Namecheap is a common choice for people launching an app on a custom domain. Your app builder or host usually tells you which records to add for your website. Email is a different story. Your app's sign-up confirmations and password resets need their own DNS records, and nobody adds those for you.
Without them, Gmail and Outlook can't confirm that the service sending your email is allowed to use your domain. So your messages land in spam.
This guide shows you how to add DKIM in Namecheap's Advanced DNS tab, along with the DMARC record and the SPF check that go with it. We use Brevo as the sending service, but the steps are the same for any provider. Only the values you paste change. If you want the background on what each record does first, read our guide to email authentication.
The information in this article was last updated on October 23, 2026.
Table of Contents
- Before you start
- The records you'll add (quick reference)
- How to find the Advanced DNS tab in Namecheap
- Step 1: Add the Brevo code
- Step 2: Add DKIM records on Namecheap
- Step 3: Check your SPF record
- Step 4: Add a DMARC record on Namecheap
- Step 5: Verify your records
- Common Namecheap DNS errors and how to fix them
- Namecheap DKIM checklist
- Get your app's emails into the inbox
Before you start
You'll need three things:
- Access to your Namecheap account for the domain you send from.
- The DNS records from your email provider. In Brevo, go to Settings > Senders, Domains, IPs > Domains and click Add a domain. Enter your sending domain, go through the Branded subdomain and Setup method steps (choose the manual option), and Brevo shows your records on the Records step.
- About 10 minutes, plus some waiting time.
Before adding anything, check where your DNS is managed. In Namecheap, go to Domain List, click Manage next to your domain, and look at the Nameservers section.
- Namecheap BasicDNS (the default) or PremiumDNS means you add records in the Advanced DNS tab. This guide is for you.
- Namecheap Web Hosting DNS means you add records in cPanel instead (Namecheap).
- Custom DNS (Cloudflare or Vercel nameservers, for example) means your DNS lives at that service. Add the records there, because anything you add in Namecheap will be ignored.
The records you'll add (quick reference)
| Record | Type in Namecheap | Host | Value | Required by Brevo? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo code | TXT Record | @ | brevo-code:xxxxxxxx | Yes |
| DKIM 1 | CNAME Record | brevo1._domainkey | b1.xxxxxxxx.dkim.brevo.com | Yes |
| DKIM 2 | CNAME Record | brevo2._domainkey | b2.xxxxxxxx.dkim.brevo.com | Yes |
| DMARC | TXT Record | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected] | Yes |
| SPF | TXT Record | @ | Your existing SPF, merged | Only with a dedicated IP |
The xxxxxxxx parts are unique to your account, so always copy them from Brevo and never from a tutorial. Our guide to DNS email records explains how these record types fit together.
How to find the Advanced DNS tab in Namecheap
1. Sign in to Namecheap and select Domain List in the left menu.
2. Click Manage next to your domain.
3. Open the Advanced DNS tab.
4. In the Host Records section, click Add New Record.
Each record has a Type, a Host, and a Value. Once you've added your records, click Save All Changes.
One rule matters more than any other here. In the Host field, enter only the part that comes before your domain. Namecheap adds the domain for you, and its help center says not to include it, even when your email provider's instructions show the full name (Namecheap). Type brevo1._domainkey, not brevo1._domainkey.yourdomain.com.
Step 1: Add the Brevo code
The Brevo code proves you own the domain.
1. Click Add New Record and choose TXT Record.
2. Host: @
3. Value: paste the brevo-code:... string from Brevo.
4. Click Save All Changes.
You can have several TXT records on @, so the Brevo code won't clash with your SPF record or with verification codes from other services.
Step 2: Add DKIM records on Namecheap
DKIM adds a digital signature to every email you send. The receiving server checks that signature against the key published in your DNS. If they match, the email came from a service you authorized and wasn't changed on the way.
Brevo gives you either two CNAME records or one TXT record (Brevo Help). For the CNAME version:
1. Click Add New Record and choose CNAME Record.
2. Host: brevo1._domainkey
3. Value: paste the b1.....dkim.brevo.com target from Brevo.
4. Add a second CNAME with Host brevo2._domainkey and Value b2.....dkim.brevo.com.
5. Click Save All Changes.
If Brevo shows a single TXT record instead, choose TXT Record and use the Host and Value Brevo gives you. Namecheap supports both 1024-bit and 2048-bit DKIM keys.
A CNAME can't share its Host with another record. If Namecheap won't save, look for an existing record on the same Host. Remove it only if it belongs to a service you no longer use (Namecheap).
Your Namecheap Private Email DKIM can stay. If you also use Namecheap's mailbox, it has its own DKIM record on the Host privateemail._domainkey, or default._domainkey for subscriptions bought before June 2, 2026 (Namecheap). Each DKIM record has its own selector, so both live side by side.
