Frequently Asked Questions

What is a DNS TXT record?

A TXT record stores human-readable or machine-parseable text in DNS. Common uses include SPF for sender policy, DKIM public keys, and DMARC policies.

Why do I see multiple TXT records?

Domains often publish multiple TXT records for different purposes such as SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and service verification tokens.

Why is my SPF record split into quoted parts?

DNS limits each TXT string to 255 characters. Long SPF values can be split into multiple quoted chunks that resolvers concatenate.

How do I find a DMARC TXT record?

DMARC records live at the _dmarc subdomain, for example _dmarc.example.com, and usually start with v=DMARC1.

What is a DKIM TXT record?

DKIM publishes a selector-specific public key as a TXT record at selector._domainkey.example.com.

Why does SPF fail with too many lookups?

SPF allows up to 10 DNS lookups for mechanisms and modifiers that trigger resolution. Exceeding the limit can cause permerror.

Can I publish more than one SPF TXT record?

No. A domain should publish exactly one SPF record. Multiple SPF records can break evaluation and reduce deliverability.

How long do TXT record changes take to propagate?

Propagation depends on TTL and recursive resolver caches. Many updates appear within minutes, but some may take hours.

Do TXT records affect website speed?

TXT records do not directly slow page loads. They are generally used by mail systems and verification services, not by browser page rendering.

Why can verification still fail after I add a TXT record?

Check the record hostname, exact value formatting, and whether caches have expired. Many providers require exact token matches.