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SOP-EMAIL-01: Email Architecture

Version: 1.0
Status: Production Ready
Created: January 2026
Owner: Protocol Raw Operations
Related: SOP-LC-01, SOP-CS-00, Email Design System v1.1

1. Overview

Purpose

This SOP defines the email address structure for Protocol Raw. It establishes clear ownership boundaries, routing logic, and sender configuration for all customer communications.

Design Principles

  1. No noreply@ — We don't signal "don't talk to us." Copy discourages unnecessary replies; the address doesn't.
  2. Separation of intent — Pre-sale inquiries route differently from customer support obligations.
  3. Scale-ready ownership — Clear boundaries for future team handoffs (Marketing owns hello@, Ops owns support@).
  4. Premium brand alignment — Every touchpoint reinforces calm, competent, accessible positioning.

2. Email Addresses

Customer-Facing

Address Purpose Owner Notes
hello@protocolraw.co.uk Pre-sale inquiries, website contact form, lifecycle emails Marketing General brand touchpoint
support@protocolraw.co.uk All post-purchase customer communication Operations Primary customer identity

Internal Only

Address Purpose Owner Notes
ops@protocolraw.co.uk Internal alerts, monitoring notifications Operations Never customer-visible

Optional Alias

Address Routes To Purpose
orders@protocolraw.co.uk support@ Catches customers who instinctively try this address

3. Routing Logic

Inbound Flow

Inbound email
    │
    ├── hello@protocolraw.co.uk
    │       │
    │       └── Gmail → Make.com → Support ticket (tag: presale)
    │
    └── support@protocolraw.co.uk
            │
            └── Gmail → Make.com → Support ticket (tag: customer)

Tagging Rules

Inbound Address Ticket Tag Priority
hello@ presale Normal
support@ customer High
Reply to transactional email customer + auto-attach order context High

4. Customer.io Sender Configuration

By Email Category

Category From Address Reply-To Examples
Transactional Protocol Raw <support@protocolraw.co.uk> support@protocolraw.co.uk Order confirmation, dispatch, billing
Lifecycle Protocol Raw <hello@protocolraw.co.uk> hello@protocolraw.co.uk Welcome sequence, check-ins, win-back
Persona/Support {Persona} <support@protocolraw.co.uk> support@protocolraw.co.uk Sophie/Tom/Lucy replies

Persona Sender Format

Sophie <support@protocolraw.co.uk>
Tom <support@protocolraw.co.uk>
Lucy <support@protocolraw.co.uk>

Persona assignment is deterministic per customer (hash of customer ID). See SOP-LC-01 for implementation.

5. Discouraging Unnecessary Replies

Method

Copy does the work, not the address. Transactional emails include a single line in the footer:

Questions about your order? Email support@protocolraw.co.uk

Why This Works

  • Signals accessibility (we're reachable)
  • Redirects to the right channel (support@, not reply)
  • Maintains brand voice (calm, not defensive)
  • Catches replies anyway (Reply-To points to support@)

6. Implementation Checklist

Google Workspace Setup

  • [ ] Create support@protocolraw.co.uk mailbox (or alias to existing)
  • [ ] Create ops@protocolraw.co.uk alias (routes to founder inbox initially)
  • [ ] Create orders@protocolraw.co.uk alias → support@
  • [ ] Verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC for all addresses

Customer.io Configuration

  • [ ] Update transactional email sender to Protocol Raw <support@protocolraw.co.uk>
  • [ ] Update lifecycle email sender to Protocol Raw <hello@protocolraw.co.uk>
  • [ ] Update persona emails to {Persona} <support@protocolraw.co.uk>
  • [ ] Set Reply-To headers per category (see Section 4)

Make.com Updates

  • [ ] Add support@ as monitored inbox (alongside hello@)
  • [ ] Update ticket creation to tag by inbound address
  • [ ] Test reply-to-transactional routing

Email Templates

  • [ ] Add footer line to all transactional emails: "Questions about your order? Email support@protocolraw.co.uk"

7. Future Considerations

When Ops Lead Joins (Month 7+)

  • support@ becomes their primary inbox
  • hello@ remains with Marketing/Growth
  • ops@ expands to team distribution

European Expansion

Consider regional addresses if needed: - support@protocolraw.de - support@protocolraw.fr

Or maintain single support@protocolraw.co.uk with language detection routing.

Version History

Version Date Changes
1.0 2026-01-25 Initial specification