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Add DNS records in Bluehost
Exact steps for Bluehost’s DNS manager (and the cPanel alternative).
Bluehost shows one of two DNS editors and its help docs don’t fully spell out the host-field behavior — after you save each record, double-check the saved record’s full name and make sure your domain doesn’t appear twice.
Get to your DNS settings
- Sign in to the Bluehost portal and open “Domains”.
- Select your domain and open the “DNS” tab (or use cPanel → Domains → Zone Editor).
- Click “Manage Advanced DNS Records → Add Record”.
- Choose the type, set “Refers to” (@ for root, or Other Host for a subdomain), enter the Host Name and Value.
- Save.
The host field
Enter only the label — "@" for the root, "focal._domainkey" for DKIM — then verify the saved name as noted above.
The #1 mistake: don’t type your full domain in the host/name field. When we ask for a record named "focal._domainkey.yourdomain.com", you enter only "focal._domainkey". Almost every DNS provider adds your domain back on automatically — type the whole thing and you get "focal._domainkey.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com", which silently fails. Enter only the part before your domain, and use "@" (or leave it blank — see your provider below) for the root.
Bluehost auto-adds a default SPF record. Delete or merge it — only one SPF record is allowed. TTL defaults to 4 hours.