Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO) Subdomain Delegation & Channel Configuration - Troubleshooting Blog

[#1]

Purpose

This blog provides guidance for troubleshooting subdomain delegation and channel surface configuration issues in Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO). Customers are encouraged to review the outlined steps before contacting Adobe Engineering or Support teams.

Table of contents:

1. Overview of Subdomain Delegation

2. Types of Subdomain Delegation

3. Channel Surfaces Overview

4. Common Issues & Resolutions

5. Diagnostic Tools (dig command)

1. Overview of Subdomain Delegation

Subdomain delegation allows Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO) to send messages (emails, SMS, landing page traffic, etc.) on behalf of your brand using your custom subdomains (e.g., marketing.example.com). This setup is required to enable trusted and authenticated communications.

Benefits of delegation:

• Improved email deliverability (via proper DNS and authentication)

• Enhanced sender reputation (emails come from your brand)

• Separation of marketing and transactional traffic

• Adobe-managed infrastructure (for DNS, certificates, PTRs, etc.)

2.  Types of Subdomain Delegation in AJO

Adobe supports two delegation methods, depending on your DNS control and IT policies:

A. Fully Delegated (NS Record Delegation)

Best for: When you want Adobe to fully manage the subdomain’s DNS zone (recommended).

What happens:

• Adobe becomes the authoritative DNS for the subdomain.

• All DNS configurations (including CNAMEs, DKIM, SPF, PTR, etc.) are managed by Adobe.

Steps to configure:

1. In AJO, go to Admin > Channels > Subdomains > Add Subdomain.

2. Select “Fully Delegated”.

3. Enter your subdomain (e.g., marketing.example.com).

4. Adobe provides 4 NS records (e.g., a.ns.cjm.adobe.com, etc.).

5. Add these NS records in your domain provider’s DNS (e.g., GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Route53).

6. Once Adobe detects the correct delegation, the status changes to “Success”.

Note: PTR records are automatically created by Adobe once delegation is successful.

B. CNAME Delegation

Best for: Organizations with strict IT security or DNS control policies.

What happens:

• You keep control of the subdomain.

• Adobe provides a set of CNAME and TXT records you must configure manually.

Steps to configure:

1. In AJO, go to Admin > Channels > Subdomains > Add Subdomain.

2. Choose “CNAME Delegation”.

3. Adobe provides CNAME values like:

   • marketing.example.com → marketing.example.com.cname.cjm.adobe.com

   • DKIM, CDN, and verification CNAMEs

4. Add all CNAMEs and TXT records in your DNS provider.

5. Confirm changes and wait for Adobe to verify setup.

Limitations:

• All DNS records must match exactly.

• PTR records (for reverse DNS lookups) are created only after successful validation.

• Manual DNS errors can block activation.

---

3. Overview of Channel Surfaces in AJO

Once the subdomain is delegated, it must be linked to a channel surface. A surface defines how and where the subdomain will be used — such as for sending marketing emails or hosting landing pages.

 Email Surfaces

Used for sending Marketing or Transactional emails.

 Steps:

1. Navigate to Admin > Channels > General Settings > Channel Configurations.

2. Click “Add Configuration”.

3. Choose the purpose:

   • Marketing – for promotions, newsletters

   • Transactional – for order confirmations, password resets

4. Select:

   • The delegated subdomain

   • An IP pool (provided by Adobe or your org)

   • "From" address and display name

5. Save and wait for surface verification (may take up to 10 days).

4. Common Issues & Resolutions

Delegation Troubleshooting Checklist

This checklist ensures that the subdomain delegation process—whether fully delegated (NS method) or CNAME-based—is properly completed.

Check What to Look For️ Action if FailingCheck What to Look For ️ Action if Failing

Check	What to look for	Action if failing
Subdomain is properly formatted	Must be a subdomain, e.g., news.example.com. Root domains (e.g., example.com) cannot be delegated.	Modify the input to use a valid subdomain format. Avoid overlapping with already-delegated zones.
Delegation method is correctly followed (NS or CNAME)	In the UI, confirm the correct method (Fully Delegated vs CNAME) was selected during setup.	Re-check DNS entries provided by AJO and ensure they were followed exactly.
DNS records are correctly added	Use dig NS subdomain or dig CNAME subdomain to validate record visibility. Records should exactly match what AJO provided.	If incorrect or missing, update DNS. If correct but not showing, wait 2–24 hours and re-verify.
DNS propagation is complete	NS/CNAME changes may take up to 48 hours to fully propagate. Use public resolvers like @8.8.8.8, @1.1.1.1 to confirm.	If changes are recent, wait. If propagation is slow, reduce the TTL next time.
Delegation status shows "Success" in AJO UI	In Admin > Channels > Subdomains, the status for your subdomain should be "Success".	If stuck in "Pending", verify DNS and wait. If "Failed", check error details and retry setup.
No overlapping zones exist in the DNS hierarchy	Ensure no conflicting delegations exist (e.g., delegating both example.com and news.example.com). Adobe does not support overlapping DNS zones.	Remove conflicting DNS entries or consolidate into a single delegated zone.
PTR records are present (for Email)	Go to Admin > Channels > Email Settings > PTR Records. These should appear after the first successful delegation.	If missing, wait for propagation. If still missing after success status, contact support.
CNAME target is reachable (for CNAME delegation)	Use dig CNAME yoursub.example.com and ensure it points to Adobe’s endpoint (e.g., cdn.adobedomain.net).	If the CNAME does not resolve, re-enter the DNS record and verify that it matches the AJO instructions.

