The standard way to connect a domain is to change its nameservers at your registrar to the ones Winnr gives you. Winnr then hosts the zone and manages every record (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for you. If the domain is registered at Cloudflare (where nameservers can't be changed) or already uses Cloudflare for DNS, Winnr offers to use a Cloudflare API token and writes the records into your Cloudflare zone. Adding the records manually is available too, but it's the discouraged fallback.
1. Point your nameservers at Winnr (the default)
This is the default path and the one to use unless you have a reason not to.
Setup:
- Click "Connect Domain(s)", enter the domain you own, and continue.
- Winnr generates a DNS zone for the domain and shows you its nameservers. Copy All copies them.
- Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, wherever the domain is registered) and replace the existing nameservers with the ones Winnr gave you.
- Click Check Nameservers. Once the check passes, Winnr creates every record (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and finishes setting up the domain.
If you close the dialog first, the domain shows as Pending NS on the Domains page. Hover the status to see the nameservers to set and click Re-check Nameservers, or select several domains and use Nameservers in the action bar.
Why it's best: it works with any registrar, and once delegation is live you never touch DNS again. Winnr keeps the records correct even if server details change.
2. Cloudflare API token
Domains registered through Cloudflare Registrar can't have their nameservers changed, so the nameserver method doesn't work for them. Domains that already use Cloudflare for DNS can also stay there. When Winnr detects either case for a domain in your batch, it offers this method.
Setup:
- In Cloudflare, go to My Profile → API Tokens → Create Token (the dialog links straight to dash.cloudflare.com/profile/api-tokens).
- Create a token with Zone:DNS:Edit and Zone:Zone:Edit permissions on the zone you're connecting.
- Paste the token into Winnr and click Set Up with Cloudflare.
What happens: Winnr validates the token, then writes the email records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) directly into your existing Cloudflare zone and leaves everything else untouched. This typically takes 1-2 minutes. If you'd rather not share a token and the domain isn't registered at Cloudflare, use the Skip option to change nameservers instead.
Revoking access: delete the token in Cloudflare's dashboard. Existing records stay in place; Winnr just loses the ability to update them.
3. Manual records (discouraged fallback)
The app itself labels this "not the preferred setup method". Use it only if you can't change nameservers and won't share a Cloudflare token.
Setup:
- In the Connect flow, click "Set up DNS records manually instead", read the warning, and click "I Understand, Proceed".
- Winnr shows you the records to create (usually 5-6: A, MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC), with a Download CSV option.
- Add each record exactly as shown at your DNS provider, then click "Verify DNS Records". If you need time, click "I'll do this later". The domain shows as DNS Records Pending, and you can verify later from its status on the Domains page or with Verify DNS in the action bar.
The trade-offs Winnr warns you about: if any record is wrong, mail can fail silently, and you're responsible for updating the records yourself if server details ever change. Manual-DNS domains also don't get a DNS Records tab or DMARC override in Winnr, because the zone lives at your provider. With the other two methods, Winnr handles all of that.
Records Winnr creates either way
However you connect, a working Winnr domain ends up with these records. With methods 1 and 2 Winnr writes and maintains them; with method 3 you copy them:
- A at
inbound: the inbound mail host. - MX at the domain itself:
10 inbound.yourdomain.com(priority 10, a host inside your own domain). - SPF (TXT at the domain itself): starts with
v=spf1, ends in-all. - DKIM (TXT at
dkim._domainkey): public key, starts withv=DKIM1; k=rsa;. - DMARC (TXT at
_dmarc):p=rejectby default. On domains where Winnr hosts DNS it also includes a reporting address and can be changed from the DNS Records tab.
Some domains need one or two extra records, which the Connect flow lists when they apply.
What's next
- Connect an existing domain, step by step
- Monitor DNS health after setup
- Verification stuck? Troubleshoot
Frequently asked questions
Which method should I use?
Point your nameservers at Winnr. It's the default, works with any registrar, and means Winnr keeps every record correct for you with nothing to maintain. Use the Cloudflare API token if your domain is registered at Cloudflare or you want to keep your Cloudflare DNS. Use manual only if you can't do either.
How long does a nameserver change take?
Usually minutes. Nameserver changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, but in practice they're almost always live well within an hour. Winnr starts setting up the domain as soon as a nameserver check passes.
What Cloudflare permissions does Winnr need?
The Connect Domain dialog asks for a token with Zone:DNS:Edit and Zone:Zone:Edit permissions on the zone you're connecting. Winnr validates the token and writes the email records into that zone. You can revoke the token at any time from Cloudflare's dashboard.
Do I have to move ALL my DNS to Winnr?
With the nameserver method, yes. Winnr becomes the DNS host for that domain, so website and other records need to live in the Winnr-managed zone (you can add them as custom DNS records). If you need to keep your existing DNS host, use the Cloudflare API token method (it only adds the email records) or the manual method. For an active business domain, connect in subdomain format so the main domain is never touched.
Why isn't there a "pick GoDaddy / Namecheap / etc." option?
You don't pick a provider. Whatever registrar your domain is at (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, and so on), you either point its nameservers at Winnr or add the records there manually. The registrar is just where you make that one change.
Can I add my own records later?
With the nameserver or Cloudflare-token method, yes. Add TXT, CNAME, A, and AAAA records from the domain's DNS Records tab, or ask the Winnr Agent in the app. With the manual method, add any extra records at your own DNS provider.