TXT record lookup: check SPF, DKIM & DMARC
TL;DR. TXT records hold arbitrary text. In modern DNS they primarily carry SPF, DKIM, DMARC and domain-verification tokens for services like Google Search Console.
How the TXT record works
TXT records can be multi-string. Resolvers concatenate the strings before presenting them to the application. Watch out for the 255-byte per-string limit; long DKIM keys are split across multiple quoted strings inside a single TXT record. A TXT record lookup across global resolvers is the quickest way to confirm an SPF, DKIM, DMARC or verification token has propagated before you flip on enforcement.
Example TXT record
example.com. 3600 IN TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"Check a TXT record live
Run the multi-resolver probe → and confirm propagation of your TXT record across 12 global resolvers in real time.
Reference
Spec: RFC 1035, RFC 7208 (SPF), RFC 6376 (DKIM).
TXT record FAQ
How do I check a TXT record? →
Enter your domain into dnsprobe and we read the TXT records from 12 global resolvers at once, so you can confirm an SPF, DKIM, DMARC or verification value has propagated everywhere.
How do I verify an SPF record? →
Check the TXT record at the domain apex and confirm it begins with v=spf1. A global TXT lookup confirms every receiving mail server sees the same SPF policy before you tighten it to -all.
Where does a DMARC record live? →
DMARC is published as a TXT record at the _dmarc subdomain (for example _dmarc.example.com) and begins with v=DMARC1. Check that specific hostname, not the apex.