Cloudflare

View markdown

Setup Cloudflare DNS for Bento

Add Bento's required DNS records in Cloudflare to authenticate your domain for email sending. One Cloudflare-specific detail matters here: all records must be set to "DNS only" (gray cloud), not proxied.

Adding DNS records is required for any customer sending over 5,000 emails on any given day. This is a new requirement from Gmail and Yahoo introduced in February 2024.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

  • Access to your Cloudflare account
  • Your domain added to Cloudflare as a hosted zone
  • Administrator permissions to modify DNS records

Required DNS Records

You'll need to add 6 DNS records to your domain to begin sending emails with Bento:

Required DNS Records
example              CNAME  example.test.sendgrid.net
bbb._domainkey       CNAME  bbb.domainkey.example.test.sendgrid.net
bbb2._domainkey      CNAME  bbb2.domainkey.example.test.sendgrid.net
bento                CNAME  ga.bentoemail.com
bento3180._domainkey TXT    k=rsa; p=example...
_dmarc               TXT    v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; adkim=s
You can find your specific DNS records in Bento under System > DNS. The values above are examples - use the actual values provided in your Bento account.
1Access Cloudflare DNS Management
  1. Log into your Cloudflare account at cloudflare.com
  2. Click on your domain from the list of sites
  3. Navigate to the DNS section in the sidebar
  4. You'll see the DNS management interface with your existing records
If you don't see your domain listed, you'll need to add it to Cloudflare first through their onboarding process.
DNS Menu Location
2Add CNAME Records

You'll need to add 4 CNAME records. Here's how to add the first one:

  1. Click the Add record button
  2. Select CNAME from the Type dropdown
  3. In the Name field, enter: example
  4. In the Target field, enter: example.test.sendgrid.net
  5. Set TTL to Auto (recommended)
  6. Ensure the Proxy status is set to DNS only (gray cloud)
  7. Click Save
The Proxy status must be set to "DNS only" (gray cloud). Do not enable the orange cloud proxy for these DNS records as it will prevent proper email authentication.

Repeat this process for the remaining CNAME records for example:

  • bbb._domainkey → bbb.domainkey.example.test.sendgrid.net
  • bbb2._domainkey → bbb2.domainkey.example.test.sendgrid.net
  • bento → ga.bentoemail.com
The example domain is for demonstration purposes only. Please use your own domain records from Bento System > DNS in the menu.
Adding CNAME Records
3Add TXT Records

Next, add 2 TXT records. Start with the DKIM record:

  1. Click the Add record button
  2. Select TXT from the Type dropdown
  3. In the Name field, enter: bentoEXAMPLE._domainkey
  4. In the Content field, enter the full DKIM key (starts with k=rsa; p=...)
  5. Set TTL to Auto
  6. Click Save

Then add the DMARC record:

  1. Click Add record again
  2. Select TXT from the Type dropdown
  3. In the Name field, enter: _dmarc
  4. In the Content field, enter: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; adkim=s
  5. Set TTL to Auto
  6. Click Save
Pro-tip: You can copy the exact DNS record values from your Bento account by clicking on each record. This helps avoid typos that could prevent verification.
Adding TEXT Records
4Verify Your DNS Records

After adding all 6 DNS records, you need to verify them in Bento:

  1. Return to Bento and navigate to System > DNS
  2. Wait 5-10 minutes for DNS propagation (can take up to 48 hours in some cases)
  3. Click the Check button next to each DNS record
  4. Properly configured records will show a green checkmark and blue text
  5. If any records fail verification, double-check the values and TTL settings
DNS propagation can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 48 hours. If records don't verify immediately, wait a bit longer and try again.
DO NOT EDIT EXISTING RECORDS FOR YOUR DOMAIN. You should only be ADDING new records, never editing existing ones.
Records Verified in Bento Settings -> DNS
5Final Record Overview

Once complete, your Cloudflare DNS records should be as follows:

All 6 records should be visible in your DNS management interface with:

  • 4 CNAME records with "DNS only" status (gray cloud)
  • 2 TXT records
  • All records showing proper target/content values
  • TTL set to Auto for all records

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

  • Records not verifying: Double-check that all values match exactly what's shown in your Bento account
  • Proxy status: Ensure CNAME records are set to "DNS only" (gray cloud), not proxied (orange cloud)
  • DNS propagation: Wait up to 48 hours for global DNS propagation
  • TTL settings: Use "Auto" TTL for all records

Next Steps

Once all DNS records are verified in Bento:

  1. Your domain is now authenticated for email sending
  2. You can start sending emails with improved deliverability
  3. Monitor your email performance in the Bento dashboard

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the Bento Discord!