When you connect an email account to Hunter Sequences via SMTP/IMAP, Hunter can’t automatically know which email provider or sending service you’re using. That means there isn’t one “correct” SPF/DKIM/DMARC value that fits everyone.
This guide helps you:
find where your DNS is managed
locate the correct SPF/DKIM/DMARC values for your setup
publish them correctly in DNS
verify they’re live
👉 If you’re here because Hunter flagged an error in the Domain Health Check, go to this article instead: Fix SPF, DKIM, and DMARC issues detected by Hunter (Health Check)
Step 1 — Find where your DNS is managed
You’ll add or update records in the DNS provider where your domain’s DNS is hosted. Common examples:
your registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
Cloudflare
Squarespace Domains
your hosting provider
Not sure where DNS is managed?
Check your domain’s nameservers in your registrar, or ask your admin/IT team.
Step 2 — Get the correct values for your setup
To get the right SPF/DKIM/DMARC values, you’ll need to use documentation from the system that actually sends and signs mail for this domain.
Depending on your setup, that could be:
your email provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho, etc.)
a dedicated SMTP/sending service
another outbound tool that sends on your behalf
💡If you’re not sure which system is responsible, ask your admin/IT team:
“What service signs outgoing mail for this domain, and what SPF/DKIM/DMARC records should we publish?”
👉 Don't have documentation from your provider? Generate your SPF and DMARC records with Hunter's free tools instead.
Set up SPF
SPF tells inbox providers which servers are allowed to send emails for your domain. It’s published as a TXT record on the root domain (example.com).
Typical DNS placement:
Type: TXT
Host/Name: @ (or blank, depending on your DNS provider)
Value: starts with v=spf1
👉 Important:
SPF must be published as a single record on a domain. If you use multiple tools/providers to send mail, they must be included in one SPF record.
Common provider guides (if you use these providers)
How to verify SPF:
Set up DKIM
DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to your outgoing emails. It’s usually published as a TXT record on a selector hostname such as: selector._domainkey.example.com
Typical DNS placement
Type: TXT
Host/Name: provided by your provider (often selector._domainkey)
Value: includes v=DKIM1 and a public key
👉 Tip - DKIM issues are often caused by:
publishing the record on the wrong hostname (wrong selector), or
pasting a truncated value.
Common provider guides (if you use these providers)
How to verify DKIM:
Set up DMARC
DMARC defines what inbox providers should do when SPF/DKIM checks fail and helps protect your domain against spoofing. It’s published as a TXT record at:_dmarc.example.com
Typical DNS placement
Type: TXT
Host/Name: _dmarc
Value: starts with v=DMARC1 and includes a valid policy p=none, p=quarantine, or p=reject
👉Tip
If you’re setting up DMARC for the first time, starting with p=none (monitoring) is common. Once SPF and DKIM are stable, you can consider enforcing a stricter policy.
Common provider guides (if you use these providers)
How to verify DMARC
DNS changes can take time: DNS updates can take from a few minutes up to 24–48 hours depending on your DNS provider and TTL.
Step 4 — Verify your records
Once you’ve updated DNS, verify the records are published correctly (and avoid the most common mistakes): Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records (and fix common DNS mistakes)
💡Want a deeper explanation of what these protocols do and why they matter? Explore the relevant articles on our blog here.