What is a DNS TXT record?

A TXT record publishes text under a domain name. Services use it to verify domain ownership, configure email authentication, prove control during certificate issuance, and store other machine-readable policies. The record is visible through public DNS, so it must never contain a password, private key, or confidential note.

Email systems commonly use TXT records for SPF and DMARC. DKIM usually stores a public key in a TXT record under a selector-specific hostname. Search, analytics, and cloud platforms may provide a verification token that must be copied exactly into another TXT record.

Several TXT records can exist at the same domain name, but some protocols have their own rules. A domain should normally publish a single SPF policy because multiple separate v=spf1 records make SPF invalid. Long values may be displayed as multiple quoted strings by a DNS tool even though resolvers treat them as one logical value.

Enter the host and value according to the DNS provider’s interface. Some panels automatically add the domain to the host field, so typing the full name can accidentally duplicate it. After saving, query the exact hostname publicly and wait for the previous cached answer to expire before assuming the service rejected the record.