Why do I receive the error: DNS records are not set up correctly?

<h2 id="h_01HQ8QAQSPE0HZMHHN5KM4APQ5">Question</h2><p>I am trying to <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203683886-Allowing-Zendesk-to-send-email-on-behalf-of-your-email-domain" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">allow Zendesk to send an email on behalf of my domain</a>, but I receive the error <strong>DNS records are not set up correctly</strong> when verifying my DNS records. Why does this error appear?</p><h2 id="h_01HQ8QAQSPJDVHN5VZP1J1RK9V">Answer</h2><p>The error <strong>DNS records are not set up correctly</strong> appears when Zendesk is unable to verify your DNS records. This is often caused by DNS records that are either unpublished or published incorrectly. This article outlines how to determine possible issues when your DNS records do not validate and information on how to resolve it.</p><p dir="auto">To ensure your DNS records are correctly configured and that Zendesk is allowed to send on your behalf, the below must be true:</p><div><ul dir="auto">
<li data-list-item-id="e73a98855d9ba02033dba7c5ba31a2f8d">You must <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203683886-Allowing-Zendesk-to-send-email-on-behalf-of-your-email-domain#topic_ryh_djh_sfb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">add a TXT record</a> (a domain verification record) to your DNS server contains your account's unique domain verification value.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e9f42881a39343f61152f85ce87adace2"><a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203663336-Adding-support-addresses-for-users-to-submit-tickets#topic_glt_l3w_jw">The support address is present as an external support address</a></li>
<li data-list-item-id="e633ceb76a253798d55b7e6f28c616336">The records were published for longer than the specified <strong>TTL</strong> (time to live) and successfully propagated</li>
</ul></div><div><p dir="auto"><strong>Examining your DNS records</strong></p></div><div>
<p dir="auto">If the above is true, but you are still not able to verify your DNS records, manually inspect your DNS records for errors using a DNS lookup tool. A popular tool third-party tool for this task is <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"></span><a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;" href="https://mxtoolbox.com/NetworkTools.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MxToolBox</a>. Use the following lookup tool for TXT records:</p>
<ul><li dir="auto" data-list-item-id="e58ceb083e99c2fa73ff5bec115ceb958"><a href="https://mxtoolbox.com/SuperTool.aspx?action=txt%3azendeskverification.yourdomain.com&amp;run=toolpage" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TXT Lookup</a></li></ul>
<div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> The links provided above contain examples of how to correctly lookup your DNS records. Update the example lookup in MxToolBox and replace the value with your actual domain name.</div>
<p>If your records do not appear using the lookup tool above, the records are not properly configured.</p>
<p><strong>Common issues with DNS records</strong></p>
<p>One of the most common issues that occurs when configuring DNS records is that the TXT record is not set up properly.</p>
<p>The TXT record should appear as:</p>
<pre class="wysiwyg-code-block"><code class="language-auto">zendeskverification.yourdomain.com </code></pre>
</div><div>
<p>If you are unable to see any of your TXT records using a MxToolBox lookup, reach out to your domain registrar or DNS server provider for further assistance, as they are the only ones able to resolve any propagation issues. If you have an error with an invalid SPF record, see <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408820922650" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Why does the SPF record fail to verify?</a></p>
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<h2 id="h_01KXKNQ6XPFER9XY4T1379TC8C">Why do I see the error "DNS records are not set up correctly"? Why does the domain verification fail? What causes the email setup error?</h2>
<p>This error appears when Zendesk cannot verify your DNS records. This usually happens because your records are unpublished or published incorrectly.</p>

<h2 id="h_01KXKNQ6XP2A28BESV2XAVF191">What are the requirements to allow Zendesk to send email on behalf of my domain? How do I ensure my domain verification records are configured correctly?</h2>
<p>To successfully configure your records, you must meet the following requirements:</p>
<ol>
<li>Add a <strong>TXT record</strong> containing the unique domain verification value of your account to your DNS server.</li>
<li>Ensure the support address is present as an external support address.</li>
<li>Publish the records for longer than the specified TTL (time to live) to allow successful propagation.</li>
</ol>

<h2 id="h_01KXKNQ6XPBJJ1ZEVW3MP8B9MS">How do I manually check my domain verification records for errors? How do I inspect DNS records with a lookup tool?</h2>
<p>You can manually inspect your records using a third-party DNS lookup tool like MxToolBox. Use the <strong>TXT Lookup</strong> tool, replace the example domain name with your actual domain name, and check if your records appear. If the lookup tool does not display your records, they are not properly configured.</p>

<h2 id="h_01KXKNQ6XP23VWHGZS7SP1768G">What should the zendeskverification TXT record look like? What is the correct format for the domain verification record?</h2>
<p>The <strong>TXT record</strong> must appear exactly as: zendeskverification.yourdomain.com</p>

<h2 id="h_01KXKNQ6XPENGFXXPPGKWJP0V2">What should I do if my TXT records do not appear in a lookup tool? Who resolves DNS propagation issues?</h2>
<p>Reach out to your domain registrar or DNS server provider for assistance if you cannot see your <strong>TXT records</strong> using an MxToolBox lookup. They are the only ones who can resolve propagation issues.</p>
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