# Choosing a region

> Each domain is created in the sending region you pass, which its MAIL FROM / SPF records reference.

Every domain identity is created in a **sending region**, and the DNS records generated for the domain reference it.

Sending is currently available in **`us-east-1` (North Virginia)** and **`ap-south-1` (Mumbai)**. Other regions shown in the dashboard (`eu-west-1`, `sa-east-1`, `ap-northeast-1`) are **coming soon** — passing one of them to [`POST /domains`](https://www.sendping.co/docs/api/domains-create) returns a `validation_error` until they open up. Omitting `region` uses the default (`us-east-1`).

## Where the region shows up

The region is baked into the **MAIL FROM / SPF MX** record. Its value is `feedback-smtp.<region>.amazonses.com` — for example `feedback-smtp.us-east-1.amazonses.com`. This routes bounce and complaint feedback to the correct region. The DKIM record is not region-specific.

## Region values

A region is a standard region identifier. These are the values `POST /domains` accepts today:

| Region | Identifier | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| North Virginia | `us-east-1` | Available (default) |
| Mumbai | `ap-south-1` | Available |
| Ireland | `eu-west-1` | Coming soon — returns `validation_error` |
| São Paulo | `sa-east-1` | Coming soon — returns `validation_error` |
| Tokyo | `ap-northeast-1` | Coming soon — returns `validation_error` |

Pick the available region closest to the majority of your recipients to reduce latency and improve time-to-inbox. The region you pass is the region the identity is created in, and it is baked into the DNS records you publish — so an `ap-south-1` domain gets `feedback-smtp.ap-south-1.amazonses.com`, not the `us-east-1` value.

> **Warning:** Any identifier outside the five above (for example `us-west-2`) is not recognised and silently falls back to the default `us-east-1` rather than erroring — always read the `region` field back off the created domain object to confirm what you got.

## Data residency

The region controls only where your email is **routed and dispatched from** — it does not control where your account data is stored. Email metadata, logs, and API records are retained in SendPing’s configured storage region regardless of the sending region.

## Changing a domain’s region

Because the sending identity and its DNS records are tied to a region, you cannot move an existing domain to a different region in place. To switch regions:

1. Delete the current domain ([`DELETE /domains/:id`](https://www.sendping.co/docs/api/domains-delete) or the dashboard).
2. Add the same domain again, selecting the new region.
3. Update your DNS records to match the new identity’s SPF/DKIM values, then [re-verify](https://www.sendping.co/docs/api/domains-verify).

> **Note:** The `region` field is returned on every domain object so you can see which region your domain lives in. See [DNS records](https://www.sendping.co/docs/domains/dns) for the full record set.