TXT Record Lookup

Read a domain’s TXT records, with SPF, DKIM and DMARC entries flagged automatically.

Your input is used for this one lookup only. It is not logged or stored.

What is a TXT record?

A TXT record holds arbitrary text attached to a name. It began as a place for human-readable notes, and became the mechanism almost every domain-level protocol now uses: SPF, DKIM and DMARC policies, plus the verification strings services ask you to add to prove you control a domain.

Fields in a TXT record

Field	Meaning
Name	The name the text is attached to. Policies often live on a subdomain such as `_dmarc.example.com`.
TTL	Seconds a resolver may cache the record set.
Text	One or more quoted strings. Multiple strings in one record are concatenated with no separator.

How to read the results

Each row is one TXT record. This tool tags records that look like SPF (v=spf1), DKIM (DKIM1 or a public key) or DMARC (v=DMARC1) so you can pick them out of a long list. A domain commonly has a dozen TXT records, most of them verification tokens for services that no longer matter.

Rules worth knowing

A single TXT string is capped at 255 bytes. Longer values are split into several quoted strings inside one record, and resolvers join them back with nothing in between.
A domain must publish at most one SPF record. Two v=spf1 records is a permanent error and invalidates both.
DMARC policies live at _dmarc.<domain>, not at the domain itself.
DKIM keys live at <selector>._domainkey.<domain>, so you need to know the selector to look one up.
TXT records are public. Never put anything in them you would not publish on your website.

Common problems

What you see	Usual cause
Two SPF records	Only one `v=spf1` record is allowed. Merge the mechanisms into a single record.
SPF record not found	Look at the domain itself, not `_spf`. The SPF Record Checker resolves includes as well.
DMARC record not found	DMARC lives on the `_dmarc` subdomain — query `_dmarc.example.com`.
Verification keeps failing	Some providers require the record on the apex and some on a subdomain, and quoting differs between DNS panels. Compare the exact string here against what the provider shows.

Look up another record type

Each record type has its own page with the same explanation of its fields, or use the full DNS Lookup to query every common type at once.

A record AAAA record MX record NS record CNAME record SOA record CAA record SRV record

Most often looked up alongside TXT: MX Record Lookup , CAA Record Lookup , A Record Lookup .

Data source: Public DNS-over-HTTPS resolvers. Queries go to the selected public resolver; results reflect that resolver’s cache. Learn about our data sources →

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up an SPF record?

Query the TXT records of the domain itself and look for the entry starting v=spf1. The SPF Record Checker goes further and resolves every include and mechanism for you.

Where is the DMARC record?

On the _dmarc subdomain — enter _dmarc.example.com here, or use the DMARC Record Checker, which does it for you and explains each tag.

How do I find a DKIM record?

DKIM keys are published per selector at <selector>._domainkey.<domain>. Your mail provider tells you the selector; a message header from a signed email also contains it as s=.

Why is my long TXT record split into pieces?

Each string inside a TXT record is limited to 255 bytes, so anything longer — a DKIM public key, for example — is stored as several quoted strings. Resolvers concatenate them with no separator, so the value is intact.

Can I have more than one TXT record?

Yes, as many as you like. The one-record rule applies specifically to SPF: a domain may publish only one v=spf1 record.