Recovery decisions

Decide pause, recover, or replace with contained damage and approval-gated fixes.

When a domain degrades, the workflow is contain first, diagnose second, then choose between recovery and replacement with an explicit operator approval.

Contain before diagnosing

The first response to a damaged domain is limiting further harm. GTM's recovery tracking records the failure as an event, pauses affected sending where configured, and gates exports so the damaged rows stop propagating into sequencers while the cause is investigated.

  • Pause inboxes on the affected domain.
  • Let export gating hold back rows tied to the domain.
  • Keep the recovery event open until the resolution is recorded.

Diagnose with public signals

Most domain damage shows up in observable places: DNSBL listings, broken SPF or DKIM records, DMARC failures from unauthorized sources, or collapsed engagement in connected sequencers. Check the observable causes before assuming the domain itself is unsalvageable.

  • Run a blacklist check across major DNSBLs.
  • Re-verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for drift.
  • Review DMARC aggregate sources for unauthorized senders.

Choose recovery or replacement explicitly

Recovery makes sense when the cause is fixable and the domain has accumulated value. Replacement makes sense when diagnosis points to sustained reputation damage. Either way, destructive actions run through an approval step, apply fail-closed, and leave the workspace consistent if a step errors.

Common questions

How long does domain recovery take?

It varies with the cause and the receivers involved, and GTM does not publish recovery-time expectations. The workflow tracks the event until evidence shows the domain passing checks again.

Does replacing a domain reset the campaign?

Replacement provisions new sending infrastructure, so new domains re-enter the launch workflow: DNS setup, readiness checks, seed placement, and launch-gate review before prospect traffic resumes on them.

Related workflows

Check DNSBL listings

See whether the domain or its IPs appear on major public blocklists.

Plan domain rotation

Model replacement cadence so a lost domain never removes needed capacity.

DNS and auth checker

Run a practical check from the guide before approving the next step.

What a launch gate is

The evidence GTM requires before first prospect traffic.

Next step

Keep spare domain and inbox capacity in the package plan for replacements.

Price replacement capacity