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TXT · type 16

Free-form text; carries SPF, DMARC, DKIM keys and ownership tokens.

Last updated 5 Oct 2026 from the IANA RR TYPE registry

Short answer

A TXT record holds one or more character strings of up to 255 bytes each. Receivers concatenate the strings of a single record, which is how long values such as 2048-bit DKIM keys fit.

Type
TXT
Code
16
Defined in
RFC 1035
IANA description
text strings
Field: Text
One or more quoted strings, each at most 255 bytes

How it works

Most email authentication lives in TXT: SPF at the domain itself, DMARC at _dmarc.<domain>, DKIM keys at <selector>._domainkey.<domain>, MTA-STS at _mta-sts and TLS-RPT at _smtp._tls. Services also ask you to publish verification tokens to prove you control the domain.

Example

example.com.  3600  IN  TXT  "v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net ~all"

Example uses reserved documentation names and addresses (RFC 2606, RFC 5737, RFC 3849).

Common mistakes

  • Two separate SPF (v=spf1) TXT records on one name, which is a PermError.
  • Pasting surrounding quotes into a DNS host form that adds its own.
  • Splitting a long DKIM key into two separate records instead of two strings of one record.

How to check yours

Because many services use TXT at the same name, a domain apex often carries a dozen records: SPF, verification tokens for Google, Microsoft, Apple or Atlassian, and others. Only the one starting v=spf1 is SPF. Old verification tokens are harmless, but they make the list harder to read, so delete ones for services you no longer use.

For email

SPF, DMARC, DKIM, MTA-STS, TLS-RPT and BIMI all publish TXT records.

Related record types

SPFObsolete: SPF policies must be published as TXT.CNAMEMakes one name an alias of another.CAASays which certificate authorities may issue for the domain.

Sources

Sources

  1. IANA: Resource Record (RR) TYPEs registry · checked 5 Oct 2026
  2. RFC 1035 · checked 5 Oct 2026