# Load balancing

Postal route load balancing has three primary use cases:

{% hint style="info" %}
**Contact List Domain Grouping**

Route mailbox providers that have multiple domain names sharing a common email infrastructure through an API, SMTP Relay, or MTA delivery policy optimized for them using [contact list domain routing](https://docs.emaildelivery.com/docs/advanced-postal-route-configuration/contact-list-domain-routing).
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Optimizing for deliverability**

Route important mailbox providers like Gmail through the API, SMTP Relay, or MTA delivery policy where you're getting the best deliverabilit&#x79;**\*.**
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Partitioning**

Distribute your outgoing mail across multiple API, SMTP Relay, or MTA delivery policies based on percentage allocation and warmup status.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
\*Delivery is when a message is successfully delivered, Deliverability is when the message hits the inbox.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**One sender email address using multiple email service providers**

The email address configured in your broadcast or funnel will be used when load balancing multiple API or SMTP Relay connections.&#x20;

This email address will likely need to be authenticated with each email service provider  first.
{% endhint %}

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://2024949584-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHNgw7cfnOYHQr0B6GDXr%2Fuploads%2F3kXLZrJlHC28lkpQqqgI%2FScreenshot%202023-06-09%20at%209.46.19%20AM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=aea99574-832d-429b-95dd-6ae5cbebf706" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
Contact list domain routing will be disabled by default with the default setting of "All Domains in Contact List" sending all mail through one route.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://2024949584-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHNgw7cfnOYHQr0B6GDXr%2Fuploads%2FMI92J9I15iFQVCeEOsoK%2FScreenshot%202023-06-09%20at%209.31.14%20AM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9ab47dc2-f891-4212-a9ae-c2c128a211d1" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

To route your mail based on the mailbox provider's domain, click Add Domain Route.

<figure><img src="https://2024949584-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHNgw7cfnOYHQr0B6GDXr%2Fuploads%2FAuO9wkX6K6vPQfBm3rhi%2FScreenshot%202023-06-14%20at%203.34.37%20AM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=47241250-9b1d-4d40-bfc3-fa71d32b8771" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Use the dropdown to select a [domain group](https://docs.emaildelivery.com/docs/advanced-postal-route-configuration/contact-list-domain-routing) you've created previously.

<figure><img src="https://2024949584-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHNgw7cfnOYHQr0B6GDXr%2Fuploads%2FcEDm3MvyKnp30LlPBGjK%2FScreenshot%202023-06-14%20at%203.26.15%20AM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=418c0aa4-b495-42c3-b3e3-3bf809f66aae" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Select an alternative path for delivering mail to this domain.

<figure><img src="https://2024949584-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHNgw7cfnOYHQr0B6GDXr%2Fuploads%2F3oNbw7orFcfqzboZTCO5%2FScreenshot%202023-06-14%20at%203.26.46%20AM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b3a59d17-30c8-4825-b2bd-9aafe85dd66f" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Repeat until your postal route is fully optimized according to your delivery strategy.

<figure><img src="https://2024949584-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHNgw7cfnOYHQr0B6GDXr%2Fuploads%2FeXCXmHysD0CpXBPLSVWt%2FScreenshot%202023-06-09%20at%2010.00.07%20AM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=85ab568d-976a-407d-8bce-96f6a947f5d1" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Use **partitioning** to split your email for the *same* domain group across multiple email service providers or MTA delivery policies.&#x20;

<figure><img src="https://2024949584-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHNgw7cfnOYHQr0B6GDXr%2Fuploads%2FRj9xXhwE6WhdVt93FdI2%2FScreenshot%202023-06-14%20at%203.36.54%20AM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d3c6ef19-fca0-4d8f-8365-77ecd67037f6" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://2024949584-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHNgw7cfnOYHQr0B6GDXr%2Fuploads%2Flr4Ptx76DTqGORWSJrQE%2FScreenshot%202023-06-14%20at%203.37.27%20AM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=ee6ef8f4-e00a-4c7a-b1be-aab2e9eae8a2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
