What a TXT record is
A TXT record holds free text attached to a name. It started as a place for notes. Today it is how you prove to other services that you control a domain, and how email security settings are published.
example.com. 3600 IN TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"
example.com. 3600 IN TXT "google-site-verification=abc123"What you will usually find
| Starts with | Purpose |
|---|---|
v=spf1 | SPF: which servers may send mail for the domain. |
v=DMARC1 | DMARC policy. Found on _dmarc.example.com, not on the domain itself. |
v=DKIM1 | A DKIM public key. Found on selector._domainkey.example.com. |
google-site-verification= | Proof of ownership for Google Search Console. |
MS=, facebook-domain-verification= | Proof of ownership for other services. |
To see a DMARC or DKIM record, look up the full name, for example _dmarc.example.com.
Common TXT mistakes
- Two SPF records. A domain must have exactly one record starting with
v=spf1. Merge them into one. - The name typed twice. Entering
_dmarc.example.comin a panel that adds the domain itself creates_dmarc.example.com.example.com. - Old verification codes. Codes for services you left are harmless but add clutter. Remove them.
- Text over 255 characters in one string. A single string in a TXT record holds at most 255 characters. Long values, such as DKIM keys, are split into several quoted strings that are joined when read.