Email DNS Records
After an email domain is created in the Console, eCourtDate generates the DNS records to add at the DNS provider. Email delivery runs through Amazon SES, so these records point to Amazon SES infrastructure.
Always copy the exact record names and values shown in the Console for the domain. The examples below illustrate the format, but tokens and region specific values are generated per domain. Use Download CSV to export every record, or Notify to email them. See Sharing the records with a DNS administrator.
Understanding the record types
- TXT record: a text note attached to the domain. Used to prove ownership and to publish email authentication policies (SPF and DMARC).
- CNAME record: an alias pointing one name to another. DKIM records use CNAMEs that point to Amazon SES signing keys.
- MX record: tells email systems where to deliver mail for the domain. Required only when eCourtDate should receive inbound email at this domain.
Required records
| Type | Name | Example value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXT | _amazonses.yourdomain.com | Verification token from Console | Email Domain Verification |
| TXT | yourdomain.com | v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all | SPF Email Authentication |
| TXT | _dmarc.yourdomain.com | "v=DMARC1; p=none;" | DMARC Monitoring |
| CNAME | <token>._domainkey.yourdomain.com | <token>.dkim.amazonses.com | DKIM Authentication |
DKIM uses three CNAME records, one per signing token. The tokens appear in the Console after Enable DKIM is clicked.
Optional records
Inbound email
Add an MX record only when eCourtDate should receive inbound email at this domain. Use a subdomain rather than the main agency domain.
| Type | Name | Example value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| MX | yourdomain.com | 10 inbound-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com | Email Routing and Inbound Email |
Custom MAIL FROM domain
A custom MAIL FROM domain can improve deliverability by aligning the envelope sender with the domain. These records are optional.
| Type | Name | Example value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| MX | mail.yourdomain.com | 10 feedback-smtp.us-east-1.amazonses.com | Custom MAIL FROM Domain |
| TXT | mail.yourdomain.com | v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all | SPF for Custom MAIL FROM Domain |
Sharing the records with a DNS administrator
The person who creates the domain in the Console often does not manage the DNS zone. The records do not have to be transcribed by hand or read out over a call: the Console exports them.
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Download CSV | Downloads every record for the domain as a CSV file, named dns-records-{domain}.csv. Send that file to whoever administers the DNS zone. |
| Notify | Generates the same CSV and emails it, with the subject Domain Verification Required for {domain}. |
Notify emails the user who created the domain, falling back to the signed-in user when no creator is recorded. It does not accept a different address, so it is a way to get the records into an inbox and forward them on, not a way to send them straight to a DNS administrator. To hand the file over directly, use Download CSV.
Whoever adds the records needs no eCourtDate access. The CSV carries the record type, name, and value for each entry, which is everything a DNS provider asks for. Verification then runs from the eCourtDate side once the records resolve.
What SPF, DKIM, and DMARC do
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): lists which servers are authorized to send email for the domain. The eCourtDate value authorizes Amazon SES.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): adds a cryptographic signature to outbound email so receivers can confirm it was not tampered with.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance): tells receiving servers what to do when an email fails SPF or DKIM. The default policy is
p=none, which monitors without affecting delivery.
Configure all three for the best deliverability. Without them, the messages are more likely to be flagged as spam.
Adding records at the provider
Add each record exactly as shown in the Console. After saving, allow time for DNS to propagate. Changes may take 24 to 72 hours to propagate globally, though many appear within a few hours. Confirm records are visible using a public DNS lookup tool such as dnschecker.org.
See also
- Email Domain Setup: the full setup sequence.
- Verification and Monitoring: confirm records and read the Monitoring Report.
- Troubleshooting: resolve deliverability and inbound issues.