GLOSSARY

What is a TXT record?

A TXT record holds arbitrary text in DNS, used for domain verification and email policies like SPF and DKIM. Learn how and look one up free.

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A TXT record lets a domain publish arbitrary text in DNS. It started as free-form notes but is now the backbone of domain ownership verification and email authentication policies.

What TXT records carry

The most common uses are SPF (which mail servers may send for a domain), DKIM (public keys that sign outgoing mail), DMARC (what to do with mail that fails checks), and verification tokens that prove you control a domain to services like Google or a CA. Each is just a specially-formatted string in a TXT record.

Debugging email and ownership

If your email lands in spam or a service says your domain is "unverified," the TXT records are usually the first thing to check — a missing or malformed SPF/DKIM/verification string is a frequent cause. A DNS lookup reveals them.

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FAQ

What is an SPF record?›
A TXT record listing which servers are allowed to send email for your domain, used to fight spoofing.
How do I read a domain’s TXT records?›
Run our DNS lookup and read the TXT entries for SPF, DKIM, DMARC and verification strings.

Related

What is DNS?DNS translates domain names into IP addresses — the internet’s phone book. Learn how it works and run a DNS lookup free.What is an MX record?An MX record tells the internet which mail server handles email for a domain. Learn how MX records and priorities work, and look one up free.How to do a DNS lookupLook up a domain’s DNS records — A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME — from our servers. Step-by-step, plus what each record tells you.