Glossary · ENCheck a domain

TXT record

A TXT record is a DNS record that stores text associated with a domain name. Websites and email systems often use it to publish information that another service can check, such as a code used to verify control of a domain or an email-sending policy. A TXT record is not a general place to publish a website or an email message; software interprets its text according to the rules of the service that requested it.

What is a TXT record used for?

When a service asks someone to prove control of a domain, it may provide a unique string to publish in a TXT record. The service then checks DNS for that exact value. For example, a site platform might ask an owner to add a record at example.com containing a verification token. Once the record is visible to the checker, the platform can confirm that the person can make changes to the domain's DNS.

Email systems also use TXT records for policies such as SPF, which lists which servers are authorized to send email for a domain. Other email standards use TXT records too. The record type only carries the text; the receiving service determines what the text means and whether it is valid.

What does TXT mean in DNS?

The DNS standard defines TXT data as one or more text strings. A provider's control panel may display the data as one long value, even when it is stored in multiple strings under DNS rules. The text itself has no universal meaning just because it appears in a TXT record.

For example, a verification record and an SPF policy can both be TXT records, but a verification service looks for its own token while mail systems interpret SPF syntax. Adding a random TXT value does not make an email sender trusted or prove ownership to every service.

TXT records are one kind of DNS record. To add a requested value, use the exact name and text supplied by the service; changing punctuation or placing it at a different name can prevent the service from finding it.

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