How to Check a New Domain Is Set Up to Send Email (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
A new domain is ready to send email when it has four DNS records: MX, one SPF record, a DKIM key and a DMARC policy. Enter the domain you bought in the domain email setup checker: it reads all four, names your mailbox provider from the MX, marks each record Pass, Fix or Fail, and gives the exact values to add for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or Zoho. No email is sent.
Check a new domain's email setup →
Check it with the tool
- Open the domain email setup checker.
- Enter the domain, such as
yournewbusiness.com, or paste up to 25 one per line (100 signed in with Google). - Press Check readiness.
- Read the checklist. Anything marked Fix or Fail has the value to add underneath.
- Add the records at your DNS host, turn DKIM on in your provider's admin console, then run the check again.
Check it by hand
Four dig commands cover all four records. Here they are against github.com, run on 8 November 2026:
d=github.com
dig +short mx $d
# 0 github-com.mail.protection.outlook.com.
dig +short txt $d | grep -c "v=spf1"
# 1
dig +short txt _dmarc.$d
# "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; sp=reject; pct=100; rua=mailto:[email protected]; ruf=mailto:[email protected]; fo=1"
dig +short cname selector1._domainkey.$d
# selector1-github-com._domainkey.microsoft.onmicrosoft.com.
The MX shows Microsoft 365, so the DKIM selector to try is Microsoft's selector1, published as a CNAME to Microsoft. For Google Workspace, try dig +short txt google._domainkey.$d. The SPF count must be exactly 1: zero means no SPF, two means SPF fails for every message.
The values to expect
- MX for Google Workspace:
smtp.google.comwith priority 1, per Google's MX setup page. Older accounts may useaspmxvalues, which still work. See Google Workspace MX records at Namecheap, GoDaddy and Cloudflare. - MX for Microsoft 365: a
yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.comhost, shown in the admin center. - DKIM: switched on in the provider's console. See Google Workspace DKIM setup and Microsoft 365 DKIM setup.
- DMARC: start with
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]. Google's sender guidelines ask all senders for SPF or DKIM, and bulk senders for SPF, DKIM and DMARC, where p=none is accepted.
What a clean checklist doesn't mean
Setup isn't reputation. A domain with every record passing can still go to spam while it's young, and the checker can't see blocklist history or complaint rates. See setting up domains for cold email.
Next step: protect the new domain from bounces
A new domain's first sends matter most, and dead addresses on the list are the easiest damage to avoid. Upload the list at /verify to check every mailbox without sending. The first 100 checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card.
Pro, $39 a month: Unlimited email verification.* Never metered, never cut off. See pricing.
*Fair use: the first 100,000 checks a month at full speed, then slower, never cut off.
More: check a domain's DMARC record, find the SMTP settings for an email address.
Common questions
How do I know if my domain is set up for email?
Enter it in the domain email setup checker. MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC are each marked Pass, Fix or Fail, with the exact value to add where something is missing. No email is sent.
What DNS records do I need to send email from a new domain?
MX records for your mailbox provider, one SPF TXT record, a DKIM key published for each sending service, and a DMARC TXT record at _dmarc with at least p=none.
Why does DKIM show as not found when it's set up?
DKIM keys live under a selector name, and selectors can't be listed from DNS. The checker tries about 20 common selectors; an account-specific selector won't be among them.
Can I check several new domains at once?
Yes: up to 25 domains per ten minutes without an account, 100 signed in with Google.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.