How to Add and Remove TXT Records in cPanel

Managing DNS records is one of the most essential tasks for anyone who owns or administers a website. Whether you are setting up email authentication, verifying domain ownership, or configuring third-party services, TXT records often play a central role. For many website owners, cPanel is the control panel of choice because of its user-friendly interface and wide adoption across hosting providers.

Understanding how to add and remove TXT records in cPanel is, therefore a crucial skill that ensures your domain functions correctly and securely.

Understanding TXT Records

Before diving into the practical steps, it is important to understand what TXT records are and why they matter. A TXT record is a type of DNS record that allows administrators to associate arbitrary text with a domain. Unlike A records, which point a domain to an IP address, or MX records, which direct email traffic, TXT records serve a more flexible purpose. They are commonly used for domain verification, email security protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and for providing information to external services.

For example, when you set up Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you are often asked to add a TXT record to prove that you own the domain. Similarly, email providers rely on TXT records to check whether incoming messages are legitimate or potentially fraudulent. Without properly configured TXT records, your emails may end up in spam folders or your domain may fail verification checks.

Accessing the DNS Zone Editor in cPanel

The first step in managing TXT records is accessing the DNS Zone Editor. Once you log in to your cPanel account, you will find a section labeled “Domains” or “Zone Editor,” depending on the version of cPanel your hosting provider uses. The Zone Editor is the tool that allows you to add, edit, and delete DNS records associated with your domain.

When you open the Zone Editor, you will see a list of domains hosted under your account. If you manage multiple domains, select the one for which you want to add or remove a TXT record. This ensures that any changes you make apply only to the correct domain.

Adding a TXT Record in cPanel

Adding a TXT record is a straightforward process once you are inside the Zone Editor. After selecting your domain, look for the option to “Add Record” or specifically “Add TXT Record.” Clicking this will open a form where you need to provide several pieces of information.

The first field is usually the “Name” or “Host.” This specifies the part of the domain to which the TXT record applies. If you are adding a record for the root domain, you can leave this field blank or enter “@.” If the record is for a subdomain, you should enter the subdomain name.

The second field is the “TTL,” which stands for Time to Live. TTL determines how long DNS servers should cache the record before checking for updates. While you can set this to any value, most hosting providers recommend leaving it at the default, which is often 14400 seconds (four hours).

The most important field is the “Text” or “Record” field. This is where you enter the actual value of the TXT record. For example, if you are setting up an SPF record, the text might look like:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

If you are verifying your domain with a service, the provider will give you a unique string of text to paste into this field. Once you have entered the required information, click “Save Record” or “Add Record.” The new TXT record will then appear in the list of DNS records for your domain.

It is worth noting that DNS changes are not instantaneous. Although the record is added immediately in cPanel, it may take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours for the change to propagate across the internet. This delay is normal and depends on factors such as TTL settings and caching by DNS servers.

Removing a TXT Record in cPanel

Just as important as adding records is knowing how to remove them. Over time, you may accumulate TXT records that are no longer needed. For example, you might have verified your domain with a service you no longer use, or you may need to replace an outdated SPF record with a new one. Keeping unnecessary records can cause confusion or even lead to misconfigurations, so it is good practice to clean them up.

To remove a TXT record, return to the Zone Editor in cPanel and locate the domain you want to manage. Scroll through the list of DNS records until you find the TXT record you wish to delete. Next to each record, there is usually a “Delete” or “Remove” button. Clicking this will prompt you to confirm the deletion. Once confirmed, the record is permanently removed from your DNS configuration.

As with adding records, removing them also requires propagation time. DNS servers around the world may continue to cache the old record until the TTL expires. Therefore, if you delete a record, it may still appear in DNS lookups for a short period. Patience is key, and you should allow up to 24 hours for the removal to take full effect.

Best Practices for Managing TXT Records

While adding and removing TXT records is technically simple, there are best practices that every administrator should follow to avoid problems. First, always double-check the values you enter. A small typo in an SPF or DKIM record can cause email delivery issues that are difficult to troubleshoot.

Second, keep documentation of the records you add. Many administrators create a simple spreadsheet or text file where they record the purpose of each TXT record, the date it was added, and the service it relates to. This makes it easier to identify which records can be safely removed later.

Third, avoid overlapping or conflicting records. For example, if you have multiple SPF records, email servers may reject them because the standard requires only one SPF record per domain. In such cases, you should combine the values into a single record rather than adding multiple entries.

Finally, remember that DNS is a critical part of your website’s infrastructure. Changes should be made carefully and ideally during periods of low traffic, especially if you are unsure how they will affect your services.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Sometimes, even after adding a TXT record, you may find that the service you are configuring does not recognize it. This is usually due to propagation delays, but it can also result from incorrect entries. If you encounter issues, use online DNS lookup tools to check whether the record is visible publicly. These tools allow you to query your domain’s DNS records from different locations around the world.

If the record does not appear, revisit the Zone Editor and confirm that you entered the correct values. Pay attention to whether you added the record to the root domain or a subdomain, as this distinction often causes confusion. If everything looks correct but the record still does not propagate after 24 hours, contact your hosting provider’s support team. They can check server-level configurations that may not be visible in cPanel.

Conclusion

Adding and removing TXT records in cPanel is a fundamental skill for anyone managing a website or domain. TXT records are versatile and widely used for tasks ranging from email authentication to domain verification. By learning how to access the Zone Editor, input the correct values, and remove outdated records, you gain greater control over your domain’s functionality and security.

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