TXT Record

Medium — good to knowNetworking

ELI5 — The Vibe Check

A TXT record is a free-form DNS record where you can store any text. It started as a way to add notes, but now it's used to prove you own a domain and configure email security. Setting up Google Workspace or Cloudflare? You'll paste a TXT record.

Real Talk

TXT (Text) DNS records store arbitrary text strings associated with a domain. Common uses include domain ownership verification (for services like Google Search Console), SPF records (email spoofing prevention), DKIM keys, and DMARC policies.

Show Me The Code

# Common TXT record examples

# Domain verification
example.com. IN TXT "google-site-verification=abc123"

# SPF record (email security)
example.com. IN TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"

# DMARC policy
_dmarc.example.com. IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"

When You'll Hear This

"Add that TXT record to verify domain ownership." / "The SPF TXT record is missing — that's why emails are going to spam."

Related Terms

CNAME (Canonical Name Record)

A CNAME is a DNS record that's like an alias or nickname. Instead of pointing to an IP address directly, it points to another domain name. So 'www.

beginnerNetworking

DNS (Domain Name System)

DNS is the internet's phonebook. You type 'google.

beginnerNetworking

Domain Name

A domain name is the human-friendly name for a website, like 'google.com' instead of '142.250.80.46'.

beginnerNetworking

MX Record (Mail Exchange Record)

An MX record tells the internet where to deliver emails for your domain. When someone sends an email to you@yoursite.

intermediateNetworking

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