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Verifying your sending domain ensures emails are delivered reliably and appear as coming from your brand — not a generic address. Without domain verification, emails are more likely to land in spam or be rejected entirely.

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Why verify your domain?

Without verificationWith verification
Sent from a shared/generic addressSent from you@yourdomain.com
Higher spam riskTrusted by inbox providers
No brand recognition in inboxYour brand name in every email
May be blocked by strict mail serversPasses SPF, DKIM, and DMARC checks

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Adding your domain

1

Go to email settings

In the Bonde app, navigate to Emails > Settings.
2

Add your domain

Click Add Domain and enter your root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com).Don’t include www or a subdomain — use the root domain that matches your sending email address.
3

View DNS records

After adding the domain, click View DNS Records to see the records you need to add. Bonde provides three types of records, each with a specific purpose.

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DNS records explained

Bonde will show you the exact record values to add. Here’s what each record does:

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DKIM record (domain verification)

Type: CNAME DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) cryptographically signs outgoing emails to prove they’re authorized by your domain. This is the most important record for deliverability.
  • Name: Will look like resend._domainkey or similar
  • Value: A long string pointing to the signing service
  • Purpose: Lets inbox providers verify the email wasn’t tampered with in transit

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SPF record (sending authorization)

Type: TXT SPF (Sender Policy Framework) tells inbox providers which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.
  • Name: Usually @ (your root domain) or a subdomain
  • Value: Starts with v=spf1 include:...
  • Purpose: Prevents unauthorized servers from sending as your domain
If you already have an SPF record for your domain (e.g., from Google Workspace or another email provider), don’t create a second one. Instead, add the include: value from Bonde to your existing SPF record. A domain should only have one SPF TXT record.

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MX record (optional, for replies)

Type: MX If shown, the MX record enables receiving replies to your sending address. This is optional but recommended if you want customers to be able to reply to notification emails.
  • Name: Usually a subdomain like send or bounces
  • Value: A mail server address
  • Priority: A number (usually 10) — enter this in the priority field if your DNS provider has one

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Adding records to your DNS provider

The exact steps depend on your DNS provider. Here are tips for common providers:
ProviderWhere to add records
CloudflareDNS > Records > Add record. For CNAME records, turn off the proxy (orange cloud) — it must be DNS only (gray cloud).
GoDaddyMy Products > DNS > DNS Records > Add
NamecheapDomain List > Manage > Advanced DNS > Add new record
Shopify DomainsSettings > Domains > your domain > DNS settings
Google DomainsDNS > Custom records > Manage custom records
Route 53 (AWS)Hosted zones > your domain > Create record

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Common pitfalls

  • Trailing dots: Some providers automatically add a trailing dot to CNAME values. If verification fails, check whether your provider added an extra dot.
  • CNAME flattening: Some providers (like Cloudflare) flatten CNAME records at the root. This is usually fine, but if verification fails, try adding the record to a subdomain.
  • TTL: Use the default TTL or set it to 300 (5 minutes) for faster propagation during setup. You can increase it later.
  • Existing SPF records: Never add a second SPF TXT record. Merge the include: directives into your existing record.

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Verifying your domain

1

Wait for DNS propagation

After adding all records, wait at least 15-30 minutes. Most records propagate within an hour, but some providers can take up to 48 hours.
2

Click Verify

Return to Emails > Settings in Bonde and click Verify next to your domain.Each record will show its own status:
  • Verified — Record is correct and detected
  • Pending — Record not yet detected (may still be propagating)
  • Failed — Record is incorrect or missing
3

Check individual record status

If some records verify but others don’t, click View DNS Records to see which specific record needs attention. Fix only the failing records — you don’t need to redo records that already passed.
You can start sending emails as soon as the DKIM record is verified. SPF and MX records improve deliverability and reply handling but aren’t strictly required to begin sending.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) ties SPF and DKIM together and tells inbox providers what to do with emails that fail authentication. Bonde checks your domain’s DMARC status automatically. If you don’t have a DMARC record, consider adding one:
RecordTypeNameValue
DMARCTXT_dmarcv=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com
Start with p=none (monitor only) to see reports without affecting delivery. Once you’re confident all legitimate email passes, you can tighten to p=quarantine or p=reject.

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Troubleshooting

Verification stuck on “Pending”?
  • Double-check the record name and value for typos
  • Confirm you’re adding records to the correct domain
  • Wait at least 1 hour — some DNS providers are slower
  • Use a DNS lookup tool (like dig or dnschecker.org) to confirm your records are visible
DKIM verification failing?
  • Make sure the CNAME record is not proxied (Cloudflare users: gray cloud, not orange)
  • Check that the full value was copied — DKIM values are long and easy to truncate
SPF verification failing?
  • Check if you already have an SPF record. If so, merge the include: value rather than adding a second TXT record
  • Verify the record is on the correct domain/subdomain (check the Name field exactly)
Emails still going to spam after verification?
  • Add a DMARC record (see above)
  • Make sure your sending address matches your verified domain
  • Avoid spam-trigger words in subject lines
  • Include an unsubscribe link in your emails