Set Up SES & Microsoft 365 for Launch-Day Deliverability

Introduction

Deliverability is part art, part ops. For a product launch you need reliable outbound mail (transactional and marketing), a monitored inbox for replies, and a robust way to handle bounces and complaints — all without handing your credentials to some cloud service. This hands‑on guide walks you through configuring Amazon SES for sending and Microsoft 365 for a professional reply inbox, while keeping everything local‑first and audit‑friendly with VibeBlaster.

You’ll learn domain verification, DKIM/SPF/DMARC alignment, MAIL FROM choices, warm‑up strategies, bounce/complaint handling, and a launch‑day checklist. If you want to automate DNS changes for the domain portions below, see our companion post: Automate Domains & DNS with Namecheap + DigitalOcean. For coordinated messaging on launch day, pair this with your content plan from Build a 30‑Day Cross‑Platform Content Calendar That Converts.

How SES and Microsoft 365 fit together (high level)

Before the steps, decide the roles for each provider:

• Amazon SES — primary outbound sender for transactional and marketing messages. SES handles high‑volume sending and provides bounce/complaint notifications.
• Microsoft 365 — professional inbox (reply@) for customer replies, route inbound mail, and a branded sender identity for manually sent messages.
• DNS (Namecheap + DigitalOcean) — host your DNS records (TXT/CNAME/MX) so SES and M365 can be verified and authorized.
• VibeBlaster (local) — stores credentials locally, orchestrates the SES + M365 setup, polls bounce/complaint queues, and surfaces approval gates and an audit trail for team workflows.

This separation gives you the best of both worlds: SES for scalable outbound delivery, M365 for professional inbound handling and mailbox features, and local control via VibeBlaster.

Step‑by‑step: Amazon SES setup (outbound)

1. Choose the SES region you’ll use for sending.
   • Send from the region where you expect your traffic or where latency matters. SES identities are region‑scoped.
2. Create and verify a domain identity in SES.
   • In the SES console choose Verified identities → Create identity → Domain and enter your domain (example.com).
   • SES will generate DNS records for verification (a TXT) and — if you enable Easy DKIM — three CNAME records for DKIM. Copy these values.
   • Add the provided TXT and CNAME records to your DNS provider. Use the automation path in Automate Domains & DNS with Namecheap + DigitalOcean if you want VibeBlaster to write them for you.
3. (Optional but recommended) Configure a custom MAIL FROM domain.
   • A custom MAIL FROM subdomain (e.g., mail.example.com or bounce.example.com) gives you control of the Return‑Path and improves DMARC alignment. SES will show the exact MX/TXT values to add — copy and add them to DNS.
4. Choose API vs SMTP and create credentials.
   • For programmatic sending, use the SES API (AWS SDK). If you need SMTP, create SMTP credentials. Store credentials locally (VibeBlaster uses encrypted OS keychain integration).
5. Enable bounce/complaint notifications.
   • Create SNS topics for bounces and complaints and configure SES to publish to them. Instead of exposing a public webhook, forward SNS to an SQS queue and let your local VibeBlaster instance poll SQS (this keeps data pull local‑first).
6. Request production access if needed.
   • SES starts in a sandbox (low volume). Request production access to remove sandbox limits and increase quotas. Consider a dedicated IP if you’ll send high volumes — note dedicated IPs require warm‑up.
7. Test sends and confirm.
   • Once DNS propagates and SES shows verified, run test sends to a seed set (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) and check headers for DKIM and SPF results.

Notes on DNS values: do not hand‑copy example strings from forums — always use the exact DNS records SES provides in the console.

Step‑by‑step: Microsoft 365 for inbound and professional identity

1. Add and verify your domain in Microsoft 365 Admin.
   • In the Microsoft 365 admin center add your domain and follow the verification steps. M365 will provide a TXT verification record for DNS.
2. Point MX to Microsoft 365 for inbound mail (if M365 will receive replies).
   • M365 gives an MX record you should add so inbound mail goes to Microsoft. This does not conflict with SES sending — SES only needs DNS TXT/CNAMEs for verification.
3. Create a monitored mailbox (reply@yourdomain.com).
   • Make a dedicated mailbox used for replies and human communications. Set a friendly display name (e.g., "Support — Example") and set up any aliases.
4. Configure SPF and DKIM for Microsoft 365 senders (if you plan to send from M365 too).
   • Microsoft provides DKIM configuration (CNAMEs) and recommends including include:spf.protection.outlook.com in your SPF record.
5. Connect VibeBlaster to Microsoft 365.
   • Use OAuth via Microsoft Graph so VibeBlaster can read replies and send on behalf of the mailbox if approved. VibeBlaster stores tokens encrypted and requires explicit user approval before accessing mailboxes.
6. Route replies into your workflow.
   • VibeBlaster can poll the mailbox (Graph API) for replies and surface them in the project’s audit log. This keeps replies local and tied to the project context.

