is replying and where to send the next question.
Keep signatures useful: team identity, a relevant contact route and a short sign-off. Avoid making essential information available only through an image.
Review all signature sources together with a real draft. A formatted system signature plus a template sign-off can produce duplicate content.
Verify every distinct sending domain and important recipient path before using a new identity for urgent customer updates.
Record an owner for each address and its authentication setup. Recheck after domain, DNS, mailbox or sending-service changes.

Worked example: add an equipment-support identity without confusing customers

Confirm the approved equipment-support mailbox and its inbound reply route. Keep the main Support address as the account default unless the operating plan requires a change.
Create the equipment identity with a recognizable Display name and concise team signature. Obtain and verify the appropriate domain-authentication configuration.
On a controlled equipment case, select the intended Reply Address and inspect the complete body for duplicate sign-offs.
Send the message, verify the external recipient’s actual sender/signature and authentication outcome, and reply normally to confirm case matching.
Explain to agents when this identity is appropriate and who handles incoming replies. Record the successful test and any remaining setup dependency.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
Email address cannot be edited	Expected after creation. Prepare a replacement identity and review dependent use rather than changing an unrelated field.
Address is missing from a reply choice	Check Active, the actual composer/context and the agent’s applicable access/policy. Reopen the composition after saving the intended configuration.
A new default did not replace the sender in an existing draft	Inspect the actual saved draft/context and select the intended authorized Reply Address. Do not infer that a default rewrites every composition.
Save rejects the address	Check that one valid mailbox is supplied and read the validation message. Resolve the specific identity problem without changing unrelated routing.
Signature appears twice	Review system-address signature, selected content/template and agent sign-off together in the final draft.
Signature image is missing or save reports an image problem	Use the supported editor upload flow and complete the save. Review the actual validation result rather than pasting an inaccessible local-file path.
TXT value says Provided by Supportbench Support	Obtain the real key value. Do not publish the placeholder or copy an obsolete CNAME example.
Custom DKIM is on but delivery fails	Check the actual message headers, sender domain and verified DNS/signing setup. The toggle is not a delivery test.
Customer replies do not return to the case	Review mailbox forwarding, inbound route and case-matching behavior separately from the signature.
The wrong brand appears in a received message	Check the actual Reply Address and Display name used in that composition, then inspect relevant defaults/context.

Email configuration → Configure inbound email routes
Email configuration → Configure an outgoing SMTP connector

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