Proton Mail + WordPress.com

Set up Proton Mail on WordPress.com

The records Proton Mail needs, written with the field names WordPress.com uses (Name, Handled by, Text, Alias of (points to)), in the order to add them.

  • 5 steps
  • 8 DNS records

Before you start

  1. Have your Proton Mail account ready. Some values are unique to your account and come from the Proton Mail settings (Domain names) .
  2. Open DNS at WordPress.com: In your Hosting Dashboard, open Domains and select your domain. Under Settings, open DNS records, then select Add record (upper right).
  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 Proton Mail settings (Domain names)” are unique to your account.

Domain verification Proves you own the domain Type TXT Name @ Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Looks like: protonmail-verification= followed by a code Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Name @ Value mail.protonmail.ch Priority 10 TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
MX records Where incoming email goes Type MX Name @ Value mailsec.protonmail.ch Priority 20 TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
SPF record Which servers may send as you Type TXT Name @ Value v=spf1 include:_spf.protonmail.ch ~all Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Name protonmail._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Name protonmail2._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
DKIM A signature on every message Type CNAME Name protonmail3._domainkey Value Copy from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) Priority n/a TTL 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)
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 3600 seconds (when no other records share a TTL)

Step by step in WordPress.com

Verify your domain

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

Type
TXT
Name
@
Text
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

In Proton Mail open Settings → Domain names, add your domain and copy the verification value.

It looks like: protonmail-verification= followed by a code

In WordPress.com

  1. Select Add record and choose TXT.
  2. Enter the Name (@ for your bare domain) and paste the value in Text.
  3. Save the record.

Point your MX records

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

Type
MX
Name
@
Priority
10
Handled by
mail.protonmail.ch
  • Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number.
Type
MX
Name
@
Priority
20
Handled by
mailsec.protonmail.ch

In WordPress.com

  1. Select Add record and choose MX.
  2. Enter @ in Name, the mail server in Handled by, and the Priority (pre-filled with 10).
  3. Save the record.
  4. 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
@
Text
v=spf1 include:_spf.protonmail.ch ~all
  • Keep one SPF record. To keep an existing one, add include:_spf.protonmail.ch right after v=spf1.

In WordPress.com

  1. Select Add record and choose TXT.
  2. Enter the Name (@ for your bare domain) and paste the value in Text.
  3. Save the record.

Set up DKIM

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

Type
CNAME
Name (host)
protonmail._domainkey
Alias of (points to)
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

  • Add all three DKIM records; Proton rotates keys between them.
  • Some hosts reject a trailing period on CNAME values. If yours does, remove the final dot.
Type
CNAME
Name (host)
protonmail2._domainkey
Alias of (points to)
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

Type
CNAME
Name (host)
protonmail3._domainkey
Alias of (points to)
Copy it from Proton Mail settings (Domain names) (see below)

Where to find your value

Copy the exact target from the DKIM tab of your domain in Proton Mail settings.

In WordPress.com

  1. Select Add record and choose CNAME.
  2. Enter Name (host) and the target in Alias of (points to).
  3. Save the record.
  4. Repeat for each CNAME record above.

Add the DMARC record (recommended)

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

Type
TXT
Name
_dmarc
Text
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com
  • Start with p=none (no action) and read the reports for a while. Replace the report address with a mailbox you actually read.
  • Proton recommends p=quarantine for most domains. Move to it once SPF and DKIM pass.

In WordPress.com

  1. Select Add record and choose TXT.
  2. Enter the Name (@ for your bare domain) and paste the value in Text.
  3. Save the record.

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 WordPress.com’s words.

We only read public DNS records. Nothing is stored.

Common mistakes with Proton Mail on WordPress.com

Adding only one DKIM record

Proton uses three DKIM CNAMEs (protonmail, protonmail2, protonmail3). Add all three, matching the values in your setup wizard exactly.

Visit Proton Mail Visit WordPress.com

Proton Mail on WordPress.com: questions

Where do I add Proton Mail DNS records in WordPress.com?

In your Hosting Dashboard, open Domains and select your domain. Under Settings, open DNS records, then select Add record (upper right). Add each record there, one at a time.

What goes in the Name field at WordPress.com?

Enter @ for records on your bare domain, such as MX and SPF. For the others, enter only the part before your domain, for example protonmail._domainkey. WordPress.com adds your domain automatically.

Do I need to delete my existing MX records at WordPress.com?

Delete any other MX records, or make sure Proton's have the lowest priority number.

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.

Proton Mail on other hosts

Other email providers on WordPress.com