DKIM lets an email service sign outgoing messages and publishes information in DNS that recipients use to check the signature. Your email provider supplies the selector and DNS record details; copy those values and complete any separate activation step in its control panel.
Before you begin
- Use your provider’s selector and values.
- Keep private signing keys out of DNS.
- Complete activation and send a real message test.
Keep the signing service and public DNS record distinct
The email service holds the private signing material. The DNS record exposes the public information needed for verification. Do not publish a private key or invent a replacement value based on a sample from another account.
Providers can use different selectors and may ask for a TXT record or a CNAME-based arrangement. Follow the exact record type, name and value supplied for your domain. A record that looks plausible is not evidence that it matches the key used to sign your mail.
Check the record name carefully
DKIM record names commonly contain a selector and the _domainkey label. Some DNS editors append the domain automatically, while others expect a fuller name. Review the resulting hostname so the domain is not accidentally repeated.
You may have more than one selector for different services or for key rotation. Do not remove another sender’s record simply because a new provider supplies a different selector. Keep a note of which service uses each one.
Verify the full setup
Publishing a record is only part of the process if your provider also requires signing to be enabled.
- Generate or obtain the DKIM settings in the sending provider’s account.
- Publish the requested record at the authoritative DNS host.
- Complete the provider’s validation or activation step.
- Send a message from the real service.
- Check the provider’s test result or the received message’s authentication results.
Keep signing working during changes
A nameserver move should preserve the required DKIM records. A mail-provider migration needs the new provider’s settings and tests; old records should only be retired when no longer needed under the migration plan.
NameUK supplies domain management while your chosen mail host supplies signing and delivery. Keep the domain renewal date, mail subscription and authentication settings in the same service inventory, with clear responsibility for each. That makes a future handover much easier.
Prepared with AI-assisted drafting and illustration, then checked against the linked sources and NameUK’s current service. The artwork is conceptual; setup values must come from your own provider.
Further readingGoogle Workspace: set up DKIM ↗IETF RFC 6376: DomainKeys Identified Mail ↗NameUK registration and renewal prices ↗Extension rules and provider processes can change. Check the current registrar instructions before a registration, transfer or renewal.
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