You can verify your domain in a few steps.
The first step in domain authentication is to add the CNAME and TXT records that Flodesk provides to your DNS Management page.
If you haven’t copied and pasted those records in your DNS panel yet, start here with the instructions to authenticate your domain via DKIM.
After your domain is verified, the top of your domain setup card should now display the Verified green label.
If your domain setup card displays a 'Pending' yellow label, don’t worry! After you add your records, the authentication may take up to 72 hours, depending on your host or domain provider.
If you’ve been waiting for more than 3 days, that means that there may be something on the backend that’s causing the delay. The good news is that it’s easy to troubleshoot why your domain hasn't been authenticated yet.
Troubleshooting your domain authentication
1. My website domain doesn’t appear on the Domain Setup page in Flodesk
Domain verification requires you to use a custom domain sending email address instead of a public domain or free service email address (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc).
You will need to have an email address verified @yourdomain.com in order to authenticate your domain.
If your Sending Address ends with @gmail.com, @hotmail.com, @icloud.com, etc., that’s why you see that domain in the domain authentication section.
First, add your domain-based email address to the Email Setup page. Your domain will automatically populate on the Domain Setup page for you to begin the domain authentication process.
2. One (or more) of the two or three pairs of CNAME records were entered incorrectly in the DNS panel
One of the most common reasons that a domain doesn’t verify is because the records were entered incorrectly. This is a very easy fix.
Go back to your DNS panel and double-check for the following three errors:
One record was pasted in the same field twice
Each record from Flodesk should only be entered once per field. If one record was pasted into a field twice, it could cause a delay in authenticating your domain.
One of the Name records was pasted into the Value field (or vice versa)
Look at the records you entered and make sure that the Name records and Value records aren’t in the wrong fields.
Here’s a tip: All of the Name records will end with
._domainkeywhile all of the Value records will end indkim.amazonses.com.
Part of the Name or Value record is missing
When you look at your records in Flodesk, you may not see the full record because of the length of each record. If you manually copied the record from Flodesk, part of the record may not have been included.
Instead, use the Copy button in Flodesk to make sure you capture the entire record, versus copying the part of the record you see on the screen.
3. CNAME records were added to a different host or domain provider
In some cases, your website host and domain provider are the same company. In other instances, your domain provider is separate from your website hosting provider.
If you don’t know who your domain provider is, a good tip is to search your inbox for your domain registration confirmation and see who the email is coming from.
You can also use https://whois.domaintools.com to search for your domain registrar.
4. CNAME records haven’t been added to Cloudflare in addition to the DNS provider
If you’re using Cloudflare in addition to your DNS provider, you’ll need to add your CNAME records in Cloudflare too.
Many website hosts offer Cloudflare in addition to their hosting services. If you aren’t sure if you have Cloudflare added to your hosting plan, you can reach out to your host to double-check.
When you add a record in Cloudflare, use the diagram to add your records:
Type = CNAME
Name = Flodesk Host
ipv4 address = Flodesk Value
TTL = follow the standard for your other Cloudflare records
Cloudflare proxy toggle = DNS only (not proxied)
5. Add your domain to the end of the Name records
If you verified that everything else is correct, try adding '.yourdomain' at the end of your Name records.
For example, instead of:
Aez5pysvblaayrin3unlup3k4qrqdo45._domainkey
Using Flodesk as an example, we would change it to:
Aez5pysvblaayrin3unlup3k4qrqdo45._domainkey.flodesk.com
6. Remove your domain from the end of the Name records
Some domain providers (e.g. Squarespace, Google Domains, Enom) may automatically add your domain to your CNAME records.
In that case, go back to your DNS panel, remove your domain name from the Name/Host/Alias records, and paste these instead:
fde._domainkeyfdesp_dmarc.
Summary
If your domain has failed authentication or has been pending for more than 72 hours, check for the following:
Your domain appears on the Domain Setup page
All two or three record pairs are entered in the correct fields
Your records were not duplicated in one field
Records were added to the correct domain provider
If you’re using Cloudflare, your CNAME records were added there too
Add your domain to the end of your Name/Host/Alias records
Remove your domain from the end of your Name/Host/Alias records
If you double-checked all of the steps above and your domain still hasn't been verified, wait for 48-72 hours. Sometimes, your domain verification will update after waiting for a couple of days.
Oftentimes, your host will have the solution if the tips above didn’t help. Since your domain provider is who completes the verification, they would be the next best place to troubleshoot with.
As always, you can also reach out to us via email at support@flodesk.com if you need further support or have any questions.