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TXT Record

Stands For: Text Record

Definition: A TXT record is a type of resource record in the Domain Name System (DNS) used to associate arbitrary text with a domain. While originally intended for human-readable notes, its primary modern function is to carry machine-readable data for various external services, such as domain ownership verification, email security policies, and other specific information.

Key Characteristics:

  • Purpose: To provide a flexible way to store text-based information about a domain that can be queried by other systems on the internet.
  • Data Format: The content of a TXT record is one or more strings of text. Although it can be free-form, the text is often structured in a specific key-value format required by the service that will read it (e.g., "google-site-verification=..." or "v=spf1...").
  • Multiple Records: A domain can have many different TXT records, each serving a distinct purpose for different services.
  • Structure: A typical TXT record includes:
    • Name: The hostname the record applies to (often the root domain @).
    • TTL (Time to Live): The caching duration.
    • Class: IN (for Internet).
    • Type: TXT.
    • Text: The string(s) of data.

Common Use Cases:

  • Domain Ownership Verification: Proving to an external service (like Google Search Console, Microsoft 365, Facebook) that you control a domain by adding a record with a unique code they provide.
  • Email Security: TXT records are essential for implementing email authentication standards:
    • SPF (Sender Policy Framework): An SPF policy, stored in a TXT record, lists the mail servers authorized to send email for your domain.
    • DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): A DKIM record, stored in a TXT record, contains a public cryptographic key used to verify that emails are authentic and were not altered in transit.
    • DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): A DMARC policy, stored in a TXT record, tells receiving mail servers how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks and where to send reports.

Usage Note: As of June 2025, TXT records have evolved from a simple informational field into a critical tool for domain security and third-party service integration. Correctly configuring TXT records for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is a fundamental step in preventing email spoofing and improving email deliverability.