My domain won't verify (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

When you set up a dedicated domain in Nevent, the last step is verifying the DNS records generated by the wizard. Sometimes one or more records stay in “Pending” status for hours or even days. This guide helps you identify the specific cause and fix it.

Before continuing, make sure you’ve completed the dedicated domain wizard and created the records in your provider’s panel. If you haven’t done that yet, start with Set up your dedicated domain.

What records Nevent generates and what they’re for

Nevent’s wizard generates between five and six records grouped into four types. Knowing them will help you know which one is failing and why.

Type	Record format	What it’s for
DKIM	One or more CNAME records	Digital signature that proves you’re the one sending the email, not a third party
SPF	One TXT record	Lists the servers authorized to send on behalf of your domain
MAIL FROM	One MX record	Technical bounce address; improves domain reputation
DMARC	One TXT record	Policy that tells mail servers what to do if an email fails SPF or DKIM

For more detail on what each protocol means, see the Deliverability and domain configuration reference.

Step 1: check the current status in Nevent

Before touching anything at your domain provider, go to Nevent and see which records are still pending.

1. In the side menu, click Settings.
2. In the secondary menu on the left, inside the Workspace group, click Dedicated domain.
3. Click the Check status button.

Nevent shows the status of each record: verified or pending. Note which ones are still Pending. That tells you exactly where to look for the problem.

Note

Verification can take anywhere from a few minutes to 72 hours, depending on your domain provider. If you just created the records, wait at least a few hours before drawing conclusions.

Step 2: open your provider’s DNS panel and compare the values

Go to your domain provider’s admin panel (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, your hosting provider’s, or another) and find the records you created.

For each record still Pending, compare the value you see at your provider with the value Nevent shows on the Dedicated domain screen. Check three things:

The Name field is exactly the same The record name includes the subdomain you chose (for example, email.yourfestival.com) or a prefix in front of it (for example, _dmarc.email.yourfestival.com for DMARC, or a long identifier for DKIM). Copy the Name field from Nevent and compare it character by character with what you have at your provider.

The Value field is exactly the same DKIM values are very long strings of text. Don’t type them by hand: always use Nevent’s copy button to avoid mistakes. A single different letter prevents verification.

The record type is correct DKIM uses CNAME records. SPF and DMARC use TXT records. MAIL FROM uses an MX record. If the type doesn’t match, the record won’t work even if the value is correct.

Tip

Open Nevent’s Dedicated domain screen and your provider’s DNS panel in two separate windows or tabs and compare the values one by one.

Step 3: fix the most common errors

The record doesn’t exist at the provider

If you can’t find the record in your provider’s panel, it means it wasn’t created. Go back to the Dedicated domain screen in Nevent, copy the Name, Type and Value of the missing record using the copy icon, and create it at your provider.

The value has extra spaces or characters

When pasting a long value (especially DKIM values), some provider panels add a space at the beginning or end, or split the text across several lines. Edit the record at your provider and make sure the value is a single continuous string, with no spaces or line breaks.

The Name field has the domain duplicated

Some domain providers automatically append your root domain to the end of the record name. If Nevent states the record’s Name should be email.yourfestival.com and your provider already appends .yourfestival.com automatically, the Name field you should enter is just email, without the root domain. Check your provider’s documentation to see if it does this automatically.

DKIM CNAME records have the proxy enabled in Cloudflare

If you use Cloudflare, check whether the DKIM CNAME records have the orange cloud icon (proxy enabled). Cloudflare intercepts traffic for those records when the proxy is active and breaks DKIM verification.

To fix it:

1. In Cloudflare’s DNS panel, click the DKIM CNAME record you want to edit.
2. Change the proxy status from Proxied (orange cloud) to DNS only (grey cloud).
3. Save the change.
4. Repeat for every DKIM CNAME record that has the proxy active.

Then, go back to Nevent and click Check status.

There’s already an SPF record on your domain

The SPF protocol doesn’t allow having two SPF TXT records on the same subdomain. If you already have an SPF TXT record for the sending subdomain, don’t create a second one: the result would be a conflict that mail servers can’t resolve.

In that case, edit the existing SPF record at your provider and include the content Nevent gives you inside its SPF record. If you’re not sure how to merge two SPF records, check your domain provider’s documentation or ask whoever manages your domain’s DNS for help.

Step 4: re-verify in Nevent

Once you’ve fixed the records at your provider, go back to the Dedicated domain screen in Nevent and click Check status.

DNS changes can take time to propagate. If the record is still Pending after fixing it, wait a few hours and try again. Propagation can take up to 72 hours depending on the provider.

Note

You don’t have to wait for all records to be verified to close the screen. You can leave and come back later to check the status.

Once all records are verified, the dedicated domain becomes active and your next campaigns are sent from your own subdomain.

If the problem persists after 72 hours

If after 72 hours one or more records are still Pending and you’ve reviewed the points above without finding the error, contact the Nevent support team. Before reaching out, have ready:

• The name of the record that won’t verify (as it appears in Nevent).
• The value you have at your provider for that record.
• The name of your domain provider.

With that information, the team can help you faster.

Related guides

• Set up your dedicated domain: complete instructions to go through the wizard and create the DNS records for the first time.
• Email sending settings: where to see your current sender address and the status of your account’s technical components.
• Deliverability and domain configuration reference: detailed description of each protocol (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and each field on the configuration screens.
• Sender reputation: how to avoid spam: why domain authentication improves your emails’ chances of reaching the inbox.