Domain Verification Failing

Fix common DNS verification issues

Domain Verification Failing

Domain verification confirms that you own the domain you want to send from. If verification is failing, the issue is almost always related to DNS configuration. This guide covers the most common problems and how to resolve them.

Understanding the Verification Process

When you add a domain in Mailnaptic, the platform provides DNS records that you need to add to your domain's DNS settings. Mailnaptic then periodically checks for these records. Verification succeeds when all required records are found and correctly configured.

Common Issue: DNS Propagation Delay

After adding DNS records, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours for changes to propagate across the global DNS system. If you just added your records, wait at least 30 minutes before troubleshooting. You can click Verify Now on the domain page to trigger an immediate check.

Common Issue: Incorrect Record Values

The most frequent cause of verification failure is a typo or formatting error in the DNS record. Double-check the following:

• Copy exactly — Use the copy button in Mailnaptic rather than manually typing record values. Even a single character difference will cause failure.
• Record type — Ensure you are creating the correct record type (TXT, CNAME, or MX) as specified by Mailnaptic.
• Host/Name field — Some DNS providers require you to enter just the subdomain portion, while others need the full domain. If Mailnaptic shows mailnaptic._domainkey.example.com, your provider may only need mailnaptic._domainkey.
• Trailing dots — Some DNS providers automatically append a trailing dot to hostnames. If yours does not, you may need to add it manually for CNAME records.

Common Issue: Conflicting Records

If your domain already has existing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records from another email provider, you may have conflicts. SPF is particularly sensitive — you can only have one SPF record per domain. If you already have an SPF record, you need to merge Mailnaptic's include statement into your existing record rather than creating a second one.

Common Issue: Proxy or CDN Interference

If your domain uses a CDN like Cloudflare, make sure the DNS records for email authentication are set to DNS only (gray cloud in Cloudflare) rather than proxied (orange cloud). Proxying email-related DNS records will break verification.

Checking Your Records

You can verify your DNS records independently using free tools like MXToolbox or Google's Dig tool. Search for your domain's TXT records and confirm that Mailnaptic's verification string appears. If it does not, the issue is with your DNS provider configuration.

Still Not Working?

If records are correct and propagated but verification still fails, check whether your DNS provider has rate limits or caching that could delay updates. Try removing and re-adding the records. If the problem persists after 48 hours, contact Mailnaptic support with your domain name and a screenshot of your DNS settings.