MailKite DNS on GoDaddy

GoDaddy supports every DNS record MailKite requires — one MX record and three TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), all standard types GoDaddy's DNS manager handles natively. You add them under Domain Portfolio → your domain → DNS → Add New Record. Setup takes about five minutes plus DNS propagation.

Before you start

• Add your domain in MailKite to get the exact record values — the DKIM key is unique per domain.
• Confirm GoDaddy actually hosts your DNS. Records only work here if the domain's nameservers point at GoDaddy:

dig NS myapp.ai +short
# ns51.domaincontrol.com.  ← GoDaddy nameservers
# ns52.domaincontrol.com.

If the nameservers point elsewhere (say, Cloudflare), add the records at that provider instead — see the other guides.

The records, GoDaddy-style

GoDaddy's Name field takes only the host part — it appends your domain automatically. Use @ for the root domain. Values below are for myapp.ai:

Setting up a subdomain like mail.myapp.ai on the myapp.ai zone? Replace @ with mail: the four Names become mail, mail, mailkite._domainkey.mail, and _dmarc.mail.

Step by step

1. Sign in at godaddy.com and open Domain Portfolio (My Products → Domains).
2. Select your domain, then open the DNS tab (or ⋮ → Manage DNS).
3. Click Add New Record.
4. Add each of the four records from the table above — pick the Type, paste the Name and Value, set Priority 10 on the MX. The default 1-hour TTL is fine.
5. Save each record.

Verify

Back in MailKite, hit Verify on the domain in the dashboard, or from the CLI:

npx @mailkite/cli domains verify <domainId> --json

The domain flips to verified as soon as the MX record resolves. GoDaddy changes usually propagate within an hour (matching the record TTL), occasionally longer — re-run verify until all four checks are green.

GoDaddy gotchas

• Don't paste the full domain into Name. GoDaddy appends it for you — entering _dmarc.myapp.ai creates _dmarc.myapp.ai.myapp.ai. Use _dmarc.
• One SPF record per name. If @ already has a v=spf1 TXT (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace…), edit it and add include:mailkite.dev before the ~all instead of adding a second SPF record.
• Remove conflicting CNAMEs. DNS forbids a CNAME alongside any other record at the same name — GoDaddy will refuse or the records won't resolve. Delete the CNAME on that host first (common on mail subdomains, where GoDaddy templates often park one).
• Long DKIM values are fine. GoDaddy's TXT field accepts the full DKIM public key — paste it as one string.
• The GoDaddy API is restricted. GoDaddy limits its DNS API to accounts with large domain portfolios, so for most accounts the dashboard is the way — the whole thing is four records.

FAQ

Does GoDaddy allow the DNS records MailKite requires?

Yes. MailKite needs one MX record and three TXT records — plain record types GoDaddy has always supported, the same ones used by Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. There is no GoDaddy limitation that affects MailKite setup.

How long does GoDaddy DNS take to propagate?

Typically under an hour (GoDaddy's default TTL). Worldwide propagation can occasionally take a few hours. MailKite re-checks every time you hit Verify.

Can I keep my existing email while adding MailKite?

MX records decide where a domain's mail is delivered, so point MailKite at a subdomain (like mail.myapp.ai) to leave your root domain's mailboxes untouched — and merge the SPF records as described above.

Next: receive your first message, or see the full Domains & DNS reference.