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How to add SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX records in Namecheap

Namecheap does not create your email records; your mailbox provider does, and Namecheap is only where you paste them. In the Advanced DNS tab you add the SPF value at Host @, the DKIM key your provider gave you at its _domainkey host, a DMARC policy at _dmarc, and your MX records after switching Mail Settings to Custom MX. The Host field auto-appends your domain, so enter @ or the subdomain only. The exact steps are below.

Namecheap is where your domain's DNS lives, not where your email is hosted. It does not generate SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or MX values — your mailbox provider does. This page is the other half of the job: taking the records Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or another provider handed you and pasting them into the right fields in Namecheap's Advanced DNS panel. Get the values from your provider first; everything below is about where they go.

They all go in one place. Sign in to Namecheap, open Domain List, click Manage next to your domain, and open the Advanced DNS tab. Records live in the Host Records section. One Namecheap habit shapes every record you add: the Host field auto-appends your domain, so you type only the part in front of it — @ for the root, or just the subdomain such as _dmarc. Never type your full domain into the Host field.

SPF

Add a record in Host Records:

Type: TXT Record   Host: @   Value: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

The value is whatever your provider gave you — swap include:_spf.google.com for your provider's include if you are not on Google. Host @ publishes it at your domain root. A domain may have only one SPF record, so if you send through more than one service, merge their include: mechanisms into this single record before ~all; a second v=spf1 record is a misconfiguration that breaks SPF. Namecheap's value field usually wants the string without surrounding quotes. Check the result with the SPF checker.

DKIM

DKIM is the record whose type depends on your provider, because Namecheap only stores what you were given:

  • Google Workspace gives you a single TXT value. Add Type: TXT Record, Host: google._domainkey, and paste the v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=… string as the value.
  • Microsoft 365 gives you two CNAME targets. Add two records with Type: CNAME Record — one at Host: selector1._domainkey, one at Host: selector2._domainkey — each pointing at the target Microsoft showed you.

Either way the Host is only the selector part — google._domainkey, not google._domainkey.yourdomain.com — because Namecheap appends the domain for you. Generate the key in your provider's console first (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365), then publish it here. Confirm the published key with the DKIM checker.

DMARC

Add one TXT record:

Type: TXT Record   Host: _dmarc   Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com

Host _dmarc (Namecheap adds your domain) publishes it at _dmarc.yourdomain.com. Start at p=none, which only monitors and emails you aggregate reports at the rua address; once the reports show every legitimate sender aligned, raise it to p=quarantine and then p=reject. Read your record with the DMARC checker.

MX

MX has one Namecheap-specific trap. Above the Host Records is a Mail Settings dropdown, and it must be set to Custom MX. If it is left on Email Forwarding or Private Email, Namecheap ignores the MX records you add and routes mail its own way. Set it to Custom MX first, then add the MX records your provider gave you:

Type: MX Record   Host: @   Value: smtp.google.com   Priority: 1

Host @ sends the record to your domain root; the value and priority come from your provider. Google Workspace uses the single smtp.google.com at priority 1, while other providers list several hosts with different priorities, so add one MX record per host. Check the result with the MX lookup. Because MX controls where all inbound mail goes, only switch to Custom MX once mailboxes are ready on your provider.

Check your work

DNS changes on Namecheap can take up to a day to propagate. After you save, run a free check from the Relaymetry home page to read your live SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX records in one pass. For the mechanics behind these records rather than the Namecheap steps, see email authentication explained; for the full provider list, start from the setup hub. Adding the same records on GoDaddy instead? The values are identical — only the panel differs.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I add DNS records in Namecheap?

Sign in, open Domain List, click Manage next to your domain, and open the Advanced DNS tab. Every SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX record goes in the Host Records section there. This works when the domain uses Namecheap BasicDNS (the default); if you have pointed the nameservers elsewhere, add the records at whoever answers DNS for the domain instead.

What do I put in the Host field?

Namecheap appends your domain to whatever you type, so you enter only the part in front of it. Use @ for the domain root (SPF and MX), and the subdomain alone for the rest: google._domainkey for a Google DKIM key, selector1._domainkey for a Microsoft selector, and _dmarc for DMARC. Never type your own domain into the Host field, or the record lands at name.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com.

Why are my MX records not working in Namecheap?

The Mail Settings dropdown above the Host Records is almost always the cause. If it is set to Email Forwarding or Private Email rather than Custom MX, Namecheap overrides the MX records you added and routes mail its own way. Switch it to Custom MX, save, and re-check with the MX lookup.

Should the DKIM record be a TXT or a CNAME in Namecheap?

Whichever your mailbox provider gave you — Namecheap stores both. Google Workspace hands you a single TXT value, so you add a TXT Record at google._domainkey. Microsoft 365 gives two CNAME targets, so you add two CNAME Records at selector1._domainkey and selector2._domainkey. Match the type to what the provider showed you rather than converting it.

Can I have two SPF records on one domain?

No. A domain may publish only one TXT record beginning v=spf1; a second one makes SPF fail with a PermError. If you send through more than one service, merge their include: mechanisms into a single record at Host @ before the ~all.

Other providers

References

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