Deliverability best practices (DKIM, SPF, DMARC, warm‑up, handling)

• DKIM: Enable SES Easy DKIM and add the CNAMEs. DKIM provides cryptographic signing that helps pass DMARC checks and increases provider trust.
• Custom MAIL FROM: Consider a MAIL FROM subdomain for better Return‑Path control. SES gives the DNS entries for this and it helps DMARC alignment when SES sets Return‑Path.
• Warm‑up strategy (sample schedule):Focus on engaged users (recent signups) for warm‑up. Avoid purchased lists and low‑engagement recipients.
  • Day 0: 0 (verify setup and send to internal team)
  • Day 1: 50 high‑engagement recipients
  • Day 2: 150
  • Day 3: 400
  • Day 4+: double daily while monitoring bounces/complaints
• Bounce and complaint handling:
  • Configure SES to publish bounces/complaints to SNS → SQS. Have VibeBlaster poll SQS and map events to project contexts.
  • Immediately suppress addresses that hard‑bounce and remove users who complain from marketing lists. Log all actions in the audit trail for compliance.
  • Include a visible unsubscribe link in marketing messages and a List-Unsubscribe header, e.g.:
• Testing and monitoring:
  • Use seed inbox checks (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) and mail‑tester style tools to check spam scores and header alignment.
  • Monitor SES metrics (bounce, complaint, delivery rates) and M365 mailbox health.

Headers and unsubscribe:

List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:unsubscribe@yourdomain.com?subject=unsubscribe>, <https://yourdomain.com/unsubscribe?email=...>

This reduces complaint rates and improves deliverability.

DMARC: Start with monitoring mode and collect aggregate reports:

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-rua@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc-ruf@yourdomain.com; pct=100

Move to p=quarantine or p=reject only after you’re confident SPF/DKIM alignment is stable.

SPF: Publish a single SPF record for the domain that covers both SES and Microsoft 365. Example (start permissive while testing):

v=spf1 include:amazonses.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all

Use ~all initially to avoid hard fails, then change to -all after monitoring.

Launch‑day checklist (quick runbook)

• DNS & identity
  • SES domain verified and DKIM CNAMEs present
  • Microsoft 365 domain verified and MX in place
  • SPF record includes SES and M365 (use ~all initially)
  • DMARC published (p=none)
• Sending & receiving
  • SES production access or sufficient quota for planned sends
  • MAIL FROM configured if using custom Return‑Path
  • VibeBlaster connected to SES and M365 with explicit approval and credentials stored locally
  • Bounce/complaint SNS → SQS wired and VibeBlaster polling active
• Tests and safety
  • Seed tests to multiple providers succeed (Gmail/Outlook/Yahoo)
  • Unsubscribe header present and functional
  • Link tracking parameters validated
  • Monitoring dashboards active in VibeBlaster (realtime engagement)
• People & processes
  • Team approvals recorded (VibeBlaster approval gates screenshot here)
  • Support mailbox staffed and notification routing set

Post‑signup message templates (short examples)

1. Welcome (immediate)

Subject: Welcome to Example — here’s what’s next

Hi {{first_name}},

Thanks for signing up — we’re excited to have you. Here are a few quick links to get started:

• Link 1
• Link 2

If you didn’t sign up, reply to this email and we’ll sort it out.

Cheers,
The Example Team

2. First value touch (24–48 hours)

Subject: Quick tip to get more from Example

Hi {{first_name}},

Want to get value faster? Try this simple step: [action]. It takes 3 minutes and usually helps folks see results within a day.

Need help? Reply to this email — monitored by our team.

3. Follow‑up (7 days)

Subject: How’s it going with Example?

Hi {{first_name}},

We’d love to hear how it’s going. If something’s not working, hit reply or visit [help link]. If you’re loving it, tell a friend!

These templates are deliberately conversational to keep complaint rates low and encourage replies to your M365 mailbox.

How VibeBlaster helps you run this locally and safely

VibeBlaster is built for local‑first launch ops:

• Encrypted, per‑project credential vaults: store AWS keys and Microsoft tokens locally with OS keychain integration.
• Approval gates: every API connection and DNS change is gated by an explicit approval step; screenshots in the app show approvals and who signed off.
• Bounce/complaint processing: VibeBlaster polls your SES → SNS → SQS pipeline and automatically updates per‑project suppression lists, logging everything in the audit trail.
• DNS automation: optionally push SES and M365 DNS records to Namecheap/DigitalOcean using the automations in Automate Domains & DNS with Namecheap + DigitalOcean.

This keeps your keys on your machine, makes workflows repeatable across projects, and gives teams the visibility they need for compliant launches.

Conclusion — ship with confidence

Setting up Amazon SES for sending and Microsoft 365 for a monitored reply mailbox gives you scalable outbound delivery and a professional inbound experience. Focus on domain verification, DKIM/SPF/DMARC alignment, a controlled warm‑up, and robust bounce/complaint handling. Use per‑project identities and local credential storage so you retain control and auditability.

Ready to run this from your desktop? Try VibeBlaster’s SES + M365 setup wizard to automate DNS changes, create SNS→SQS pipelines for bounce handling, and capture approvals in the audit log. If you’re planning coordinated launch messaging, pair this with your content plan — see Build a 30‑Day Cross‑Platform Content Calendar That Converts for a ready template.

Want a checklist or help for your first launch? Download the Launch‑Day email checklist from the VibeBlaster app or start a free trial today to run the SES + M365 wizard with your credentials stored locally and securely.