DNS Tool

TXT Lookup

Lookup DNS TXT records for verification, SPF, DMARC, and other domain policies. Run fast checks, interpret results, and use related tools for validation.

Record Type

TXT

Focused record verification for targeted DNS troubleshooting.

Best Use

Migration + incident checks

Validate live DNS answers during change windows.

Operational Context

Use this page to validate live resolver output during DNS cutovers, outage triage, and post-change verification windows.

TXT Lookup — Start Here

Waiting for input

Enter a domain and run check

How to Use

Use TXT Lookup in 4 Steps

Enter domain

Input the target domain in clean hostname format (no path or query string).

Run TXT Lookup

Execute TXT Lookup to pull live resolver output for this record scope.

Compare expected vs live

Match returned values with your intended DNS configuration at the source.

Cross-check related tools

Validate adjacent DNS layers to isolate cache vs source problems.

What is TXT Lookup?

TXT records store arbitrary text data associated with a domain. While originally designed for human-readable notes, they've become the default mechanism for email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), domain ownership verification (Google Search Console, AWS ACM), and security policies (MTA-STS, BIMI).

A domain can have multiple TXT records at the same name — with one critical exception: SPF requires exactly one `v=spf1` record. Having multiple SPF TXT records is an RFC 7208 violation that causes authentication failures. DKIM public keys are published at `selector._domainkey.domain` subdomains, so they don't conflict with apex TXT records.

Best Use

Verifying SPF and DMARC policies, checking domain verification tokens, and auditing all published TXT records for consistency.

Common Mistake

Publishing multiple SPF records (`v=spf1 ...`) at the same name. A domain must have exactly one SPF TXT record — multiple records cause permanent SPF failure per RFC 7208.

Validation Path

For SPF: confirm exactly one `v=spf1` record at the apex. For DMARC: query `_dmarc.example.com`. For DKIM: query `selector._domainkey.example.com`.

Quick Interpretation Table

Use this reference to diagnose common outcomes when running TXT Lookup.

Observed Result	Likely Cause	Next Step
Multiple v=spf1 TXT records	SPF validation fails by RFC 7208 rule	Merge all mechanisms into a single SPF record — delete duplicates
No TXT records at all	No email auth, no verification tokens published	Publish SPF at minimum; add DMARC at _dmarc subdomain
TXT content appears truncated	Long string split across multiple segments (>255 chars each)	Expected behavior — resolvers concatenate segments; use full-text DNS checker to see complete value

CLI Examples

Run these commands directly from a terminal to verify TXT records without relying on a browser-based tool.

dig TXT example.com

Query all TXT records at the domain apex

dig TXT _dmarc.example.com

Query the DMARC policy record

dig TXT selector._domainkey.example.com

Query a DKIM public key record (replace "selector" with actual DKIM selector)

nslookup -type=TXT example.com

TXT lookup using nslookup (cross-platform)

Troubleshooting Workflow

Run this record check first for a scoped signal on the target hostname.
Validate nameserver authority and SOA context if results are unexpected.
Use propagation checks when different regions return different values.
Re-run after applying fixes and compare values against your expected configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are TXT records used for?

TXT records serve multiple purposes: SPF email authentication (`v=spf1 ...`), DMARC policy (`v=DMARC1; p=...`), domain ownership verification for Google Search Console, AWS Certificate Manager, and Cloudflare, plus MTA-STS policy pointers, BIMI brand indicator setup, and general-purpose domain metadata.

Can a domain have multiple TXT records?

Yes, a domain can have multiple TXT records at the same name. The critical exception is SPF — a domain must have exactly one `v=spf1` TXT record. Having two SPF records violates RFC 7208 and causes hard SPF failures that hurt email deliverability.

Why is my SPF record not working?

Common causes: (1) multiple `v=spf1` records at the apex — merge them into one, (2) exceeding the 10-DNS-lookup limit (each `include:`, `a`, `mx`, `ptr`, and `exists` mechanism counts toward the limit), (3) trailing whitespace or encoding artifacts when copying from a provider's dashboard.

How do I verify a domain ownership TXT record?

Publish the TXT record provided by the service (Google, AWS, Cloudflare) at either the apex or a specified subdomain like `_google-site-verification.example.com`. After publishing, the service queries DNS to confirm the value. Propagation usually takes 5–60 minutes depending on TTL.

What is the maximum size of a TXT record?

A single TXT record string is limited to 255 characters per segment. Longer values such as DKIM public keys are split into multiple quoted segments within the same record and concatenated by resolvers. Most DNS control panels handle the splitting automatically when you paste a long value.