DKIM Records in Porkbun

This guide is part of our Setup & Configuration resources.

Porkbun is known for its clean interface and no-nonsense approach to domain management. If your domain is registered with Porkbun, adding a DKIM record takes just a few minutes through their DNS editor. This guide walks you through the entire process, from finding the right settings panel to verifying your record is live. For background on DKIM and how it works, see our complete DKIM guide.

What You Need Before Starting

Before you log in to Porkbun, make sure you have the following ready:

Your DKIM public key - the DNS record value that starts with v=DKIM1;
Your selector name - the label for your key (e.g., default, mail, or a name provided by your email service). See DKIM selectors explained if you need help with this
Your Porkbun account login - the email and password you use for porkbun.com

If you do not have a DKIM key pair yet, use DKIM Creator to generate one. It runs entirely in your browser and takes just a few seconds.

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Why Porkbun Users Need DKIM Records

Porkbun is a domain registrar, not a full email hosting provider. While Porkbun does offer free email forwarding with every domain, most users rely on a third-party email service like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail, or a transactional sender like Mailchimp or SendGrid. Those services require you to add DKIM records to your domain's DNS so that outgoing emails can be authenticated. Our DKIM setup guide covers the general process across providers.

Email Setup	DKIM Action Required
Porkbun email forwarding only	No DKIM record needed for forwarding. DKIM applies to sent mail, not forwarded mail.
Google Workspace	Add the DKIM TXT record from your Google Admin console to Porkbun DNS.
Microsoft 365	Add the CNAME records Microsoft provides through Porkbun DNS.
Zoho Mail	Add the DKIM TXT record from your Zoho admin panel to Porkbun DNS.
Mailchimp / SendGrid / Other	Add the TXT or CNAME records your provider gives you through Porkbun DNS.

If you are only using Porkbun's free email forwarding and not sending mail from your domain, you do not need a DKIM record. But if you send email through any external service, adding DKIM is important for deliverability and trust.

Adding a DKIM Record in Porkbun

Porkbun's DNS editor is one of the more straightforward panels you will find. Follow these steps to add your DKIM TXT record.

Log in to Porkbun

Go to porkbun.com and sign in with your account credentials. You will land on the main dashboard showing your registered domains.

Open Domain Management

Click Domain Management from the top navigation bar. This displays a list of all domains in your account.

Select your domain

Find the domain you want to configure and click on it, or click the DNS link next to it. Some views show a small dropdown arrow - click it to expand options, then select DNS.

Open the DNS editor

You are now in the DNS Records section for your domain. Click Edit if you are not already in editing mode. Porkbun shows your existing records and a form to add new ones at the top of the page.

Add a new TXT record

In the add record form, set the following values:

Type: Select TXT from the dropdown
Host: Enter selector._domainkey - replace selector with your actual selector name (e.g., mail._domainkey or default._domainkey)
Answer: Paste the full DKIM record value starting with v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=...
TTL: Leave at the default or set to 600 for faster initial propagation

Save the record

Click Add to save the record. It will appear in the list of DNS records below the form. Porkbun typically applies DNS changes quickly, often within minutes.

Porkbun automatically appends your domain name to the Host field. If your domain is example.com and your selector is mail, enter only mail._domainkey in the Host field - not mail._domainkey.example.com. Entering the full domain would create a record at mail._domainkey.example.com.example.com, which will not work.

DNS Record Quick Reference

Use this table to double-check the values you entered in Porkbun.

Field	What to Enter
Type	TXT
Host	`selector._domainkey` (replace `selector` with your actual selector)
Answer	Your full DKIM record (starts with `v=DKIM1;`)
TTL	Default or 600

Long TXT records

Porkbun handles long TXT record values well. Even 2048-bit DKIM keys, which produce lengthy strings, can be pasted directly into the Answer field without splitting or formatting. Just make sure you copy the entire value without any line breaks or extra spaces.

Verifying Your DKIM Record

After saving the record in Porkbun, give it a few minutes and then verify that it is working.

Check the DNS Record

You can confirm the record was published by looking it up. Use a DKIM lookup tool or run this command if you have access to a terminal:

dig TXT selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com +short

You should see a response containing your v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=... value.

Send a Test Email

The most reliable way to confirm DKIM is working end to end:

Send an email from your domain to a Gmail address
Open the email in Gmail and click the three dots, then Show original
Look for dkim=pass in the Authentication-Results header

If you see dkim=pass, your DKIM record is active and your emails are being signed correctly.

Porkbun propagation

Porkbun is known for fast DNS propagation. Most changes go live within a few minutes rather than hours. If your lookup still returns nothing after 30 minutes, go back and double-check the Host and Answer fields in the DNS editor.

Common Issues with Porkbun DKIM Setup

Record not appearing after saving Porkbun propagation is fast, but it can still take a few minutes. If the record does not show up after 30 minutes, verify that your domain is actually using Porkbun's nameservers. If you have pointed your nameservers to Cloudflare or another DNS provider, you need to add the DKIM record there instead of in Porkbun.

Host field includes the domain twice This is the most common mistake. Because Porkbun appends your domain automatically, entering mail._domainkey.example.com creates a record at mail._domainkey.example.com.example.com. Enter only the subdomain portion: mail._domainkey.

DKIM key was pasted incorrectly Make sure the Answer field contains the complete DKIM value with no line breaks, extra spaces, or missing characters. Copy the record directly from DKIM Creator or from your email provider's admin console to avoid errors.

DKIM still failing after the record is live The DNS record only publishes your public key. Your email service also needs to be configured to sign outgoing messages with the matching private key. Check your email provider's DKIM settings to make sure signing is enabled. For more troubleshooting help, see common DKIM errors.

Completing Your Email Authentication

DKIM is one part of a complete email authentication setup. Once your DKIM record is live in Porkbun, consider adding these additional records through the same DNS editor:

SPF - Tells receiving servers which mail servers are authorized to send email for your domain
DMARC - Instructs receiving servers on how to handle messages that fail DKIM or SPF checks

All three records are managed as TXT records in the same Porkbun DNS panel you just used for DKIM.

References

RFC 6376 — DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) Signatures
RFC 1035 — Domain Names — Implementation and Specification
Porkbun — DNS management documentation

Porkbun keeps DNS management simple, and adding a DKIM record is no exception. Generate your keys and get your domain authenticated in minutes.

Generate DKIM keys for your domain

Create a DKIM key pair in seconds. Free, browser-based, and ready for Porkbun.