Add DNS records · Azure DNS

If your domain's DNS is hosted in an Azure DNS zone, use this page to publish the DKIM, return-path, tracking, and DMARC records Bird provides. Bird does not require an SPF record at the domain apex; see DKIM, SPF & DMARC.

Before you start, open your domain's detail page in the Bird dashboard and keep it visible. Copy each host and value from that page.

Find your DNS zone

1. Sign in to the Azure portal.
2. In the search bar, type DNS zones and select it from the results.
3. Click the zone that matches your sending domain (for example example.com).
4. You land on the zone's overview, which lists the existing record sets. Select + Record set to add each Bird record.

Add the records

For each record, select + Record set and fill in the record-set pane. The Name field is relative to the zone: enter only the part before your domain name (and @ would mean the zone apex itself, which none of Bird's records use).

DKIM (TXT)

1. Click + Record set.
2. Name: paste the DKIM host from Bird, then remove your domain from the end. For example.com, enter <selector>._domainkey.
3. Type: select TXT from the dropdown.
4. Value: paste the DKIM value exactly as shown in Bird (v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=...). If Azure rejects it as too long for a single string, run it through the DNS record splitter to create accepted quoted chunks.
5. Leave TTL at the default and click OK (or Add in the newer portal experience).

Return-path (CNAME)

1. Click + Record set.
2. Name: send (or whatever subdomain your Bird dashboard shows before your domain name).
3. Type: select CNAME.
4. Alias: paste the value from Bird, for example <region>.bounce.bird.com.
5. Click OK.

Tracking (CNAME, optional)

This optional record enables branded open and click tracking. Your domain can verify and send without it.

1. Click + Record set.
2. Name: links (or the subdomain shown in Bird).
3. Type: select CNAME.
4. Alias: paste the value from Bird, for example <region>.links.bird.com.
5. Click OK.

DMARC (TXT)

1. Click + Record set.
2. Name: _dmarc.
3. Type: select TXT.
4. Value: paste the DMARC value from Bird, for example v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-agg@dmarc.bird.com;.
5. Click OK. Keep an existing valid DMARC record at this domain or a parent domain.

Azure gotchas

• Names are relative to the zone. Azure appends the zone name to whatever you type in the Name field: entering send.example.com in the example.com zone creates send.example.com.example.com. Enter only the leading label(s); @ is reserved for the zone apex.
• Pick the type before you fill in values. The pane's value fields change with the record type dropdown: if you do not see an Alias field for a CNAME or a Value box for a TXT record, check the type selection first.
• A CNAME record set holds one value. Azure also refuses a CNAME at a name where another record exists. If the portal rejects the record, check for a conflict at the same name.
• The zone only matters if it is delegated. An Azure DNS zone answers queries only when your registrar's name servers point at it. On the zone's overview, copy the four *.azure-dns.* name servers and confirm they match the NS records set at your registrar: otherwise the records you add here are invisible to the rest of the internet.

After you publish

Bird checks your DNS automatically. To confirm what you published:

1. Open Recordsets in your Azure DNS zone and find each record you added.
2. Open the record set and compare its name, type, TTL, and value with your intended settings. Copy record values from Bird exactly. If you correct a value, save it with Apply. See Manage Azure DNS record sets.
3. Return to the domain details in Bird and select Refresh to check the published records. If the domain remains pending, see Verification delays.

Next steps

• Sending domains: adding and managing domains end to end
• DKIM, SPF & DMARC: what each record proves and why Bird does not publish an apex SPF record
• Verification delays: what to check when a domain stays pending