How do I verify forwarding, SPF, DNS, and TXT records in Zendesk?

<h2 id="h_01HQ8PTK1NDWCSP440K71E9N14">Question</h2><p>How can I check my <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4867238761626-What-are-SPF-DNS-and-TXT-records-#:~:text=per%20email%20provider.-,What%20is%20SPF%3F,-SPF%20stands%20for" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SPF</a> records? Where do I confirm if my DNS records are correct? How can I see if TXT records are configured?</p><h2 id="h_01HQ8PTK1P42RZSMBW7V1K4MXS">Answer</h2><div class="p"><div class="note important">
<span class="importanttitle">Important: </span>Wait up to 48 hours for the check marks in the email settings to turn green. The email admin configures these records outside Zendesk, and they take time to update in the account.</div></div><p>Only an admin can verify a successful DNS setup with these options:</p><ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e68549a5b8d4eac9c0b5201bc8768bd40"><a href="#h_01HQ8Q3AM81WW0A690B7N0VMPJ">Verify in Zendesk</a></li>
<li data-list-item-id="e62f1f64eb133bede8313d48b40e92d74"><a href="#h_01HQ8Q3H2Q9FZKZ2XJ0QG3RSMN">Verify outside of Zendesk</a></li>
</ul><div class="p"><div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note: </span>Zendesk auto-verifies the TXT record when you add a support address. Zendesk may require you to add the value to the DNS record in the future. For more information, see <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408832543770-Allowing-Zendesk-to-send-email-on-behalf-of-your-email-domain" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Allowing Zendesk to send email on behalf of your email domain</a>.</div></div><h3 id="h_01HQ8Q3AM81WW0A690B7N0VMPJ">Verify in Zendesk</h3><p>To verify in Zendesk:</p><ol>
<li data-list-item-id="ef2bf72617b912283a02fb20857a9fe2f">Go to <strong>Email</strong> settings in Admin Center</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e6398867c60344b4c6c5adef5092e174a">Click <strong>Manage support addresses<img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010220381210" alt="manage support address" width="3186" height="1582"></strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e54f0c471d6ffabef425e99bca00bb4b8">Look for the <strong>Failed</strong> verification status, which indicates an email verification error<img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010220381722" alt="failed status" width="2748" height="368">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e40922aae05a3e4cd68f843c4570d99f6">Click the three dots, then select <strong>Verify forwarding</strong>, <strong>Verify SPF</strong>, or <strong>Verify DNS</strong> as needed<img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010204081946" alt="verify buttons" width="2774" height="704">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e20ccd0f89e7de30478c7e54af571389b">Click <strong>Verify</strong> to start the check<img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010220382106" alt="verify button" width="1176" height="614">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="eb2d4a30ef2e64a9f420db9bb3331c875">Wait up to 48 hours for the records to update. Check the external inbox and Sent folder, and the tickets to confirm that emails are sent and received.</li>
</ol><div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note: </span>Each email setup is different, and some DNS records are optional. The configuration may not require you to fix all three errors.</div><p>To help prevent this error:</p><ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e0b0e2c8c34346e1fedd0b9f19eb13066">Check the support addresses in the email settings on a regular cadence</li>
<li data-list-item-id="eb90794b317461b10f59f42bb87df774b">Ask the email admin to share any external changes that can affect email forwarding to Zendesk</li>
</ul><h3 id="h_01HQ8Q3H2Q9FZKZ2XJ0QG3RSMN">Verify outside of Zendesk</h3><h4 id="h_01J8MT2Z89JZV8NNA3GP4RXK0T">Email forwarding verification</h4><p>To verify the custom email address, Zendesk sends a verification email to the email server. The email server must automatically return that verification to the Zendesk account.</p><p>If Zendesk creates emails by forwarding but the forwarding status shows Failed, ask the email provider to confirm that the outbound email server doesn’t block the verification email.</p><h4 id="h_01J8MT328H9PM00Z2WBEXG9FM1">SPF and DNS verification</h4><p>After you <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4811307516954-How-to-fix-the-email-error-messages-on-forwarding-SPF-DNS-and-TXT-records-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fix the DNS records</a> with the email admin, or if you <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408834888730" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">still have send issues</a>, verify the records outside Zendesk to detect any problems.