MailerLite SPF and DKIM setup

What you are setting up

MailerLite sends your newsletters and automations. Authenticating your domain publishes a DKIM key under your domain (so MailerLite signs as you and aligns) plus an SPF record and a one-time verification record. Unlike some marketing tools, MailerLite does want an SPF record alongside DKIM. One nice detail: the DKIM record is a fixed value you can publish exactly as written, while the SPF and verification values are specific to your account.

Authenticate your domain

In MailerLite, go to Account settings > Domains and add your domain (enter an address on it). MailerLite shows three records. The DKIM one is the same for every account:

Type:  CNAME   (DKIM)
Host:  litesrv._domainkey
Value: litesrv._domainkey.mlsend.com

Type:  TXT     (SPF)
Host:  @
Value: (copy the exact SPF value MailerLite shows you)

Type:  TXT     (domain verification)
Host:  @
Value: (the one-time verification token MailerLite shows you)

Publish all three, then click Check DNS Records. Note the DKIM selector is litesrv (not ml), and the value points at MailerLite's mlsend.com sending domain. Copy the SPF value from your console rather than typing it from memory, and if you already have an SPF record, merge MailerLite's include into it instead of adding a second one. Our SPF builder handles the merge. MailerLite can also write these records for you automatically on supported DNS hosts.

If you are on the older “Classic” MailerLite, the screens differ; the steps above are for current MailerLite.

Add DMARC

Standard _dmarc TXT record. MailerLite recommends starting in monitor-only mode:

Type:  TXT
Host:  _dmarc
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Build it with our DMARC builder and progress past p=none carefully once your reports are clean.

The MailerLite gotcha

The number-one break is the DNS host appending your domainto the record. MailerLite's own advice: do not add your domain to the end of the host field (most providers do it for you), and to stop the CNAME value from getting your domain appended, add a trailing dot, litesrv._domainkey.mlsend.com. Two more it documents: SPF is case-sensitive, so copy it exactly, and you can only have one SPF record, so merge rather than duplicate.

Confirm it worked

• Check the records. Our DKIM checker confirms the litesrv CNAME resolves, and a free DMARC audit confirms SPF and DMARC parse.
• Send a test and read the headers. Send yourself a campaign, open the original, and confirm the DKIM signature shows d=yourdomain.com and dmarc=pass. Our header analyzer makes it readable.
• Watch the reports. MailerLite should appear as an aligned, passing source in your DMARC aggregate reports, labeled as a known sender in trustyourinbox.