DNS Setup

Proper DNS configuration is essential for email deliverability. Without it, your emails may land in spam or be rejected entirely.

When you add a domain, eSMS Mail generates all 5 records with the exact values you need. Copy them from your domain's settings page in the dashboard.

Domain Ownership (Verification)

This TXT record proves you own the domain. The value is unique to your account.

Type: TXT
Host: yourdomain.com
Value: esms-verification=your_unique_token

The exact token is shown on your domain's settings page.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

SPF tells receiving servers which mail servers are authorized to send email for your domain.

Add a TXT record to your domain:

Type: TXT
Host: @  (or your domain name)
Value: v=spf1 include:send.esmsafrica.io ~all

If you already have an SPF record (e.g. for Google Workspace), merge the includes into one record:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:send.esmsafrica.io ~all

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to your emails, proving they haven't been tampered with.

When you add a domain, eSMS Mail generates a unique DKIM key pair. Add the provided TXT record:

Type: TXT
Host: esms._domainkey.yourdomain.com
Value: v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgk... (your public key)

The exact record is shown in your domain's DNS settings page.

DMARC

DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM to tell receivers what to do with emails that fail authentication.

We recommend starting with a monitoring policy:

Type: TXT
Host: _dmarc.yourdomain.com
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@send.esmsafrica.io

Once you've confirmed everything is working, tighten the policy:

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@send.esmsafrica.io

Return path

Add a CNAME record for bounce handling:

Type: CNAME
Host: esms-bounce.yourdomain.com
Value: bounces.send.esmsafrica.io

Verification

After adding all records, click Check Now in the dashboard or wait for automatic verification (checks run every few seconds). The setup progress tracker shows verification status for each of the 5 records.

You can also verify via API:

curl -X POST https://send.esmsafrica.io/v1/domains/{domain_id}/verify \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer esms_k_your_api_key"

Troubleshooting

Use the Diagnose feature to check for common issues:

curl https://send.esmsafrica.io/v1/domains/{domain_id}/diagnose \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer esms_k_your_api_key"

Common issues:

• Multiple SPF records — Merge into one TXT record
• Missing eSMS Mail SPF include — Add include:send.esmsafrica.io to your existing SPF
• DKIM not propagated — DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate
• Wrong DKIM selector — Ensure the host is exactly esms._domainkey.yourdomain.com

Next step

Once your domain is fully verified, create sender addresses so you can start sending emails.