TXT Record Lookup

Check TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain verification) for any domain across 12 global resolvers. Free DNS checker.

What is a TXT record?

A TXT record holds free-form text. In practice, it's the workhorse for several critical use cases: SPF (sender-policy framework), DKIM (signing keys for outgoing email), DMARC (email-auth policy), and domain verification (Google Search Console, Microsoft 365, Apple Business, etc.).

When to check TXT records

• You added an SPF/DKIM/DMARC record and need to confirm it's live before mail starts flowing
• A domain-verification step in some service is failing: confirm the TXT was actually published
• You suspect an unauthorized SPF or DMARC change
• You want to inspect another domain's mail-auth posture

Reading the results

TXT records are free-form strings, often quoted. WhereIsDNS strips the outer quotes for readability. Multiple TXT records on the same name are normal: domain-verification tokens, SPF, and policy records often coexist.

Common errors and pitfalls

• Two SPF records: only one TXT starting with v=spf1 is allowed per name. Two is a permanent error and SPF stops working entirely.
• SPF too long: SPF has a 10-DNS-lookup limit. Each include: counts. Stacking too many providers blows the limit.
• DMARC at the wrong name: DMARC lives at _dmarc.example.com, not example.com. Looking up DMARC on the bare domain returns nothing.
• DKIM selector mismatch: each provider uses its own selector. Querying google._domainkey on a domain that uses Mailchimp returns nothing: try k1._domainkey instead.
• Verification token still missing after a save: TTL caching. Wait, then re-check with WhereIsDNS to confirm propagation before clicking "verify" in the third-party tool.

FAQ

What does an SPF record look like?

SPF is a TXT record that starts with v=spf1 followed by mechanisms like include:_spf.google.com and ends with a policy like ~all or -all. Example: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all. See SPF for the full breakdown.

Where do DKIM records live?

DKIM records are TXT records at <selector>._domainkey.example.com. Each mail provider has its own selector (e.g., google._domainkey, k1._domainkey). See DKIM.

Where does DMARC live?

DMARC is a TXT record at _dmarc.example.com. Look up that exact subdomain to see the DMARC policy. See DMARC for what each tag means.

How long can a TXT record be?

Each individual string in a TXT record is limited to 255 characters, but a single TXT record can have multiple strings concatenated. Most providers handle the chunking automatically: paste a long DKIM key and the dashboard splits it for you.

Can TXT records have line breaks?

No. They're a single (possibly chunked) string. Whitespace inside the value is allowed but not newlines.

Background reading

See the DNS Records Explained guide for how TXT fits with the rest of email auth.