</p><p>Many email admins use third-party tools such as <a href="https://mxtoolbox.com/NetworkTools.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MXtoolbox.com</a> or <a href="https://www.dmarcanalyzer.com/spf/checker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">DMARC Analyzer</a> to diagnose issues with DNS records. The example below uses MXtoolbox.com.</p><div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note: </span>Resolving these errors requires steps outside the Zendesk account. Contact Zendesk Customer Support for further help. This article shows example steps in third-party tools, which may differ from how the email admin resolves the error.</div><p>To verify outside of Zendesk:</p><ol>
<li data-list-item-id="ed4e147ba96801c43020a29062b7ef0b8">Open the <a href="https://mxtoolbox.com/NetworkTools.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">third-party tool</a> you use to troubleshoot</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e983ab1fa81f4af28a4b5f79af3135ed2">Go to the section for the DNS record test: <a href="https://mxtoolbox.com/spf.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SPF Record Lookup</a>, <a href="https://mxtoolbox.com/DNSCheck.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">DNS Check</a>, and <a href="https://mxtoolbox.com/TXTLookup.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TXT Lookup</a>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e90ce7b631882ccbb69a01c50160ae6ea">Enter the record in the field, format it correctly, and press Enter to start the lookup. The test steps differ slightly by record.<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e23c315c54c6546afc17ef12fb46ed30f">To test an <a href="https://mxtoolbox.com/spf.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SPF record</a>, copy the text after the @ sign in the company email, the <code>domain.com</code>. For example, copy <code>myexamplecompany.com</code><br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010220382234" alt="SPF record lookup field in MXtoolbox">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e01d8830a03073f727c774d0c727b118c">To test a <a href="https://mxtoolbox.com/DNSCheck.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">DNS record</a>, enter the email domain. For example, myexamplecompany.com<br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010220382490" alt="DNS record lookup field in MXtoolbox">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e3ee13a0b729b25f8093271546fbf0ccc">To test the <a href="https://mxtoolbox.com/TXTLookup.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TXT record</a>, add <code>zendeskverification</code> in front of the email domain. For example, enter <code>zendeskverification.myexamplecompany.com</code><br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010220382874" alt="TXT record lookup field in MXtoolbox">
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e573c9f8c4726cc3075fc9a4352189de3">The tool shows a green verification message for the record. See the examples below:<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="ea13a37c7220d93674bf8444bdaeca081">This SPF record includes the recommended information and shows a green <strong>Pass</strong><br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010220383002" alt="SPF record pass verification">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e481151b414a1b63e6e5465d1cddb4eb0">This DNS check shows green verification check marks and no glaring issues<br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010204082586" alt="DNS record pass verification">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ecc5762fa1b690fbe7f36ade39e824d10">The TXT record is found and passes verification<br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/11010220383130" alt="TXT record pass verification">
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e312afe714deddf313a126b092ba5f920">If the record doesn’t pass the external verification check, the error message from the third-party tool helps the email admin identify what to fix in the DNS record</li>
</ol><style>
.ai-only {
position: absolute !important;
width: 1px !important;
height: 1px !important;
padding: 0 !important;
margin: -1px !important;
overflow: hidden !important;
clip: rect(0, 0, 0, 0) !important;
white-space: nowrap !important;
border: 0 !important;
}
</style>
<div class="ai-only" aria-hidden="true">
<details>
<summary>THIS SECTION IS AI CONTENT. DON'T EDIT OR DELETE.</summary>

