How to Add Audienceful's Email DNS Records in Hover
This guide shows how to add the DNS records Audienceful gives you in Hover. First, add your domain in Audienceful (Settings → Domains → New) so you have your exact records on screen — the DKIM values are unique to your domain. For what each record does, see the main custom domain guide.
Find your DNS settings in Hover
- Sign in to Hover and open your domain from the list.
- Click the DNS tab.
- You'll see your existing records with an Add a Record button.
Hover quirks to know
- Hostname field appends your domain automatically. In Hover's Hostname field, enter only the part before your domain — e.g.
pdk1._domainkeyoremail. For the root domain, use@. Never type the full hostname (likeemail.yourdomain.com) or you'll get a doubled domain such asemail.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com. - Choose the record type (CNAME, TXT, MX) before entering the value.
- No trailing dot in the CNAME target field — enter
mailgun.org, notmailgun.org.. - Only one SPF record is allowed. If a TXT record starting with
v=spf1already exists, edit it to merge in Audienceful's include rather than adding a second one (see below).
Add each record
Use Add a Record, pick the Type, and fill in the fields. Copy every value exactly from your Audienceful Domains screen.
DKIM — two CNAME records
| Field | Record 1 | Record 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | CNAME | CNAME |
| Hostname | pdk1._domainkey |
pdk2._domainkey |
| Target / Value | (the target shown in Audienceful) | (the target shown in Audienceful) |
(On a subdomain like mail.yourdomain.com, the Hostname becomes pdk1._domainkey.mail.)
SPF — one TXT record (merge if you already have one)
- Type: TXT
- Hostname:
@(or your subdomain label) - Value:
v=spf1 include:mailgun.org ~all
If a v=spf1 TXT record already exists, edit that record instead of adding a new one, and add the Mailgun include — for example: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:mailgun.org ~all.
Tracking — one CNAME record
- Type: CNAME
- Hostname:
email - Target / Value:
mailgun.org
DMARC — one TXT record (recommended)
- Type: TXT
- Hostname:
_dmarc - Value:
v=DMARC1; p=none;
(Skip if you already have a _dmarc record.)
MX — optional, only if this domain doesn't already receive email
Add the two MX records shown in Audienceful (mxa.mailgun.org and mxb.mailgun.org) with priority 10 and Hostname @. Don't add these if you already receive mail at this domain (e.g. Google Workspace) — two sets of MX records conflict.
Common mistakes in Hover
- Typing the full host (
pdk1._domainkey.yourdomain.com) — Hover appends your domain, so enter justpdk1._domainkey. - Adding a second SPF record instead of merging into the existing one.
- Adding a trailing dot to the CNAME target value.
Verify
Back in Audienceful, click Verify domain. If a record isn't green yet, wait a few minutes (DNS can take up to 24 hours) and check again. Full troubleshooting is in the main guide.