iCloud+ Custom Email Domain + Cloudflare

Set up iCloud+ Custom Email Domain on Cloudflare

The records iCloud+ Custom Email Domain needs, written with the field names Cloudflare uses (Name, Mail server, Content, Target), 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 Cloudflare: Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain. Open the DNS Records page.
  3. Keep both tabs open and add the records below one at a time.

iCloud+ Custom Email Domain on Cloudflare: what to know

How long changes take

Cloudflare says changes to your DNS records take effect worldwide within 5 minutes, usually much less. A record you replaced can stay cached until its old TTL runs out.

Source: FAQ (Cloudflare DNS Docs)

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

Step by step in Cloudflare

Verify your domain

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

Type
TXT
Name
@
Content
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 Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. Select Save.

Point your MX records

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

Type
MX
Name
@
Priority
10
Mail server
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
Name
@
Priority
10
Mail server
mx02.mail.icloud.com

In Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose MX as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name, Mail server and Priority.
  4. Select Save.
  5. Delete any other MX records: select Edit on each one, then Delete, and confirm.
  6. 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
Name
@
Content
v=spf1 include:icloud.com ~all

In Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. Select Save.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
CNAME
Name
sig1._domainkey
Target
sig1.dkim.yourdomain.com.at.icloudmailadmin.com

In Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose CNAME as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Target.
  4. Set Proxy status to DNS only (grey cloud).
  5. Select Save.

Add the DMARC record (recommended)

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

Type
TXT
Name
_dmarc
Content
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 Cloudflare

  1. On the DNS Records page, select Add record.
  2. Choose TXT as the Type.
  3. Fill in Name and Content.
  4. Select Save.

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 Cloudflare’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with iCloud+ Custom Email Domain on Cloudflare

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.

Cloudflare: Keep email CNAMEs on DNS only

Set Proxy status to DNS only (grey cloud) for DKIM and verification CNAME records. Cloudflare says records used for email or domain verification should not be proxied, and may block proxying DKIM CNAMEs.

Cloudflare: Turn off Cloudflare Email Routing first

If Email Routing is on, Cloudflare has added locked MX records (route1, route2 and route3.mx.cloudflare.net) and an SPF record with include:_spf.mx.cloudflare.net. Unlock them or disable Email Routing (Compute > Email Service > Email Routing > your domain > Settings) before switching to another provider. Email Routing can't be used with an outside mail server.

Visit iCloud+ Custom Email Domain Visit Cloudflare

iCloud+ Custom Email Domain on Cloudflare: questions

Where do I add iCloud+ Custom Email Domain DNS records in Cloudflare?

Sign in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain. Open the DNS Records page. Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Name field at Cloudflare?

Enter @ 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. Cloudflare adds your domain automatically.

Do I need to delete my existing MX records at Cloudflare?

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. If Email Routing is on, Cloudflare has added locked MX records (route1, route2 and route3.mx.cloudflare.net) and an SPF record with include:_spf.mx.cloudflare.net. Unlock them or disable Email Routing (Compute > Email Service > Email Routing > your domain > Settings) before switching to another provider. Email Routing can't be used with an outside mail server.

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.

How long until iCloud+ Custom Email Domain works on Cloudflare?

Cloudflare says changes to your DNS records take effect worldwide within 5 minutes, usually much less. A record you replaced can stay cached until its old TTL runs out.

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.

iCloud+ Custom Email Domain on other hosts

Other email providers on Cloudflare