<h2 id="h_01KXGDJ7FHD5J3AJ6WB4P4GVN4">How do I verify my DNS records? Who can check the SPF setup? What access level do I need to confirm DNS records?</h2>
<p>Only an admin or a user with the correct permissions or access level can verify a successful DNS setup. You use verification options inside your help desk or ticketing system, or you check the records using tools outside of your account or instance.</p>

<h2 id="h_01KXGDJ7FHJVP3NK8Z4QK15YD2">Does Zendesk automatically check TXT records? How do TXT records get verified when I add a support address? What is the automatic verification process for TXT records?</h2>
<p>The ticketing system automatically verifies the TXT record when you add a support address. The system may require you to add the value to the DNS record in the future.</p>

<h2 id="h_01KXGDJ7FHYWBP92EDPG01DN3V">How do I verify email records in Zendesk? Where do I check for a "Failed verification" status? How do I start the record check in my instance?</h2>
<p>To verify records inside your help desk or ticketing system, follow these steps:</p>
<ol>
<li>Go to <strong>Email</strong> settings in <strong>Admin Center</strong>.</li>
<li>Click <strong>Manage support addresses</strong>.</li>
<li>Look for the "Failed verification" status, which indicates an email verification error.</li>
<li>Click the three dots, then select <strong>Verify forwarding</strong>, <strong>Verify SPF</strong>, or <strong>Verify DNS</strong> as needed.</li>
<li>Click <strong>Verify</strong> to start the check.</li>
<li>Wait up to 48 hours for the records to update, and check the external inbox, Sent folder, and tickets to confirm that emails send and receive.</li>
</ol>

<h2 id="h_01KXGDJ7FH0MZ9ZT07JYVE6ZZQ">How long do DNS updates take? Do I need to fix every email error? How long must I wait for the email check marks to turn green?</h2>
<p>You wait up to 48 hours for the check marks in the email settings to turn green. The email admin configures these records outside the ticketing system, and they take time to update in the account or instance. Each email setup is different, some DNS records are optional, and the configuration may not require you to fix all three errors.</p>

<h2 id="h_01KXGDJ7FH2E8GZ724Y073TFC3">Why does my email forwarding status show "Failed"? What do I do if the outbound email server blocks the verification email? How does the system verify a custom email address?</h2>
<p>To verify the custom email address, the ticketing system sends a verification email to the email server, and the email server must automatically return that verification to the account or instance. If the forwarding status shows "Failed", ask the email provider to confirm that the outbound email server does not block the verification email.</p>

<h2 id="h_01KXGDJ7FHZATB1N294AZ2YZ3C">How do I verify SPF and DNS records outside Zendesk? What external tools check my email records? How do I perform a lookup for TXT records externally?</h2>
<p>Many email admins use third-party tools such as MXtoolbox.com or DMARC Analyzer to diagnose issues with DNS records. To verify records outside the ticketing system, follow these steps:</p>
<ol>
<li>Open the third-party tool you use to troubleshoot.</li>
<li>Go to the section for the DNS record test, such as SPF Record Lookup, DNS Check, or TXT Lookup.</li>
<li>Enter the record in the field, format it correctly, and press Enter to start the lookup. To test an SPF record, copy the text after the @ sign in the company email (the domain.com). To test a DNS record, enter the email domain. To test the TXT record, add zendeskverification in front of the email domain.</li>
<li>Confirm the tool shows a green verification message, such as a green Pass for SPF, green check marks for DNS, or a found TXT record.</li>
<li>If the record does not pass the external check, use the error message to help the email admin identify what to fix in the DNS record. External resolutions occur outside the ticketing system, and you can contact Zendesk Customer Support for further help.</li>
</ol>

<h2 id="h_01KXGDJ7FHZVJP9VYRNVP085E9">How do I prevent email verification errors? What are the best practices to maintain support addresses? How can I avoid forwarding errors in my ticketing system?</h2>
<p>To help prevent these errors, check the support addresses in the email settings on a regular cadence. Ask the email admin to share any external changes that can affect email forwarding to your help desk or ticketing system.</p>

</details>
</div>