DKIM Checker

Easily check your domain’s DKIM records to verify your email authentication setup with the DKIM Lookup. Simply enter the domain name and selector to check the complete details of the DKIM record.

How to Check DKIM Records?

Here’s how you can use the DKIM checker to check DKIM records.

1. Enter the Selector: Enter the DKIM selector used by your email service, such as cf2024-1 (for Iplocation.io). If you don't know it, search for how to find your selector.
2. Enter the Domain: Enter the domain whose DKIM record you want to check. 
3. Click Lookup DKIM Record: Click the button to query the corresponding DKIM record.
4. Review the Results: Check the validity status, raw record, public key, key length, and DKIM tags.

The selector is important because a domain can publish multiple DKIM keys under different selectors. The selector tells the receiving mail server which public key to retrieve.

What Does the DKIM Lookup Show?

Once the DKIM record lookup is complete, the tool provides several details about the record. Here’s what they mean:

Validity Status: This gives you a quick verdict on whether the DKIM record is valid.

DNS Record: Shows the exact DNS location where the DKIM record was found (for example, selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com).

Selector and Domain: Displays the two values used to perform the lookup.

Raw DKIM Record: Shows the complete published DKIM TXT record, including tags such as the version, key type, and public key. The record can be long because the public key is stored as Base64-encoded data.

Key Length: Shows the detected public-key length in bits, such as 1024 or 2048 bits. This gives you a quick way to assess whether the key meets your email provider's security requirements.

Understanding DKIM Tags

DKIM records use tags to define how the authentication system should handle the key. In a normal DKIM record, it's hard to figure out how to read it (due to the record's length). 

Our DKIM checker separates these tags so you don't have to decipher the raw DNS record yourself. Here’s what each tag means.

The P tag is particularly important because receiving mail servers use this public key to verify DKIM signatures.

The tool can also show optional or default DKIM tags, including G, N, S, T, Q, and L, helping you understand settings that may not be explicitly included in your record.

Here’s what the tags look like in a real DKIM record:

v=DKIM1; h=sha256; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANB………

Who Should Use a DKIM Validator?

A DKIM validator can be useful for:

• Website administrators setting up email authentication
• IT teams managing company domains
• Email marketers troubleshooting delivery problems
• Developers configuring transactional email
• Businesses improving email authentication and protection against domain spoofing
• Anyone verifying that a newly published DKIM record is visible

Instead of manually querying DNS and interpreting a long string of technical values, you can use the checker to see the record and its important components in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a DKIM record checker? 

A DKIM record checker is a tool that looks up your published DKIM record, confirms it's valid, and parses out its tags (version, key type, public key, and so on) in a readable format so you can spot problems.

What is a DKIM Selector? 

A DKIM selector is a short label that points to a specific DKIM key in your DNS. Since a domain can have several DKIM keys (for different senders or dates), the selector tells mail servers which one to use. It sits in the record location as “selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com”.

How to analyze the DKIM selector from email headers? 

First, you have to open the email's raw headers and find the “DKIM-Signature” line. The selector is the value after “s=,” and the domain is after “d=”. Together they tell you exactly which DKIM record signed the message.

How to check if DKIM is active? 

To test if DKIM is active, send a test email to an inbox you control and view the raw headers. If you see a “dkim=pass” result, it means it's working. You can also run your selector and domain through a DKIM record checker to confirm the record is published.

How can I check a DKIM record using IPLocation? 

Follow these steps to check your DKIM records with IPLocation.io. 

Open the IPLocation DKIM Checker, enter your selector and domain in the two fields, and click Lookup DKIM. It fetches the record, confirms whether it's valid, and breaks down each tag and the key length.

How do I find my DKIM selector? 

You can find your DKIM selector in two ways. 

• Check a sent email's headers for the “s=” value in the “DKIM-Signature” line, 
• Check your email provider's DKIM/authentication settings, where the selector is listed.

Why is my DKIM check failing? 

Several common causes can cause a DKIM check to fail. For example:

• a wrong or misspelled selector, 
• a record that wasn't published (or hasn't finished propagating in DNS yet), 
• a copy-paste error in the key, 
• or the record being split or truncated. 

So, if it fails, double-check the selector, domain, and full record value.

How often should I check my DKIM record? 

You should check your DKIM records whenever you change email providers, add a new sending service, rotate keys, or notice deliverability issues. Otherwise, an occasional periodic check (every few months) is enough to catch problems early.