How to Correctly Set Up DNS Records for Sending Emails from HubSpot

Email deliverability is critical for businesses using HubSpot for marketing and sales communication. If your DNS records aren’t set up correctly, your emails might land in spam folders or fail to send altogether.

At Huntscape Operations Partners, we’ve seen too many small businesses struggle with this, so here’s a step-by-step guide to correctly configuring your DNS records to ensure your emails from HubSpot are authenticated, trusted, and reach your recipients' inboxes.

🔍 Why Do You Need to Configure DNS for HubSpot?

Email providers (like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo) use authentication protocols to determine whether an email is legitimate or potentially spoofed or spam. If your domain’s DNS settings don’t authorize HubSpot to send emails on your behalf, your messages may get flagged as unverified.

To fix this, you need to set up the correct DNS records:

✅ SPF (Sender Policy Framework) – Prevents unauthorized sources from sending emails on your behalf.
✅ DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) – Encrypts email signatures to confirm they’re sent from your domain.
✅ DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) – Gives email providers guidance on how to handle unauthenticated messages.

🛠️ Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your DNS Records for HubSpot

1️⃣ Find Your HubSpot DNS Settings

• In HubSpot, navigate to Settings ⚙️ > Website > Domains & URLs.
• Click on the Email Sending Domains tab.
• Click Connect Domain if you haven’t already added your sending domain.
• HubSpot will generate the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records you need.

2️⃣ Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records to Your DNS Provider

Now, log in to your DNS provider (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.) and follow these steps:

📌 Step A: Add the SPF Record

SPF ensures that HubSpot is authorized to send emails from your domain.

➡️ Go to your DNS settings and create a new TXT record with these values:

• Type: TXT
• Host/Name: @ (or your domain name)
• Value: v=spf1 include:spf.hubspotemail.net ~all
• TTL: Default (or set to 3600 seconds)

🔹 If you already have an SPF record, merge HubSpot’s SPF with your existing record instead of adding a second one.

📌 Step B: Add the DKIM Record

DKIM signs your emails with a cryptographic signature to verify authenticity.

➡️ Add two new CNAME records in your DNS settings:

1. CNAME 1:

   • Host/Name: Provided by HubSpot (e.g., hs1._domainkey.yourdomain.com)
   • Value: Provided by HubSpot (e.g., hs1.yourdomain.com.dkim.hubspotemail.net)

2. CNAME 2:

   • Host/Name: Provided by HubSpot (e.g., hs2._domainkey.yourdomain.com)
   • Value: Provided by HubSpot (e.g., hs2.yourdomain.com.dkim.hubspotemail.net)

📌 Step C: Add the DMARC Record

DMARC tells email providers what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.

➡️ Add a new TXT record with these values:

• Type: TXT
• Host/Name: _dmarc
• Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com; fo=1
• TTL: Default (or 3600 seconds)

🔹 Adjust the “p=none” value to “p=quarantine” or “p=reject” later, once you confirm that everything is working properly.

✅ Step 3: Verify the DNS Setup in HubSpot

• After adding the records, go back to HubSpot > Email Sending Domains.
• Click Verify next to your domain.
• If HubSpot successfully detects the records, your domain is authenticated!

🚀 Why This Matters for Small Businesses

Correctly setting up your DNS records helps ensure that:
✔️ Your emails don’t end up in spam folders.
✔️ You avoid email spoofing and phishing attacks.
✔️ You build trust with email providers, improving deliverability.
✔️ You maintain a professional reputation when sending sales and marketing emails.

At Huntscape Operations Partners, we help businesses set up HubSpot the right way—because tools work best when they’re properly configured.

Need help? Contact us today and let’s get your emails delivered reliably and securely! 🚀