Glossary / TXT record

TXT record (DNS text record)

A TXT record stores arbitrary text in DNS that other services can read. Most often it holds not human words but technical strings: proof that you own the domain, and the email rules SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. In effect it is a universal "note" inside the domain's zone.

TXT was first meant for plain notes, but today it is a working tool. Google, Microsoft, or another service asks you to add a TXT with a unique string to confirm the domain is yours - that is domain verification.

Its most important use is protecting email. An SPF record lists the servers allowed to send mail as you; DMARC says what to do with forgeries; DKIM holds the signing key. All three live in TXT records and directly affect whether your mail avoids the spam folder.

A single host can carry several TXT records at once. The key is not to mix them up and not to keep two different SPF records: the standard allows exactly one SPF, or the check breaks.

Example

example.com.  3600  IN  TXT  "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"

Common mistakes

• Keeping two separate SPF records in TXT; the standard allows only one, or the check fails.
• Deleting a "useless" TXT with a strange string and accidentally wiping domain verification or DKIM.
• Confusing TXT verification with other records and adding the string to the wrong host or subdomain.
• Missing quotes or splitting a long string incorrectly, so the service cannot read the value.

Related terms

• A record A record (DNS address record)
• AAAA record AAAA record (DNS IPv6 record)
• CNAME record CNAME record (DNS alias)
• MX record MX record (mail exchanger)
• NS record NS record (name server record)