Add DNS records · any registrar
Every DNS provider's control panel looks different, but they all do the same job: store records by name, type, and value. This page is for any registrar not covered by our provider-specific guides — it explains where the DNS editor usually hides, what each Bird record is, and the conventions that trip people up. The records Bird asks for on a sending domain are a DKIM TXT record, a return-path CNAME, an optional tracking CNAME, and a DMARC TXT record. Bird does not ask you to add an SPF record at your domain's apex — see DKIM, SPF & DMARC for why.
Before you start, open your domain's detail page in the Bird dashboard and keep it visible — every host and value is copied from there, not typed by hand.
Step 1: find the DNS editor
Sign in to your registrar and open your domain. The DNS editor is usually behind a link named DNS Management, Advanced DNS, DNS settings, Zone File, or Manage DNS — it is the page that lists records in rows of type, host/name, and value, with an Add button.
Step 2: confirm the name servers point here
DNS records only take effect at the provider your domain's name servers point to. Most registrars show the name servers on the domain's overview page. If they are the registrar's own defaults, the DNS editor you just found is the right place. If they point to another provider — Cloudflare, your web host, a cloud DNS service — add the records there instead; anything you add at the registrar will be ignored.
Step 3: add the records
You will add four records (the tracking one is optional). For each, find the Add record (or Add new record) button, pick the type, and fill in the host and value from your Bird domain detail page.
Which records are which type
| Record | Type | Host | Value (copy from Bird) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DKIM | TXT | <selector>._domainkey.example.com | v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=<public-key> |
| Return-path | CNAME | send.example.com | <region>.bounce.bird.com |
| Tracking* | CNAME | links.example.com | <region>.links.bird.com |
| DMARC | TXT | _dmarc.example.com | v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:example.com@dmarc.bird.com; |
*Optional — it only enables branded open and click tracking; your domain can verify and send without it.
The two CNAME records point a hostname at Bird's infrastructure; the two TXT records publish text that receiving mail servers read. Pick the type from your provider's dropdown or tabs before filling in the rest — the form fields usually change with the type.
How the host/name field works
This is where providers differ most, and where most mistakes happen:
- Most providers want the host relative to your domain. If the form already shows your domain next to the field (or appends it on save), enter only the leading part: send, links, _dmarc, <selector>._domainkey.
- Some want the fully qualified name. If saving send produces a record at literally send with no domain, or the provider is a raw zone-file editor, use the full hostname (send.example.com) — possibly with a trailing dot, which in zone files means "this name is complete, do not append the domain".
- @ means the domain itself (the root or apex). You will see it as a placeholder or in existing records. None of Bird's records go at the apex, so you should never need to enter @ for this setup.
- When in doubt, save one record and look at the result. If the records list shows send.example.com.example.com, you entered a full name where a relative one was expected — edit it down to send.
Copy values exactly
Paste each value from the Bird dashboard without retyping or editing:
- The DKIM value is a long machine-generated key — a single missing character invalidates it. If your provider has a length limit and Bird shows the value split into multiple quoted strings, paste it as shown; that is standard DNS formatting.
- Whether TXT values need surrounding quotes varies by provider — most add them for you, so start without quotes and only add them if the provider's docs say to.
- CNAME values are hostnames, not URLs — no https://, no trailing slash. A trailing dot shown after saving is normal.
- Leave TTL at the provider's default; it only affects how fast future changes propagate.
Step 4: after you publish
There is nothing to click in Bird — verification is automatic. Bird starts checking your DNS within seconds of the domain being added and re-checks frequently, so most domains flip to verified within minutes of the records going live. You can also trigger an immediate re-check from the domain's detail page in the dashboard. If the domain stays pending longer than you expect, see Verification delays.
Provider-specific guides
If your provider is one of these, the dedicated walkthrough matches its exact screens:
Related
- Sending domains — adding and managing domains end to end
- DKIM, SPF & DMARC — what each record proves and why there is no apex SPF record
- Verification delays — what to check when a domain stays pending