Add DNS records · AWS Route 53

When you add a sending domain to Bird, the domain's detail page in the Bird dashboard lists every DNS record to publish, each with a copyable host and value. Keep that page open in one tab and the AWS console in another. Copy each value from Bird instead of typing it.

The records you'll add

The tracking CNAME (links) is optional and enables branded open and click tracking. It is not required for sending.

Add the records in Route 53

1. Sign in to the AWS console and open Route 53.
2. Select Hosted zones, then select the public hosted zone whose name matches your sending domain.
3. Click Create record.
4. For the DKIM record: paste the host's subdomain part from Bird (everything before your domain, for example <selector>._domainkey) into Record name, set Record type to TXT, and paste the DKIM value from Bird into Value. Keep Routing policy on Simple routing. Click Create records.
5. Click Create record again. For the return-path record: enter send as the Record name, set Record type to CNAME, and paste the target from Bird (for example <region>.bounce.bird.com) into Value. Click Create records.
6. Click Create record again. For the DMARC record: enter _dmarc as the Record name, set Record type to TXT, and paste the DMARC value from Bird into Value. Click Create records.
7. If you want branded tracking, add the optional tracking record the same way as step 5: Record name links, Record type CNAME, Value <region>.links.bird.com. Click Create records.

Route 53-specific gotchas

• Enclose TXT strings in double quotes. Route 53 accepts multiple quoted strings in one TXT value, each up to 255 bytes. For a long DKIM value, use the DNS record splitter and paste its complete output on one line. Keep the quotes and spaces between strings; DNS joins their contents without adding those spaces. Do not turn the chunks into separate records or escape the surrounding quotes as literal characters.
• Verify that the zone is authoritative for the domain. Compare the zone's NS record set with the name servers configured at the registrar. If they differ, publish the records at the authoritative provider.
• Use Simple routing. Leave Routing policy on Simple routing for all four records; weighted, latency, or failover policies are not needed and only add ways for the lookup to go wrong.

After you publish

Bird checks your DNS automatically. You can also open the domain details in Bird and select Refresh. If the domain remains pending, see Verification delays.

Next steps

• Sending domains
• DKIM, SPF & DMARC
• Verification delays