Set Up DKIM

Last updated October 26, 2026

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) provides a way to validate that an organization delivering an email has permission to do so.

DKIM requires the addition of public keys into your DNS zone. The key is provided by the service that sends your email, for example SendGrid, Postmark, or Google Workspace. Depending on the provider, you add the key directly as a TXT record, or add a CNAME record that points to the key in the provider’s DNS.

Steps to set up DKIM

Set up DKIM

If you have more than one account, select the relevant one from the account switcher at the top-right corner of the screen.
On the header, click the Domain Names tab.
Locate the relevant domain, and click on the name to access the domain page.
Click Record editor at the top right of the domain page.
Click Add record, and select TXT or CNAME, depending on what your provider gave you.
In the Name field, enter the name your provider gave you, usually in the form selector._domainkey (for example, pm._domainkey).

In the Content field, enter the value your provider gave you. For a TXT record, it usually looks like this:

 v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQDGMjj8MVaESl30KSPYdLaEreSYzvOVh15u9YKAmTLgk1ecr4BCRq3Vkg3Xa2QrEQWbIvQj9FNqBYOr3XIczzU8gkK5Kh42P4C3DgNiBvlNNk2BlA5ITN/EvVAn/ImjoGq5IrcO+hAj2iSAozYTEpJAKe0NTrj49CIkj5JI6ibyJwIDAQAB

For a CNAME record, it is a hostname at your provider.

Click Add Record.

Warning

If your provider gives you a fully-qualified name that ends with your domain name, do not include your domain name in the Name field. For example, if you are given pm._domainkey.yourdomain.com, only enter pm._domainkey. Otherwise the record is created at pm._domainkey.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com.

Quotes and slashes

If your provider gave you the record with double quotes around it, you can paste it with or without them: DNSimple adds the quotes if they are missing. If the value has backslashes before semicolons (\;), remove the backslashes before you paste it. DNSimple keeps a backslash as part of the value, which breaks the record. See TXT Record Format and Long Record Handling.

Sometimes there will be forward slashes or other unusual characters in the DKIM record. Do not modify those. If you have any questions or concerns, contact support.

Managing DKIM records

DKIM records are TXT or CNAME records. To update or remove them, follow the instructions in How to Use the Record Editor. If your provider gives you a new selector when it rotates its DKIM key, add the new record first, and remove the old one only after the provider has switched to the new key.

Next steps

After publishing your DKIM record, verify it is set up correctly using dig or an online tool. If you have not yet configured SPF and DMARC, see Set Up SPF Records and Set Up DMARC.

Have more questions?

If you have additional questions or need assistance with your DKIM records, contact support, and we will be happy to help. You can also read more about DNS hosting at DNSimple.