Why do some DNS records for my Agent Account domain fail verification while others succeed?

One or more DNS records (TXT or MX) for an Agent Account domain remain in a Pending or Failed verification state in the Nylas Dashboard, while other records on the same domain verify successfully, even though every record was copied directly from the same Nylas configuration page.

Root cause

Many DNS providers (such as GoDaddy) automatically append your root domain to whatever value you enter into the record's Name or Host field. If a record's Name field is entered with an extra label that duplicates part of the root domain, the provider publishes the record at a doubled, unreachable hostname instead of the intended one.

Example: for a root domain of example.com.au with a subdomain of example:

• Intended hostname: inbox.example.com.au
• Incorrect input: entering inbox.example into the Name field causes the provider to append the root domain, publishing the record at inbox.example.example.com.au

Because Nylas checks the intended hostname (inbox.example.com.au), it finds no published record and verification fails. A record entered correctly (without the extra label) publishes at the correct hostname and verifies normally, which is why some records succeed while others fail. Which records fail depends only on how each record's Name field was entered, not on the record type or its purpose.

Solution

• Identify the expected value. Get the exact host value Nylas expects for the failing record from the Nylas Dashboard or the domain /info endpoint.

• Diagnose the doubled hostname. Run dig against both the intended hostname and the suspected doubled hostname:

  • dig TXT inbox.example.com.au +short
  • dig TXT inbox.example.example.com.au +short

  If the doubled hostname returns your record value while the intended hostname returns nothing, the host value entered at your DNS provider is incorrect.

• Correct the host field. In your DNS provider's dashboard, edit the affected record and update the Name/Host field to contain only the label relative to your root domain (for example, change inbox.example to inbox), letting the provider's auto-append complete the full hostname.
• Re-verify. Save the change, allow time for DNS propagation (GoDaddy edits usually propagate within an hour, and verification can take up to 24 hours depending on the record's TTL), then trigger verification again from the Nylas Dashboard.

For host-field syntax at specific DNS providers, see Set up domains for Agent Accounts.