How do I authenticate my domain name for Mailchimp?
Authenticating your domain helps your Mailchimp campaigns land in your customers' inboxes instead of spam. You'll need to add a few records to your domain settings so Mailchimp can send emails on your behalf.
This guide covers how to authenticate a Rocketspark-managed domain for Mailchimp.
Step 1 — Log in to Mailchimp and find your domain settings
- Log in to Mailchimp and go to Account & billing from your profile.
- Click Domains.
- Next to the domain you want to authenticate, click Start authentication.
Step 2 — Choose your DNS provider
This is where many people get stuck — it's important to select the right option here.
When Mailchimp asks you to pick your DNS provider, select Other, then click Next.
⚠️ Don't see Rocketspark in the list? That's expected. Even though your domain is managed through Rocketspark, you won't find Rocketspark listed as a provider. Always choose Other.
If you accidentally select a provider like Amazon Route 53, you'll be taken to an AWS login screen (see below) — you will need to select "go to our manual setup"
On the next screen, click Or manually authenticate your domain to continue with manual setup.
Step 3 — Copy your DNS records from Mailchimp
Mailchimp will show you three records to add to your domain's DNS settings.
DKIM records (CNAME)
You'll see two CNAME records that prove Mailchimp is authorised to send mail for your domain:
- CNAME 1: Host/Name and Points To values
- CNAME 2: Host/Name and Points To values
Copy these exactly as shown in Mailchimp.
DMARC record (TXT)
You'll also see one TXT record:
- Host/Name:
_dmarc - Value/Points To: the text string Mailchimp provides
This tells mail systems what to do with emails that don't pass authentication checks.
Step 4 — Add the records in your Rocketspark dashboard
- Log in to your Rocketspark Dashboard and go to the Domain Names page.
- Add a new CNAME record for each of the two DKIM entries from Mailchimp.
- Add a new TXT record for the DMARC details from Mailchimp.
Not sure how to add DNS records in Rocketspark? See: How do I add/remove DNS records through Rocketspark?
Step 5 — Return to Mailchimp to complete verification
Once you've added the records:
- Return to the Mailchimp domains screen.
- Click Next so Mailchimp can check your DNS.
- Mailchimp will start validating your records. This can take anywhere from a few minutes up to 48 hours to fully propagate across the internet.
Once Mailchimp confirms everything is correct, your domain will show as Authenticated.
FAQ
Why can't I find Rocketspark in the Mailchimp provider list? Rocketspark isn't listed as a named DNS provider in Mailchimp. Always select Other when asked to choose your DNS provider — you'll then add the records manually through your Rocketspark Dashboard.
I selected Amazon Route 53 and got an AWS login screen. What do I do? Go back to the DNS provider selection step and choose Other instead. The AWS screen appears when Amazon Route 53 is selected by mistake — you don't need an AWS account for this process.
How long does DNS verification take? Usually a few minutes to a few hours, but it can take up to 48 hours in some cases. If it's been longer than 48 hours, double-check that the records were entered exactly as Mailchimp showed them.
What if my domain shows as "Failed" in Mailchimp? Check that each record was copied accurately, with no extra spaces. If everything looks correct and it's still failing after 48 hours, contact support@rocketspark.com.
Does this work for other email platforms, not just Mailchimp? The process is similar for other platforms (like Klaviyo or Campaign Monitor), but the specific records will differ. Get in touch and we can help you work through it.
Need more help? Contact us at support@rocketspark.com.