Mail authentication ensures your email campaigns are delivered successfully and securely. This guide will walk you through setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for Mailchimp in your DNS settings.
Why is Email Authentication Important?
Proper email authentication helps improve deliverability, prevents spoofing, and avoids your emails being marked as spam. Mailchimp uses SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your emails and ensure recipients trust your messages.
Step 1: Add the SPF Record
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) allows servers to verify that Mailchimp is authorised to send emails on behalf of your domain.
Log in to your cPanel or DNS management tool, then navigate to the DNS Zone Editor or DNS Settings for your domain. Add a new TXT record using the following details:
- Type: TXT
- Name/Host: @ (or your domain name)
- Value:
v=spf1 include:servers.mcsv.net ~all - TTL: 3600
Mailchimp recommends the value include:mailchimp.com. If you already have an SPF record, simply add Mailchimp as an include:
v=spf1 include:existingprovider.com include:mailchimp.com ~all
If you need help with understanding your SPF record, our What SPF record is suggested for shared hosting? article will help.
Step 2: Enable DKIM Authentication
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to your emails to prove they were sent from your domain.
Log in to your Mailchimp account and go to Website > Domains. Locate your domain and click Authenticate. Mailchimp will generate two CNAME records — add these to your DNS settings as follows:
- Type: CNAME
- Name/Host:
k2._domainkey - Value:
dkim2.mcsv.net - TTL: 3600
- Type: CNAME
- Name/Host:
k3._domainkey - Value:
dkim3.mcsv.net - TTL: 3600
Once you’ve added these records, return to Mailchimp and click Authenticate to verify.
Step 3: Set Up DMARC for Added Protection
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) tells email providers how to handle unauthenticated messages.
In your DNS Zone Editor, add a new TXT record with the following details:
- Type: TXT
- Name/Host:
_dmarc - Value:
v=DMARC1; p=none - TTL: 3600
Here’s what the tags mean:
p=none– No action is taken; messages are delivered normally. Use this initially to monitor your setup.rua=mailto:[email protected]– DMARC reports will be sent to your specified email address.
Once confident everything is working, you can tighten the policy to p=quarantine or p=reject to improve security.
Verify Your Records
It may take up to 24 hours for DNS changes to propagate. Use tools like MXToolBox or DMARCian to check your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
Need Help?
At Encode, we provide expert support for DNS management, email authentication, and web hosting. If you need assistance, get in touch with our friendly team.
Related Articles:
- How to add CNAME Record in cPanel using the DNS Zone Editor?
- How to edit or remove a Record in cPanel using the DNS Zone Editor?
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