A TXT record is a DNS resource record type that holds text strings associated with a domain name. Originally designed for human-readable descriptive text, TXT records are now primarily used to publish machine-parsed data such as email authentication policies, domain verification tokens, and service configuration.
TXT records follow a simple format: the domain name, TTL, and one or more text strings up to 255 bytes each. Multiple text strings in a single record are concatenated by resolvers. You can also create multiple TXT records at the same domain name; applications identify the correct record by checking for a version prefix like v=spf1 or v=DMARC1.
Common uses:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework):
v=spf1 ip4:192.0.2.1 ~all— authorizes mail servers for your domain - DKIM: Public key for signing outgoing mail
- DMARC: Policy for handling authentication failures
- Domain verification: Services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 require you to publish a unique TXT record to prove domain ownership
- ACME challenges: Let's Encrypt and other CAs use TXT records to validate domain control during certificate issuance
You can check your TXT records using our DNS lookup tool. Because TXT records are essential for email deliverability and security, ensure they're correctly configured and allow time for DNS propagation after publishing changes.
NoteTXT records hold arbitrary text and power SPF, DKIM and domain verification. A hostname can carry several TXT records, but each individual string must stay under 255 characters.