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Setting Up Amazon SES DNS on Namecheap

Z. Yuan
Z. YuanDosaid maintainer, Full-Stack AI Engineer
March 5, 20253 min read
Amazon SESNamecheapDNS

We attempted to enable Amazon SES, and during the verification process, Amazon required us to set up DNS records.

It took us quite some time to find the correct configuration (about half an hour).

Here, we document the process for future reference.

Amazon SES Setup​

There are already comprehensive tutorials available on setting up Amazon SES. Please refer to this guide:

We followed the steps smoothly until we reached the "Verify a Sending Domain" stage—then we got stuck.

Since our domain was purchased from Namecheap, we needed to configure DNS records there.

So, how should we set it up?

DNS Records​

In the Amazon SES "Verify a Sending Domain" card, click "Get DNS Records", and a pop-up window will appear containing a detailed list of DNS records, which looks something like this:

Amazon SES DNS Records

Using our domain as an example, docsaid.org in the image represents the domain we are verifying.

Once we obtain these DNS records, we can proceed with the setup in Namecheap.

tip

The original values in each field have been slightly modified to protect our website security.

DKIM Records​

Go to the Namecheap website, log in, and navigate to "Domain List". Locate the domain you need to configure and click "Manage".

In the domain management page, find "Advanced DNS" and enter the section.

Setting DKIM Records

As shown in the image, there is an "Add New Record" button. Click it and select "CNAME Record".

Now, enter the DKIM records obtained earlier. Pay attention to the following details:

  1. The DKIM name should be entered in the Host field. Only enter the part before the domain name; do not include the domain itself.
  2. The value should be entered in the Value field—simply copy and paste it.

MAIL FROM Records​

This part took us the longest time because only the MX record needs to be added—the other one can be ignored.

Setting MAIL FROM Records

In the "Advanced DNS" section of Namecheap, locate "MAIL SETTINGS". In the dropdown menu, select "Custom MX".

Then, enter the MX record provided by Amazon SES, keeping in mind the following:

  1. Depending on the subdomain you configured in Amazon SES, enter the corresponding MX record in the Host field. In our example, we used mail, but if you chose a different subdomain, enter the corresponding value.
  2. Enter the value in the Value field. There are two parts:
    • Enter 10 in the "Priority" field.
    • Enter the remaining part of the value in the "Value" field.
info

Namecheap's Mail Settings allow only one of the following options:

  • If "Email Forwarding" is enabled, Namecheap locks the MX records, restricting them to its own forwarding servers.
  • If "Custom MX" is enabled, you can manually configure the MX records provided by Amazon SES, allowing it to handle bounced emails.

DMARC Records​

This is the easiest part to configure. In Namecheap's "Advanced DNS" section, click "Add New Record" and select "TXT Record".

Enter the DMARC record provided by Amazon SES. The only thing to keep in mind is not to include quotation marks (") in the value.

Setting DMARC Records

Summary​

At this point, we have completed the Amazon SES DNS setup on Namecheap.

After completing the setup, wait for about 30 minutes. Amazon SES will automatically verify your DNS records. If everything is set up correctly, you will receive an email notification from Amazon SES confirming a successful verification.

Good luck!