iCloud+ Custom Email Domain + Amazon Route 53

Set up iCloud+ Custom Email Domain on Amazon Route 53

The records iCloud+ Custom Email Domain needs, written with the field names Amazon Route 53 uses (Record name, Value), in the order to add them.

  • 5 steps
  • 6 DNS records

Before you start

  1. Have your iCloud+ Custom Email Domain account ready. Some values are unique to your account and come from the iCloud+ Custom Email Domain .
  2. Open DNS at Amazon Route 53: Open the Route 53 console and select Registered domains, then your domain. Select Manage DNS, then the hosted zone for your domain. If no hosted zone exists, create one first.
  3. Keep both tabs open and add the records below one at a time.

Records to add

Copy each value with the button next to it. Rows marked “Copy from iCloud+ Custom Email Domain” are unique to your account.

Domain verification Proves you own the domain Type TXT Record name Leave empty Value Copy from iCloud+ Custom Email Domain Priority n/a TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Record name Leave empty Value 10 mx01.mail.icloud.com Priority in the value TTL Default
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Record name Leave empty Value 10 mx02.mail.icloud.com Priority in the value TTL Default
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Record name Leave empty Value "v=spf1 include:icloud.com ~all" Priority n/a TTL Default
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Record name sig1._domainkey Value sig1.dkim.yourdomain.com.at.icloudmailadmin.com Priority n/a TTL Default
DMARC record What to do with fakes · recommended Type TXT Record name _dmarc Value "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com" Priority n/a TTL Default

Step by step in Amazon Route 53

Verify your domain

Your email provider needs proof that you control this domain before it accepts email for it.

Type
TXT
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
Copy it from iCloud+ Custom Email Domain (see below)

Where to find your value

Go to icloud.com/icloudplus, select Custom Email Domain, then Add a domain you own. In step 3, select View to see your personal TXT record.

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (leave it empty for your bare domain) and choose TXT.
  3. In Value, enter the text inside double quotes. If you already have a TXT record on that name, add the new value as another line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records.

Point your MX records

MX records tell other mail servers where to deliver your email. How MX works

Type
MX
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
10 mx01.mail.icloud.com
  • Apple's page writes these with a trailing period (mx01.mail.icloud.com.). Use whichever form your DNS host expects.
Type
MX
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
10 mx02.mail.icloud.com

In Amazon Route 53

  1. In the hosted zone, select Create record.
  2. Leave Record name empty, choose MX as Record type, and keep Simple routing.
  3. In Value, enter the priority, a space, then the mail server (for example 10 mail.example.com). Put each mail server on its own line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records, then delete any older MX records.
  5. Repeat for each MX record above.

Add the SPF record

SPF lists the services allowed to send email as you. How SPF works

Type
TXT
Record name
Leave this field empty
Value
"v=spf1 include:icloud.com ~all"

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (leave it empty for your bare domain) and choose TXT.
  3. In Value, enter the text inside double quotes. If you already have a TXT record on that name, add the new value as another line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records.

Set up DKIM

DKIM signs your mail so receivers can trust it. How DKIM works

Type
CNAME
Record name
sig1._domainkey
Value
sig1.dkim.yourdomain.com.at.icloudmailadmin.com

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (for example autodiscover) and choose CNAME.
  3. Enter the target in Value.
  4. Select Create records.

Add the DMARC record (recommended)

DMARC tells receivers what to do with mail that fakes your domain. How DMARC works

Type
TXT
Record name
_dmarc
Value
"v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com"
  • Apple's setup page doesn't list a DMARC record. This is the standard starting record (p=none asks receivers for no action); replace the report address with one you read.

In Amazon Route 53

  1. Select Create record.
  2. Enter the Record name (leave it empty for your bare domain) and choose TXT.
  3. In Value, enter the text inside double quotes. If you already have a TXT record on that name, add the new value as another line in the same record.
  4. Select Create records.

Check your setup

Once the records are saved, run a live check. We look up your domain in public DNS and tell you what is right, missing or wrong, with the fix in Amazon Route 53’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with iCloud+ Custom Email Domain on Amazon Route 53

Leaving example.com in the DKIM target

Apple's example target is sig1.dkim.example.com.at.icloudmailadmin.com. Replace example.com with your own domain.

Amazon Route 53: One TXT record per name

With simple routing, Route 53 keeps all TXT values for a name in the same record, one value per line. Add SPF next to a verification value instead of creating a second TXT record.

Amazon Route 53: Split long TXT values

A single quoted string can hold up to 255 characters. Split longer values, such as DKIM keys, into quoted pieces on one line: "part one" "part two".

Visit iCloud+ Custom Email Domain Visit Amazon Route 53

iCloud+ Custom Email Domain on Amazon Route 53: questions

Where do I add iCloud+ Custom Email Domain DNS records in Amazon Route 53?

Open the Route 53 console and select Registered domains, then your domain. Select Manage DNS, then the hosted zone for your domain. If no hosted zone exists, create one first. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Record name field at Amazon Route 53?

Leave it empty for records on your bare domain, such as MX and SPF. For the others, enter only the part before your domain, for example sig1._domainkey. Amazon Route 53 adds your domain automatically.

Do I need to delete my existing MX records at Amazon Route 53?

Yes. Sending servers pick an MX record by its priority (lowest number first) and fall back to the others, so a leftover MX record can receive some or all of your mail. Keep only the iCloud+ Custom Email Domain MX records and delete the rest.

Where do I get my iCloud+ Custom Email Domain DKIM record?

iCloud+ Custom Email Domain DKIM records are CNAME records whose value includes your domain, for example sig1.dkim.yourdomain.com.at.icloudmailadmin.com. Copy the exact values for your domain from the table on this page.

Sources

Every value and step on this page comes from these official pages. Dashboards change, so if something doesn’t match what you see, tell us.

Amazon Route 53 steps and tips

Some of these are other email providers' official guides for Amazon Route 53. They describe the same Amazon Route 53 dashboard.

iCloud+ Custom Email Domain on other hosts

Other email providers on Amazon Route 53