Quick answer: TXT records hold free-form text that services read from your DNS — site-ownership verification strings, SPF policies, DKIM keys and DMARC rules all live in TXT. Add them in your DNS panel with the host and exact value the requesting service gives you.
Overview
TXT is the utility knife of DNS. Search consoles and SaaS tools ask you to publish a token to prove domain ownership, and the entire email-authentication stack is built on TXT records. A domain usually accumulates several TXT records on different hosts over time — that is normal.
Before you start
- The exact string to publish, copied from the service (one stray space breaks verification).
- The host the record belongs on:
@for the domain itself, or a specific name like_dmarcorselector._domainkey. - Access to the authoritative DNS panel.
Step-by-step guide
- Add a record of type TXT.
- Host: as instructed (
@,_dmarc,google._domainkey, …). - Value: paste the exact string. Panels differ on whether you include surrounding quotes — follow the panel's example.
- Save and verify:
dig +short TXT example.com
dig +short TXT _dmarc.example.comCommon issues
- Two SPF records: only one TXT starting with
v=spf1may exist per name — merge them instead of adding a second (details). - Long DKIM keys: values over 255 characters must be split into quoted chunks; most panels do this automatically.
- Verification fails: usually a copy-paste artifact (smart quotes, trailing space) or the record is on the wrong host.
When to contact support
TXT records are managed at your DNS provider. If a service cannot see a record that dig already returns, caching is the usual cause — wait out the TTL. For email-related TXT questions on a Cloud2Y-hosted mail server, open a ticket.
Frequently asked questions
What are TXT records used for?
TXT records publish arbitrary text in DNS. Services read them for domain-ownership verification, and the SPF, DKIM and DMARC email-security policies are all stored as TXT.
Can I have several TXT records on one domain?
Yes, multiple TXT records on the same name are normal — verification tokens and policies coexist fine. The one exception: only a single SPF (v=spf1) record is allowed.
Why does my TXT verification keep failing?
Usually a copy-paste issue (extra space, smart quotes), the record placed on the wrong host, or caching — verify with dig that the exact string is visible, then retry.
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