Step 3: Check your SPF record
SPF lists the servers allowed to send email for your domain. It's a TXT record on @ that starts with v=spf1.
Do you need to change it for Brevo? Usually not. On Brevo's shared IPs (the default), your emails pass SPF on Brevo's own return-path domain, and DMARC passes through your aligned DKIM signature. You only add Brevo to your SPF record when you use a dedicated IP with a branded subdomain (Brevo Help).
It's still worth a look at your Host Records, because Namecheap may have created one already.
- Namecheap Email Forwarding. If you forward [email protected] to your personal inbox, Namecheap shows an SPF record that forwarding needs to work (Namecheap). Leave it in place.
- Namecheap Private Email. Its SPF value is v=spf1 include:spf.privateemail.com ~all.
A domain can only have one SPF record. Namecheap warns that multiple SPF records on the same host interfere with each other and need to be combined. To add a sender, put its include: inside your existing record rather than creating a second one. For example, Private Email plus a second sender looks like this:
Step 4: Add a DMARC record on Namecheap
DMARC tells receiving servers what to do with an email that fails authentication. It also sends you reports on who is sending email with your domain.
1. Click Add New Record and choose TXT Record.
2. Host: _dmarc
3. Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]
4. Click Save All Changes.
Start with p=none. This policy only monitors, so nothing gets blocked while you check that every legitimate sender passes. When your reports look clean, move to p=quarantine, then p=reject.
Already have a _dmarc record? If you set up Namecheap Private Email, you may. Don't add a second one, since a domain should have exactly one DMARC record. Edit the existing value and add Brevo's address to the rua tag, separated by a comma (Brevo Help):
Gmail requires bulk senders to publish a DMARC record with at least p=none, and it has been tightening enforcement since November 2025 (Google). Our guide to Gmail and Yahoo sender requirements covers the full list.
Step 5: Verify your records
Namecheap says new host records usually take about 30 minutes to take effect. Brevo notes that DNS changes can take up to 48 hours, so give it time before you start troubleshooting.
Check the record directly. You don't need to wait for a test email. Open Google Admin Toolbox Dig, choose CNAME, and enter brevo1._domainkey.yourdomain.com. If the answer shows your b1.....dkim.brevo.com target, the record is live. For DMARC, choose TXT and look up _dmarc.yourdomain.com.
In Brevo, go back to Settings > Senders, Domains, IPs > Domains and click Authenticate this email domain. Each record shows as verified once Brevo finds it. If one is still missing, wait a little and try again.
In Gmail, send a test email from your app to a Gmail address and open it. Click the three-dot menu next to Reply and choose Show original. You want PASS next to DKIM and DMARC.
Common Namecheap DNS errors and how to fix them
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Brevo can't find the records | Domain uses custom nameservers (Cloudflare, Vercel) | Add the records at the DNS host your nameservers point to |
| Records don't appear in Advanced DNS | Domain uses Namecheap Web Hosting DNS | Add the records in cPanel |
| DKIM fails, record looks correct | Full hostname typed in the Host field | Host should be brevo1._domainkey only |
| DKIM TXT record fails | Key copied only in part | Copy the full value from Brevo in one go, with no line breaks |
| "Please enter a fully qualified domain name" | CNAME value incomplete | Paste the full b1.....dkim.brevo.com target |
| CNAME won't save | Another record uses the same Host | Remove the old record if its service is no longer used |
| SPF fails | Two TXT records starting with v=spf1 | Merge them into one |
| Brevo still says "not found" | Records added to the wrong domain | Check the domain name at the top of the Advanced DNS page |
| Records changed but nothing happens | Changes not saved | Click Save All Changes after adding records |
| Authentication passes, emails still in spam | New domain, no sending reputation yet | Warm up the domain gradually |
If authentication passes and your emails still land in spam, the problem is usually reputation, not DNS. Read up on how spam filters work, follow our guide on how to warm up an email domain, and work through our email deliverability best practices.
Namecheap DKIM checklist
- Your nameservers are Namecheap BasicDNS or PremiumDNS
- Brevo code added as a TXT record on @
- Two DKIM CNAMEs added: brevo1._domainkey and brevo2._domainkey
- Host fields contain only the prefix, not your domain
- One SPF record only (Namecheap's forwarding record left in place)
- One DMARC record on _dmarc, starting at p=none
- Save All Changes clicked
- Brevo shows the domain as authenticated, and Gmail shows DKIM and DMARC PASS
Get your app's emails into the inbox
On Namecheap, authenticating your domain comes down to four records in the Advanced DNS tab: the Brevo code, two DKIM CNAMEs, and one DMARC record. Type only the prefix in the Host field, keep a single SPF record and a single DMARC record, and start DMARC at p=none.
If your app still needs a sending service, an email API like Brevo's works with apps built with AI app builders and custom code alike. The free plan includes 300 emails per day, no credit card needed. Create a free Brevo account to get your DNS records.