Channel Surface Troubleshooting Checklist

This section ensures that the Email, SMS/MMS, Landing Page, or Web channel surfaces are correctly created and activated against the delegated subdomains.

Check What to Look For️ Action if Failing

Check	What to look for	Action if failing
The delegated subdomain appears in the dropdown	In Admin > Channels > General Settings > Channel Configurations, the delegated subdomain should be available in the “Subdomain” field.	If missing, wait for delegation validation (~3 hrs). Recheck if the delegation failed.
Surface name meets AJO requirements	Must start with an alphabet (A–Z), and can include letters, digits, _, ., or -. No spaces allowed.	Rename the surface if name validation fails during creation.
From Name / From Address fields are valid	For email, the From Address must use the delegated subdomain (e.g., info@news.example.com).	Use a domain-specific email address. Avoid generic addresses not linked to the delegated subdomain.
The correct communication type is selected	Select either Marketing or Transactional as per your intent. This affects send behavior and reputation.	An incorrect type may result in silent drops. Confirm intended use case.
IP Pool is correctly selected (Email only)	If IP pools are configured, ensure one is selected while creating the surface.	If no IP pool exists, request one via Admin or consult your deliverability consultant.
Surface status is "Active" or "Verified" in AJO	After configuration, surface should show “Active” in the list. "Pending" may indicate a misconfiguration or validation in progress.	Wait for processing time (up to 10 days max). Revisit channel config if the delay is excessive.
No duplication of surfaces for the same subdomain/type	Cannot have multiple surfaces with the same subdomain and channel type.	Consolidate into a single surface. Remove older or misconfigured ones.
All mandatory fields are filled without validation errors	UI will highlight any missing fields or format issues during surface creation.	Fix validation messages before submitting. Retain screenshots for debugging if needed.

5. Diagnostic Tools (CLI)

A. Verify NS Records (Fully Delegated)

When delegating the subdomain marketing.luma.com using NS Delegation, Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO) provides the following DNS records in the UI:

Next, we need to verify whether all the required DNS records (NS and TXT) have been correctly configured in the domain's hosting zone. This ensures that the subdomain delegation to Adobe is valid and complete.

 Check What to Look For,️ How to Validate

Check	What to look for	Validate
NS Records added correctly	marketing.luma.com points to Adobe NS: a.ns.cjm.adobe.com b.ns.cjm.adobe.com c.ns.cjm.adobe.com d.ns.cjm.adobe.com	Run: dig NS marketing.luma.com +short. If all 4 Adobe NS appear, the delegation is correct.
TXT record for domain verification exists	A TXT record at: _90a766a4027ef3c83c726562bae1dbb3.luma.com with value like: adobe-cjm-verification=90a766...	Run: dig TXT _90a766a4027ef3c83c726562bae1dbb3.luma.com +short  If the exact value is returned, ownership is confirmed.

B. Verify CNAME Delegation Record

When delegating the subdomain marketing.luma.com using CNAME Delegation, Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO) provides the following DNS records in the UI:

Next, we need to verify whether all the required DNS records (NS and TXT) have been correctly configured in the domain's hosting zone. This ensures that the subdomain delegation to Adobe is valid and complete.

Type	Name(Subdomain)	Targeted Record	Dig Command
CNAME	marketing.luma.com	marketing.luma.com.cname.cjm.adobe.com	dig CNAME marketing.luma.com +short
CNAME	cdn.marketing.luma.com	cdn.marketing.luma.com.cname.cjm.adobe.com	dig CNAME cdn.marketing.luma.com +short
CNAME	luma._domainkey.marketing.luma.com	luma.domainkey.marketing.luma.com.cname.cjm.adobe.com	dig CNAME luma._domainkey.marketing.luma.com +short
CNAME	data.marketing.luma.com	marketing.luma.com.data.adobedc.net	dig CNAME data.marketing.luma.com +short
TXT	_90a766a4027ef3c83c726562baed1bb3.luma.com	adobe-cjm-verification=...	dig TXT _90a766a4027ef3c83c726562baed1bb3.luma.com +short