How do I add DNS records for a new service?

How do I add the records?

1. Find who runs your DNS. Look your domain up at ICANN Lookup and read the name servers. If they end in cloudflare.com, your DNS is at Cloudflare. If they name your registrar or a host, it’s there. This is the step people skip, and it’s the one that matters most.
2. Save a copy of the current records. Use the provider’s export option or take a screenshot. That’s your way back.
3. Open the new service’s setup screen. Keep it open beside your DNS screen. Copy values with copy and paste, not by retyping.
4. Sign in to the DNS provider and open your domain. On Cloudflare it’s DNS, then Records, then Add record, as its guide to creating records shows.
5. Add each record. Choose the type, paste the name and paste the value. Some providers add your domain to the end of the name on their own. If the service says k1._domainkey and the provider shows k1._domainkey.yourbusiness.com, that’s right. Don’t end up with the domain twice.
6. If the service asks for SPF, edit the existing record. Add the new service’s “include” to the record you already have, before the final ~all or -all (anything after all is ignored). A domain should have only one SPF record. Two records can make every check fail. SPF also allows only 10 DNS lookups in total, counting the ones inside each include (RFC 7208), so check the combined record with an SPF checker before you save it. If it’s over the limit, stop and ask for help rather than adding another include.
7. Check any DMARC change carefully. DMARC records are short and fussy. A stray space or a missing semicolon can stop them working.
8. Go back to the service and select Verify (or Authenticate, depending on the tool). Expected result: a green check or “verified”.
9. Send a test. Send a message from the new service to an outside address, such as a personal Gmail, and check it lands in the inbox.

The short version

• Find where your DNS is managed first (ICANN Lookup shows the name servers).
• Add each record exactly as shown, keep one SPF record, and don’t change MX records unless you’re moving your email to a new provider, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.

Why does a new service need DNS records?

DNS is the public record of where your domain’s website and email live. When you sign up for a newsletter tool, a booking system, a CRM or a new email host, it asks you to add a few records. They do one of three jobs:

Record	What it’s for	Example
TXT (verification)	Proves to the service that you own the domain	Google, Microsoft and Meta all use these
CNAME or TXT (DKIM)	Lets the service sign mail sent as you, so it isn’t treated as fake	Mailchimp asks for two CNAME records
TXT (SPF)	Lists the services allowed to send as your domain	Edited, never duplicated
TXT (DMARC)	Tells receivers what to do when checks fail	Lives at the name _dmarc
MX	Says which servers receive your mail	Only changes when you move mailboxes

Mailchimp is a good example. Its domain authentication guide asks for two CNAME records for DKIM and one TXT record for DMARC. You find them under your profile, Account & billing, the Domains tab, then Start authentication next to your domain.

Why does it matter?

Records added in the wrong place do nothing. Records typed wrong can do harm. A second SPF record, or an MX record changed by mistake, can stop your normal email or push it into spam. Done right, the new service’s mail is trusted and your own mail keeps flowing.

What are the common mistakes?

• Adding records at the wrong company. It’s an easy mistake. A domain can be registered at one company, hosted at another, and have its DNS somewhere else again. Records added carefully at the web host do nothing when the DNS actually lives in a Microsoft admin account. The service never finds them. Always check the name servers first.
• Two SPF records. Merge them into one.
• A typo in DMARC. Spacing and punctuation errors are the usual cause of a record that “won’t validate”.
• Deleting records you don’t recognize. A TXT record that looks unused may prove ownership to Google or Microsoft. Leave it alone unless you know what it does.
• Changing MX for a marketing tool. Newsletter and CRM tools don’t need your MX records. Only a change of mailbox provider does.

What changes when we move our mailboxes?

Moving email to a new host, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, is a bigger job. Microsoft’s DNS guide and Google’s MX guide set out the order:

1. Verify the domain with the new provider using its TXT record.
2. Create every mailbox, shared address and alias first.
3. Change the MX record at a quiet time, using the exact value the provider gives you.
4. Update SPF, then add the DKIM and autodiscover records the provider lists.
5. Test mail in and out.

Changing MX only redirects new mail. Old mail stays at the old host until it’s copied. Google says MX changes can take up to 72 hours to reach everyone, so keep the old mailboxes open for a while. If anyone uses POP, some of their mail may live only on their computer. Back it up before the old account closes. Our guide to moving to Microsoft 365 covers the rest.

Don’t delete the old provider’s SPF or DKIM entries the moment you switch. Remove them once the new setup is tested and the old mailboxes are closed.

What if this didn’t work?

• The service still can’t verify. DNS can take a while to catch up. Wait an hour, then try again. Check the record name isn’t doubled up.
• Normal email stopped or bounces. Stop making changes. Compare your records with the copy you saved and put back anything that changed. Then see why emails bounce.
• Mail now lands in spam. SPF or DKIM is usually the cause. See good email landing in junk and try the free email deliverability checker.
• You can’t tell who controls your DNS. Don’t guess. Read who owns my domain, and who do I call.

How long does it take?

Adding a few records takes about ten minutes once you’re signed in to the right place. The records then need time to spread. Read how long DNS changes take for why.

How does E-3 handle this?

For clients, E-3 adds these records for you. Forward the service’s instructions to support@e3help.me, or send a support request. Before changing anything, we save your existing DNS records. Then a person at E-3 adds the new ones.

For a mailbox move, tell us about shared mailboxes, forwarding addresses and any tools that send mail as your business, so nothing gets missed.

Please don’t send DNS or registrar passwords by email. If email has already stopped working, phone 814-399-4655.

Related questions

• How do I verify my site with Google Search Console?
• How do I send a newsletter or email blast to my list?
• How do I change DNS safely?
• What are SPF, DKIM and DMARC?