How to Set Up DKIM in Namecheap

Add email authentication to prevent spoofing and improve deliverability.

Check if your DKIM is configured correctly

What is DKIM and Why Do You Need It?

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a digital signature to your outgoing emails, proving they actually came from your domain and haven't been tampered with.

✓Digital signature — adds cryptographic proof to every email
✓Prevents spoofing — stops attackers from faking your domain
✓Improves deliverability — authenticated emails reach the inbox
✓Works with SPF & DMARC — completes the email authentication trio

Before You Start

Checklist before adding DKIM:

☐Your domain is using Namecheap DNS (BasicDNS or PremiumDNS)
☐You have the DKIM key from your email provider
☐You know your DKIM selector (e.g., "google", "selector1")

Note: DKIM keys come from your email provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, etc.), not from Namecheap. You'll need to get the key first, then add it to Namecheap DNS.

How to Get Your DKIM Key

Google Workspace

Go to admin.google.com → Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail
Click "Authenticate email"
Select your domain → "Generate new record"
Copy the DKIM key (selector is usually google)

Microsoft 365

Go to Microsoft 365 Defender portal
Email & collaboration → Policies → DKIM
Select your domain → Enable
Copy both CNAME records (selector1 and selector2)

Other Providers

• Check your email provider's documentation
• Look for "DKIM", "Email Authentication", or "Domain Verification"

Step-by-Step: Adding DKIM in Namecheap

1Log in to Namecheap

Go to namecheap.com and sign in
Go to Domain List → click "Manage" on your domain

2Go to Advanced DNS

Click the "Advanced DNS" tab

3Add the DKIM Record

For Google Workspace (TXT Record):

Type: TXT
Host: google._domainkey
Value: (paste your DKIM key from Google)
TTL: Automatic

For Microsoft 365 (CNAME Records):

Record 1:

Type: CNAME
Host: selector1._domainkey
Target: selector1-yourdomain-com._domainkey.yourdomain.onmicrosoft.com
TTL: Automatic

Record 2:

Type: CNAME
Host: selector2._domainkey
Target: selector2-yourdomain-com._domainkey.yourdomain.onmicrosoft.com
TTL: Automatic

4Save and Enable

Click the green checkmark to save
Go back to your email provider and enable/verify DKIM

Common Namecheap DKIM Mistakes

1. Adding the full domain in Host field

Use google._domainkey notgoogle._domainkey.yourdomain.com

2. Forgetting to enable DKIM in email provider

The DNS record alone isn't enough — you must also enable DKIM in your email provider's admin panel.

3. Wrong record type

Google uses TXT records, Microsoft uses CNAME records. Don't mix them up.

4. Truncated DKIM key

Some DKIM keys are very long. Make sure you copy the entire value without cutting it off.

5. Wrong selector

Double-check the selector matches what your provider expects (e.g., "google" for Google Workspace).

How to Verify Your DKIM Record

After adding the record, verify it's working:

→Use our free scanner to check if DKIM is detected
→Or use terminal: dig TXT google._domainkey.yourdomain.com
→Your email provider's admin panel should show "Authenticated" status

DKIM Selectors by Provider

Provider	Selector(s)	Record Type
Google Workspace	`google`	TXT
Microsoft 365	`selector1`, `selector2`	CNAME
Mailchimp	`k1`	CNAME
SendGrid	`s1`, `s2`	CNAME
Amazon SES	(custom)	CNAME
HubSpot	`hs1`, `hs2`	CNAME
Zoho Mail	`zmail`	TXT

Related Guides

Cloudflare SPF Setup

Step-by-step SPF guide for Cloudflare

GoDaddy DMARC Setup

Step-by-step DMARC guide for GoDaddy

DKIM Setup Problems

Common DKIM issues and how to fix them

Why Emails Go to Spam

Complete email deliverability guide

Is Your DKIM Working?

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