Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC on Squarespace Domains (formerly Google Domains)
Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC as TXT records under Custom Records in your Squarespace domain's DNS Settings, using "@" for the root and "_dmarc" (no domain appended) for DMARC.
Where to add records on Squarespace Domains (formerly Google Domains)
Squarespace account → domains dashboard (account.squarespace.com/domains) → click the domain name → click "DNS" in the side panel → "DNS Settings" → scroll to the "Custom Records" section. (Google Domains were migrated into this Squarespace Domains dashboard; the old domains.google UI is retired.)
- Log in to your Squarespace account and open the domains dashboard at account.squarespace.com/domains, then click the domain you want to edit.
- Click DNS in the side panel, then click DNS Settings, and scroll down to the Custom Records section.
- Click Add record. (Squarespace prompts you to re-enter your current password, or reauthenticate with 2FA if enabled, then click Continue before the form appears.)
- In the Type dropdown, select TXT.
- In the Name field, enter the host: use @ for the root domain (SPF/DMARC at the apex), or _dmarc for a DMARC record, or your DKIM selector (e.g. google._domainkey) for DKIM. Do NOT append your domain — Squarespace adds it automatically.
- Paste the record value into the Text field (e.g. v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all for SPF), then click Save.
- Repeat Add record for each separate TXT record (SPF, DKIM, DMARC are three distinct records).
The three records on Squarespace Domains (formerly Google Domains)
SPF Sender Policy Framework
Add SPF as a TXT record with Name = @ (Squarespace auto-appends the domain, so never type your full domain in the Name field). Put the full policy in the Text field, e.g. v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all. Keep only ONE effective SPF policy per domain — if multiple senders are involved, merge all include: mechanisms into a single v=spf1 record. Note: Squarespace explicitly supports adding multiple SPF entries as separate custom records and then automatically merges them into one, but a single hand-merged record is cleaner and easier to audit.
DKIM DomainKeys Identified Mail
Squarespace does not generate DKIM keys — your email/sending provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, your ESP) generates the selector and public key. Add what they give you: usually a TXT record where Name = the selector host they specify (e.g. google._domainkey, s1._domainkey) with their long p= key in the Text field, OR a CNAME if the provider hands you a CNAME-style DKIM target (Squarespace's own docs note third-party DKIM may be a TXT or a CNAME). Enter the selector exactly as given, without appending your domain. Squarespace supports DKIM (and SPF) values up to 2048 bits, so a normal 2048-bit DKIM key fits in one record and does not need splitting — other TXT records are capped at 255 characters.
DMARC reporting and policy
Add DMARC as a TXT record with Name = _dmarc (just that literal string, with no domain at the end — Squarespace appends the domain automatically). Text field holds the policy, e.g. v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com. Only one DMARC record is allowed per domain. Squarespace may have already placed a default anti-spam _dmarc record at registration, and it auto-adds a DMARC record when you set up email forwarding — check Custom Records for an existing _dmarc entry and edit that one rather than adding a second.
Need the record values? Generate a valid SPF and DMARC record with the record generator, then learn what each one does: SPF, DKIM, DMARC.
Squarespace Domains (formerly Google Domains) gotchas
- Root field convention is @, NOT blank: Squarespace requires @ for the apex/root and automatically appends your domain to whatever you type in Name — so entering yourdomain.com, _dmarc.yourdomain.com, or selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com produces a wrong, doubled hostname. Use @, _dmarc, or the bare selector only.
- Quotation marks can break SPF: Squarespace's own docs warn that including quotation marks in the Text/Data field of an SPF record can sometimes cause propagation issues depending on your domain's nameservers. If the SPF record won't resolve, remove the surrounding quotes and paste the raw value.
- No editable TTL / Priority on TXT: the Custom Records form for TXT doesn't expose a TTL field you set per record (priority only appears for MX). Don't expect to tune TTL here; rely on default propagation.
- Re-auth gate before each add: clicking Add record triggers a password (or 2FA) re-prompt + Continue before the record form opens — expected, not an error.
- Propagation is not instant: DNS changes can take time (commonly up to ~48 hours, usually much less) to propagate; verify with an external checker (e.g. MXToolbox / dig) rather than assuming it failed.
- Long records aren't split by you: Squarespace supports SPF/DKIM values up to 2048 bits in a single record, so paste the whole DKIM/SPF value as one string — don't manually break it into multiple chunked strings.
Records set. Now make sure you actually land.
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC on Squarespace Domains (formerly Google Domains) get you authenticated, but inbox placement also needs sender reputation and domain warmup. Scheduler Zero handles both so your cold email reaches the inbox.