How to Set Up DKIM for Mailchimp

Setting up DKIM for Mailchimp improves your email deliverability and helps your campaigns reach the inbox instead of spam. Mailchimp calls this "domain authentication" and makes it straightforward to configure.

Why Authenticate Your Domain in Mailchimp

Without domain authentication:

• Your emails show "via mailchimp.com" or similar in recipient inboxes
• Deliverability may suffer, especially for large sends
• Your domain isn't protected from spoofing
• You can't fully comply with Google and Yahoo's sender requirements

With DKIM authentication:

• Emails appear to come directly from your domain
• Better inbox placement and sender reputation
• Protection against email spoofing
• Compliance with bulk sender requirements

Before You Start

You'll need:

• A Mailchimp account (any plan level)
• Access to your domain's DNS settings
• A verified email address on your sending domain

Step-by-Step Setup

Verify Your Setup

After authentication completes in Mailchimp, verify the DNS record is publicly accessible.

Look up: k1._domainkey.yourdomain.com

Mailchimp DKIM Record Details

Mailchimp uses standardized CNAME records:

| Selector | CNAME Target | |----------|--------------| | k1 | dkim.mcsv.net | | k2 | dkim2.mcsv.net | | k3 | dkim3.mcsv.net |

Most setups only require k1. Mailchimp will tell you if additional selectors are needed.

Common Issues and Solutions

"Authentication pending" for a long time

Cause: DNS hasn't propagated or the record is misconfigured.

Solutions:

• Wait up to 48 hours (though usually much faster)
• Verify the CNAME record exists using a DNS lookup tool
• Check that you entered k1._domainkey not k1._domainkey.yourdomain.com (providers auto-append the domain)
• Ensure the target is exactly dkim.mcsv.net with no typos

CNAME record shows as TXT in DNS

Cause: You may have accidentally created a TXT record instead of CNAME.

Solution: Delete the TXT record and create a proper CNAME record.

"Domain already authenticated by another account"

Cause: The domain was previously authenticated in a different Mailchimp account.

Solution: Contact Mailchimp support to release the domain from the old account, or remove the old DNS records and re-authenticate.

Authentication works but emails still show "via mailchimp"

Cause: This can happen if:

• SPF isn't also configured
• You're viewing the email in a client that always shows the sending server
• DMARC alignment isn't set up

Solution: Also configure SPF and DMARC for complete authentication.

Adding Records to Common DNS Providers

GoDaddy

1. DNS Management → Add Record → CNAME
2. Host: k1._domainkey
3. Points to: dkim.mcsv.net
4. Save

Cloudflare

1. DNS → Add record → CNAME
2. Name: k1._domainkey
3. Target: dkim.mcsv.net
4. Proxy status: DNS only (gray cloud)
5. Save

Namecheap

1. Advanced DNS → Add New Record → CNAME
2. Host: k1._domainkey
3. Value: dkim.mcsv.net
4. Save

Complete Your Email Authentication

DKIM is one part of email authentication. For best Mailchimp deliverability:

SPF: Add Mailchimp's servers to your SPF record:

include:servers.mcsv.net

Check at spfrecordcheck.com.

DMARC: Set up a DMARC policy for your domain. Check at dmarcrecordchecker.com.

Custom Return Path: Mailchimp also offers custom return-path configuration for advanced users, which further improves alignment.

Monitor Your DKIM Records

Checking once is good. Monitoring continuously is better. The Email Deliverability Suite watches your SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX records daily and alerts you when something breaks.