Email & AuthenticationRFC 1035
TXT Record — TXT Record (Text / Arbitrary Data)
Carries arbitrary machine-readable or human-readable text associated with a domain.
RECORD TYPE
TXT
STANDARD RFC
RFC 1035
DEFAULT TTL
3600 seconds (1 hour)
CATEGORY
Email & Authentication
BIND Zone File Syntax Example
example.com. 3600 IN TXT "google-site-verification=s4kiAyjXGpZ7gq-DdsQY38jMii9EaQbfaQvRq5DQaJY"How to Query & Check TXT Records
Linux / Mac (dig)
dig +short TXT example.comWindows / Generic (nslookup)
nslookup -type=TXT example.comPowerShell (Resolve-DnsName)
Resolve-DnsName -Name example.com -Type TXTRecommended Best Practices
If a TXT string exceeds 255 characters, split it into multiple quoted strings within the same record as mandated by RFC 4408.
Primary Use Cases:
- •Domain ownership verification (Google Search Console, Vercel, Apple)
- •Email authentication policies (SPF, DMARC, BIMI)
- •Cryptographic public key publication (DKIM)
Common Configuration Mistake
Wrapping TXT record values in double quotes twice or omitting quotes in raw zone files.
Always verify records using authoritative queries (`dig @1.1.1.1 $TXT example.com`) to bypass local ISP caching when debugging propagation delays.
Frequently Asked Questions
DNS TXT Record Questions & Answers
Common questions regarding DNS propagation, TTL settings, and zone file syntax.
TXT (Text) records are universally employed for domain ownership verification (Google Search Console, GitHub, Vercel, Atlassian) and email security frameworks (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).