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How to authenticate a domain with IONOS by 1&1

Written by Harmony
Updated over a year ago

This article is meant for those who already successfully registered a domain with IONOS by 1&1.

Note: It is not necessary to have a website attached to your domain, but you will need to have an email address that uses that domain, as this will be ideal for sending. If your domain is example.com, your email may look something like newsletter@example.com

Does MailerLite provide an email address?

It is not currently an option to purchase an email address or host a domain in MailerLite. To connect a domain and matching email address for sending, they will first need to be set up with a hosting provider.

Some trustworthy hosting providers are Godaddy, Cloudflare, and Bluehost. For an email address, we highly recommend using Google Workspace, which allows you to create an email address with your own domain.

How to add a domain to MailerLite

  1. Head to the Account settings page and click the Domains tab.

  2. Under Sending domains, click Add domain.

  3. Enter an email address that includes your paid domain, which will be used to send campaigns. Click Save.

4. Once the domain has been added, click on the Authenticate button. A window will appear containing Name and Value fields your DKIM and SPF records. Copy these fields and keep this page open.

How to use IONOS automatic domain authentication setup

  1. A popup will appear, prompting you to start the authentication process. Click Continue.

This tool will scan your domain, and detect which provider is the host.

2. Once the provider has been detected, follow the instructions to connect to your account. You will need to use your login credentials to log into your hosting provider.

What if I do not have the login details?

By choosing the option to Forward login to someone else, you can share a link with someone who has the details to log in, so they can complete this part of the process.

Or, you can choose Show added DNS records to manually view and add the records. Keep in mind, if you use a social login (such as Gmail) to login into your hosting provider, you will need to choose the manual authentication option, as this type of login is not supported.

3. Next, follow the steps to authorize MailerLite to configure your DNS and add the necessary records.

4. Once the DNS configuration is successful, you will be redirected back to MailerLite. Refresh the page to see the updated status of your domain.

The domain may show as authenticated right away, or it can take up to 24 hours. In this case, you will see Pending next to your domain.

Manual authentication

If you would like to access the DNS records and authenticate manually, switch to the Manual tab.

  1. Log in to your IONOS account and select the option Domains & SSL.

2. Search for your domain and under Actions click on DNS.

How to add the DKIM record

  1. Click Add record.

2. Select the option CNAME.

If you are using the Classic MailerLite, instructions for adding the DKIM record can be found here.

3. In the Host Name section, enter the value that is above the record value. It will look like litesrv._domainkey.yourdomain.com - however the exact value can be found in your MailerLite account under Account Settings > Domains > Authenticate or by simply clicking here.

4. In the Points to section, add the value located in the text box which can be copied directly from MailerLite.

5. Click Save.


How to add the SPF record

  1. Click again on Add record.

  2. Select the option SPF(TXT).

3. In the Host name field, enter @.

4. In the Value field, paste the SPF value that is shown in your MailerLite account.

5. Click Save.


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For additional troubleshooting steps, see our guide on how to verify, authenticate and align your domain.

If you have any questions, go to the help center on your account by clicking here to review further support options and we will gladly assist you!

Please note: While we’re happy to help with any issues taking place on our end, our expertise may be limited when it comes to third party apps since we cannot access your accounts with those tools, even if they are connected to your MailerLite account. This limits the support we can offer, so we encourage reaching out directly to the support team of those third-party tools for better assistance.

In this case, IONOS support page can be found here.

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