Name.com DNS for Business Email: MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC

Name.com keeps DNS on one page per domain, with a short form at the top for new records. The only thing that trips people is the Host field, which wants just the part before your domain and treats a blank as the root. Add a record with the full domain typed in and you get a record at yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com, which nothing ever queries. This guide adds the four records a mailbox on your own domain needs, removes any mail records Name.com added for its own forwarding or mailbox products, and checks the result.

Quick answer

Name.com, My Domains, click the domain, DNS Records in the left menu. Add an MX with Host blank, Answer mail.oqumail.com, Priority 10. Add three TXT records: Host blank for SPF, the DKIM selector for DKIM, and _dmarc for DMARC. Delete any MX records that belong to Name.com email forwarding or a mailbox product. Click Verify in OquMail.

The four records

• MX: host blank or @, value mail.oqumail.com, priority 10
• SPF: TXT at the root, value v=spf1 MX (Mail Exchanger — where incoming email is delivered) a:mail.oqumail.com ~all
• DKIM: TXT at the selector name shown in your OquMail dashboard, ending in ._domainkey, with the key value from the dashboard
• DMARC: TXT at _dmarc, value v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com (use your own address)

Step by step

1. Log in at name.com and open My Domains. Click the domain name.
2. In the left menu choose DNS Records. If the page says the domain uses other nameservers, the records must be added at that provider instead; otherwise continue.
3. Look at the existing records. If Name.com email forwarding or a mailbox product is active, MX records pointing at Name.com hosts are listed. Cancel the product under the Email menu first, then delete those MX records here.
4. Add the MX: Type MX, Host left blank, Answer mail.oqumail.com, TTL 300, Priority 10. Click Add Record.
5. Add SPF: Type TXT, Host blank, Answer v=spf1 MX (Mail Exchanger — where incoming email is delivered) a:mail.oqumail.com ~all. If a TXT starting v=spf1 already exists, edit it instead of adding a second.
6. Add DKIM: Type TXT, Host the selector exactly as the OquMail dashboard shows it (for example selector._domainkey, without the domain), Answer the full key value.
7. Add DMARC: Type TXT, Host _dmarc, Answer v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com, using an address you read.
8. Back in the OquMail dashboard, click Verify.

Name.com quirks

• The Host field is the prefix only. Blank is the root; typing yourdomain.com creates a doubled name. The record list shows the full name after saving, so a mistake is easy to spot.
• Name.com adds no quotes to TXT values and does not need them; paste the value plain.
• Long DKIM values are accepted whole.
• The default TTL of 300 seconds makes corrections visible within minutes.
• Name.com sells Google Workspace and Titan mailboxes; if one was bought with the domain, its MX records are managed from the Email page and must be removed before yours take over.

Confirm it works

Click Verify in the OquMail dashboard; the live check names any record still missing or mistyped. Then run the domain through the free MX lookup, SPF checker and DMARC checker, and send a message from webmail to a Gmail address, checking Show original for spf=pass and DKIM (a digital signature that proves your email was not tampered with)=pass. Changes usually take effect within minutes, occasionally up to 48 hours.

Common questions

Can I keep Name.com email forwarding for one address?

Not alongside real mailboxes. Forwarding needs Name.com's MX records, and a domain routes mail to one set of servers. Create the extra address as a mailbox or a group in OquMail instead; both are free.

The records show but Verify still fails.

Check the Host column for a doubled domain name and the Type column for TXT rather than MX. Then wait for the TTL and try again; the stuck verification guide covers the rest.

Do I need Name.com hosting?

No. Email on the domain needs only these records; the website, if any, is separate.

Want to see how your own domain is set up? Use the free SPF checker, DMARC checker and MX lookup: they run in your browser and store nothing.