What is a TXT record?
A TXT (text) record is a DNS entry that stores arbitrary text-based information about a domain. Originally designed to hold human-readable notes, TXT records now serve a wide range of machine-readable purposes — most importantly email authentication and domain ownership verification. Unlike most DNS record types that have a fixed structure, TXT records can hold almost any text content, making them flexible enough to support many different standards and protocols.
A domain can have multiple TXT records, each serving a different purpose. All of them are returned together when a TXT lookup is performed, which is why this tool classifies each record automatically so you can quickly identify what each one does.
Types of TXT records
The three most important categories of TXT records are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC — all of which relate to email authentication. Together they form a layered defence against email spoofing and phishing.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records list the IP addresses and mail servers that are authorised to send email on behalf of a domain. Receiving servers check SPF to confirm that an incoming message originates from an approved source. A domain can only have one SPF record.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records publish the public key used to verify cryptographic signatures attached to outgoing emails. When a message is sent, the sending server signs it with a private key; the recipient verifies the signature using the public key in the DKIM TXT record. This confirms the message has not been altered in transit.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) records define a policy that tells receiving servers what to do when SPF or DKIM checks fail — whether to reject the message, quarantine it, or allow it through. DMARC records also configure reporting so domain owners can receive data about authentication failures.
Beyond email authentication, TXT records are widely used for domain ownership verification by services like Google Search Console, Microsoft 365, and many others, which require adding a unique verification string to the domain's DNS to confirm control over it.
How TXT record lookup works
When you query TXT records for a domain, the DNS resolver fetches all TXT entries published in that domain's zone. This tool automatically identifies each record's purpose based on its content, labelling it as SPF, DKIM, DMARC, a verification token, or a general text record. The raw value of each record is displayed so you can inspect the full content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are TXT records mandatory for all domains?
Technically no, but in practice they are strongly recommended. Even domains that do not send email should have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records configured. Without them, spammers can use the domain name to send fraudulent email, damaging the domain's reputation and potentially getting it blacklisted. Publishing a restrictive SPF record like v=spf1 -all signals that the domain never sends email and protects it from being misused.
Can a domain have multiple TXT records?
Yes — a domain can have as many TXT records as needed. DKIM records, for example, are often published for multiple selectors (one per sending service). Verification tokens from different providers can coexist without conflict. The one exception is SPF: there must only ever be one TXT record starting with v=spf1. Multiple SPF records cause authentication to fail entirely.
What is the difference between an SPF record and a TXT record?
A TXT record is the DNS record type — a container that can hold any text-based data. An SPF record is a specific standard that is published using a TXT record. In other words, every SPF record is a TXT record, but not every TXT record is an SPF record. The same relationship applies to DKIM and DMARC records.
Are there size limits for TXT records?
A single TXT record string is limited to 255 characters. For longer values — common with DKIM public keys and lengthy SPF policies — the content must be split into multiple quoted strings within the same TXT record, which DNS resolvers automatically concatenate when reading the record. This tool displays the combined value for readability.
Can TXT records be modified?
Yes. TXT records can be added, edited, or removed through your domain registrar or DNS provider's control panel. Changes are subject to the record's TTL — the time it takes for updated values to propagate to all DNS resolvers around the world. For records that need to change frequently, a lower TTL reduces propagation time.
Why would a TXT record lookup show no results?
If no TXT records are found, it typically means the domain has not published any — which is common for newer or parked domains. It can also occur if you query a subdomain that has no TXT records of its own, even if the root domain does. Try looking up the root domain directly if you expected results for a subdomain.