How to Troubleshoot Domain Authentication Issues

If your domain authentication has been stuck in “Pending” status for more than 72 hours, don’t worry—this guide walks you through the most common causes and how to fix them.

To authenticate your domain in Flodesk, you must add the records we provide (CNAME and TXT) to your domain’s DNS settings.

If you haven’t done this yet, start with these guides:

• How to authenticate your custom domain manually

• How to Authenticate Your Domain Automatically

• After adding the records, domain authentication typically completes within a few hours, but it may take up to 72 hours.

• SPF records often take the longest to update.

• Once verified, your domain will display a green “Domain authenticated” badge under My Account > Domain setup.

If it still says “Pending” after 72 hours, try the troubleshooting steps below.

Common cause: You’re using a free email address like Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail.

What to do:

• Add a custom domain sending email address (e.g. yourname@yourcompany.com) in My Account > Email setup.

• Once added, your domain will automatically appear on the Domain Setup page for authentication.

Most issues happen due to a copy/paste mistake in the DNS settings.

Check for these common errors:

• A record was pasted twice in the same field

• A Name record was pasted in the Value field (or vice versa)

• A record is cut off (some records are long and may be partially copied)

Fix it:

• Use the “Copy” buttons in Flodesk instead of highlighting manually

• Double-check each field in your DNS panel

  • ✅ Name records typically end in ._domainkey

  • ✅ Value records typically end in dkim.amazonses.com

Your website host and domain registrar may not be the same. Some platforms offer both services, while others don’t—so it’s important to know which provider manages your DNS settings.

What to do:

• Use https://whois.domaintools.com to check which provider is listed as your domain registrar

• Log in to your registrar account (e.g. GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains) and update the DNS settings there

If Cloudflare is enabled on your site, your DNS settings in Cloudflare must also include the records.

What to do:

• Add your CNAME records directly in Cloudflare

• Use these settings:

  • Type: CNAME

  • Name: Hostname from Flodesk

  • ipv4 address (Target): Value from Flodesk

  • TTL: Match your other records

  • Proxy status: DNS only (disable proxy)

Some registrars need the full domain added to the Name/Host field. Try adding '.yourdomain' at the end of your Name records.

Example using Flodesk's domain:

Instead of:

Aez5pysvblaayrin3unlup3k4qrqdo45._domainkey

You would use:

Aez5pysvblaayrin3unlup3k4qrqdo45._domainkey.flodesk.com

Other registrars (e.g. Squarespace, Google Domains, Enom) automatically append your domain name.

What to do:

• Remove your domain from the Name/Host/Alias field if it’s being added automatically

Use just:

• fde._domainkey

• fdesp

• _dmarc

If you’ve double-checked your records and the status is still “Pending”:

• Wait up to 72 hours—some providers update slowly

• Your domain provider is often the best resource for final verification

If you’re still having trouble, email support@flodesk.com with:

• A screenshot of your DNS settings

• The troubleshooting steps you’ve already tried

We’ll help you get authenticated and back to sending confidently.