The standard way to connect a domain is to change its nameservers at your registrar to the ones Winnr gives you — then Winnr 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), Winnr instead asks for 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 (recommended)
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 a pair of nameservers.
- Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, wherever the domain is registered) and replace the existing nameservers with the ones Winnr gave you.
- Winnr detects the change and takes over — it creates and maintains every record (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) automatically.
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. Propagation is usually minutes (up to 48 hours in rare cases).
2. Cloudflare API token (for domains registered at Cloudflare)
Domains registered through Cloudflare Registrar can't have their nameservers changed, so the nameserver method doesn't work for them. When Winnr detects your domain is at Cloudflare, it offers this instead.
Setup:
- In Cloudflare, go to My Profile → API Tokens → Create Token.
- Create a token with Zone → DNS → Edit and Zone → Zone → Edit on the zone you're connecting.
- Paste the token into Winnr when prompted.
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. If you'd rather not share a token, there's a "Skip — I'll change nameservers instead" option (only useful if the domain isn't a Cloudflare Registrar domain).
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 your domain is on Cloudflare and you won't share a token, or you specifically need manual control.
Setup:
- In the Connect flow, choose "Set up DNS records manually instead" and confirm the warning.
- Winnr shows you the 5-6 records to create (A, MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC), with a Download CSV option.
- Add each record exactly as shown in your DNS panel, then click "Verify DNS Records."
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. 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 apex —
10 inbound.yourdomain.com(priority 10, a host inside your own domain). - SPF (TXT at apex) — starts with
v=spf1, ends in-all. - DKIM (TXT at
dkim._domainkey) — public key, starts withv=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=. - DMARC (TXT at
_dmarc) —p=rejectwith a reporting address by default; changeable from the domain's detail panel.
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 only if your domain is registered at Cloudflare (those domains can't move nameservers). 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 globally, but in practice they're almost always live well within an hour.
What Cloudflare permissions does Winnr need?
A token scoped with Zone → DNS → Edit and Zone → Zone → Edit on the zone you're connecting. Winnr validates the token, writes the email records, and never touches anything outside that zone. You can revoke the token 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 any website or other records need to live in the Winnr-managed zone. 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 brand domain, most people connect a fresh sending domain instead.
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.