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Customer Replies Not Appearing in Kayako After a Domain Change: Routing to the Correct Channel Address

Contents

Overview

After changing your company domain and configuring a new email channel in Kayako Cloud (for example, new_channel@your_new_domain.com), brand-new conversations arrive correctly, but replies from customers to an existing conversation appear to be missing. A typical description is: "We respond, the client responds, and we are not receiving the reply email."

This behavior is not a Kayako-side fault or defect. When the channel is verified and active, its DNS CNAME records show Valid, settings are saved, and the correct brand is associated, inbound mail flow into Kayako is functioning. In cases like this, every message reaching the new address — both new conversations and replies — is received and threaded into the correct conversation, usually within seconds, with nothing held in a suspended or spam state, while outgoing replies are delivered to and opened by recipients.

The root cause of any "missing" reply is customer-side, migration-related email routing: a reply only lands in Kayako if it is sent to the exact address Kayako sent from. When a reply goes to a different address, it either never enters Kayako or is threaded under a different (older) conversation — it is not lost, just filed elsewhere.

Solution

Why this happens

During and after a domain migration, "missing" replies are almost always caused by one of the following:

  • The reply was sent to a different address. The customer replied to an older saved address, or to an individual person's mailbox, that does not route into Kayako. Because it never reaches the new channel, no conversation event is created.
  • The reply was sent to your previous, still-active address. If your old support address (for example, old_channel@old_domain.com) is still active and receiving mail, replies sent there attach to the conversation tied to the old address rather than the new channel. These replies are not lost — they are threaded under the old-address conversation.

Steps to diagnose and resolve

  1. Confirm the new channel is healthy (rules out any Kayako-side issue).
    • Go to Administration > Channels > Email and confirm the new channel is enabled, verified, and active.
    • Confirm all three DNS CNAME records show Valid and that your settings were Saved.
    • Confirm the channel is associated with the correct brand, and that you are viewing that brand's inbox.
  2. Check the actual "To:" address on the missing reply.
    • Ask the person whose reply did not appear to confirm the exact address they replied to.
    • Verify it matches the new channel address (for example, new_channel@your_new_domain.com). If the reply was sent to any other address, that is why it did not route into Kayako.
  3. Check the old address's conversation threads.
    • Look for the "missing" replies under conversations tied to your previous address (for example, old_channel@old_domain.com). During migration, replies to the old address attach to old-address threads.
    • Decide whether to keep the old address active for a transition period (to capture stragglers) or retire it.
  4. Trace a specific case if you still cannot locate a reply. Gather the following so the message can be traced end-to-end, then contact Kayako Support:
    • The conversation subject and roughly when the reply was expected.
    • The email address of the person who replied.
    • If possible, the full email headers of the reply that did not appear (or have that person confirm the exact address they replied to).

Verify the fix

  • Send a test reply from an external mailbox to the exact new channel address and confirm it threads into the existing conversation within seconds.
  • Confirm no messages are held in a suspended or spam state for the address.
  • Confirm outgoing replies from the new address are delivered to and received by recipients.

Note: If replies were never receiving into Kayako at all (rather than being threaded under the old address), verify that your helpdesk instance is accessible on the domain corresponding to the affected email channel. For related troubleshooting, see Issue in Receiving Customers' Replies for Conversations via Email.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. My new email channel is verified, active, DNS is Valid, and settings are saved — why are customer replies still not appearing?
When all of those are correct, inbound mail flow into Kayako is working. Missing replies are almost always caused by the reply being sent to an address that does not route into Kayako — such as an older saved address, an individual mailbox, or your previous support address. Confirm the exact "To:" address on the reply that did not appear.
2. We changed our domain. Where do replies go if a customer replies to our old address?
If your old address is still active, replies sent to it attach to the conversation tied to that old address, not your new channel. They are not lost — check the old address's conversation threads. To avoid confusion mid-migration, monitor both addresses or decide when to retire the old one.
3. How can I tell whether this is a Kayako problem or something on our side?
A reply only enters Kayako if it is sent to the exact address Kayako sent from. If the channel is verified and active, DNS records are Valid, settings are saved, and no messages are stuck in a suspended or spam state, the issue is routing-related on the sending side, not a Kayako fault. Verify the "To:" address of the missing reply to confirm.
4. What information should I provide to have a specific missing reply traced?
Provide the conversation subject and approximate time the reply was expected, the email address of the person who replied, and — if possible — the full email headers of the reply that did not appear (or have that person confirm the exact address they replied to). With one concrete example, the message can be traced end-to-end to determine where it went.
5. New conversations arrive fine, but replies don't — does that mean my DNS or channel setup is broken?
Not necessarily. If new conversations are arriving, your channel and DNS are functioning. The difference is usually which address the reply was sent to. Replies routed to the correct new channel address thread within seconds; replies sent elsewhere (old address, personal mailbox) will not appear in the new channel.
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