> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.autocampaign.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sending domains

> Verify a domain with DNS records so your email is authenticated and deliverable.

<Info>
  **Time to complete:** \~10–15 minutes, plus up to 48 hours for DNS changes to take
  effect  ·  **Difficulty:** Intermediate
</Info>

## Overview

To send email from your own address, you verify the domain it belongs to (the part
after the @). You do this by adding a few
[DNS records](/getting-started/glossary#dns-record) — settings in your domain
provider's control panel, such as GoDaddy or Cloudflare. These include SPF and DKIM (records that prove email really comes from you) and
set up link tracking, so your campaigns are trusted and land in inboxes. Manage
domains at
**Settings → Email → Sending domains** (`/settings/email/domains`).

## Verify a domain

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add your domain">
    Go to **Settings → Sending domains** and click **Add domain**. Enter a bare
    domain like `acme.com` (no `https://`, no path).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the DNS records">
    Autocampaign AI shows a set of **CNAME** records (a type of DNS record that points
    one name at another) covering **SPF**, **DKIM**, and a **tracking domain**. Copy
    each record's host and value.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add them at your DNS provider">
    Open your DNS provider (the company that manages your domain, such as GoDaddy,
    Cloudflare, or Namecheap) and add the records exactly as shown.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify">
    Back in Autocampaign AI, click **Verify**. Autocampaign AI re-checks your DNS and updates the
    status. It also re-checks automatically every few minutes.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Check the verification status

* **Pending** — waiting for your DNS changes to spread across the internet (can
  take minutes up to 48 hours).
* **Verified** — authenticated and ready to send from.
* **Failed** — DNS wasn't detected within 48 hours; fix the records and re-verify.

<Note>
  DNS changes can take time to take effect. Autocampaign AI re-checks pending domains
  automatically — you don't have to keep clicking **Verify**.
</Note>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What records do I add?">
    CNAME records for SPF, DKIM, and a tracking subdomain — Autocampaign AI generates them
    for your domain. A DMARC record (a further email-security record) isn't part of
    this setup.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need to own the domain?">
    Yes — you must be able to add DNS records for it. You can't verify a domain you
    don't control (like `gmail.com`).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does verification take?">
    Often a few minutes, but DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to take effect
    everywhere.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="'Enter a bare domain like acme.com'">
    Remove the `https://` and anything after the domain — enter just `acme.com`,
    not `https://acme.com/`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is my domain stuck on 'Pending'?">
    Double-check each CNAME host and value matches exactly. Some providers add your
    domain to the end of the host automatically — check for that. Changes can take
    up to 48 hours to take effect.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="'This domain is already registered'">
    The domain is already added to your workspace. Open it from the list instead of
    adding it again.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Card title="Next: add a sender" icon="user" href="/providers/email-senders">
  Create a from-address on your verified domain.
</Card>