TXT record

A TXT record is a DNS record that publishes text at a name, most often for verification and email authentication.

Format
Domains & DNS
Updated
Updated
Glossary Domains & DNS
TXT record Aliases: text record, DNS TXT record.

Definition

A TXT record is a DNS record that publishes text at a name, most often for verification and email authentication.

How it works

TXT records began as free-form notes and became DNS's general-purpose bulletin board. SPF policies, DKIM public keys, and DMARC policies all live in TXT records, and services from search consoles to certificate authorities ask you to publish specific strings to prove you control a domain. A single name can hold several TXT records at once.

Example: Publishing v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net -all as a TXT record declares which servers may send mail for the domain.

Often confused: A TXT record carries text for other systems to read; it does not point browsers anywhere the way A or CNAME records do.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-07-19.