Unable to verify custom domain in Microsoft 365 – Squarespace DNS settings (DSN error)

Question

Hello,

I am trying to connect my custom domain praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl to Microsoft 365 so I can use my email address: [Moderator note: personal info removed]

@praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl

My domain is hosted via Squarespace.

However, domain verification keeps failing. I receive a DSN error and Microsoft cannot detect the DNS records.

I have already:

• Added the TXT verification record in Squarespace DNS settings

Waited for DNS propagation

Double-checked the spelling and values

Still, Microsoft 365 does not recognize the domain as verified.

Could someone please advise:

What might cause Microsoft not to detect the DNS record?

Are there specific settings in Squarespace DNS that commonly cause issues?

Could this be related to nameserver configuration?

I am not very technical, so clear step-by-step guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!Hello,

I am trying to connect my custom domain praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl to Microsoft 365 so I can use my email address:
[Moderator note: personal info removed]

@praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl

My domain is hosted via Squarespace.

However, domain verification keeps failing. I receive a DSN error and Microsoft cannot detect the DNS records.

I have already:

Added the TXT verification record in Squarespace DNS settings

Waited for DNS propagation

Double-checked the spelling and values

Still, Microsoft 365 does not recognize the domain as verified.

Could someone please advise:

What might cause Microsoft not to detect the DNS record?

Are there specific settings in Squarespace DNS that commonly cause issues?

Could this be related to nameserver configuration?

I am not very technical, so clear step-by-step guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

Hello @Siesje Jansen,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you very much for sharing the details of the issue you are experiencing. Based on the information you have provided so far, it appears that you are encountering a problem when trying to add a custom domain to your Microsoft 365 tenant. Specifically, Microsoft is unable to detect your DNS records during the verification process, which commonly occurs when the required DNS entries are missing, incorrectly configured, or have not yet propagated.

To help us better understand the situation and identify the exact cause, could you please provide a screenshot of the error message you see on your side? This will allow us to recognize the issue more easily and give you more accurate guidance.

In the meantime, please try following the steps outlined in the official Microsoft documentation for adding a custom domain: Add a Custom Domain to Microsoft 365 - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

Here are a few recommendations you can try as well:

• Remove the existing TXT and NS records related to the domain verification.
• Recreate new TXT records exactly as provided by the Microsoft 365 admin center.
• Ensure the DNS changes are saved correctly on your domain registrar’s side.
• Allow sufficient time for DNS propagation, as it may take several minutes to a few hours depending on the provider.

If the issue continues even after updating the DNS records, please let us know along with the screenshot, and we will be happy to assist you further.

We look forward to your update.

Answer 2

The most common causes for Microsoft 365 not detecting a verification record are:

1. The TXT value is not exactly correct.
2. The record was not actually saved/published at the DNS host.
3. The record is added in the wrong DNS zone (for example, wrong nameservers or wrong host field).
4. DNS changes have not fully updated yet.

Use the steps below to systematically check and fix this.

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1. Confirm the exact TXT verification value from Microsoft 365

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Go to Settings > Domains.
3. Select praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl and choose Start setup (or Continue setup).
4. On the Verify domain step, note the TXT record Microsoft shows, for example:
   • Type: TXT
   • Host / Name: @ (or leave blank, depending on provider)
   • Value: MS=msXXXXXXXX (this must include the MS= part)

Make sure the value in Squarespace matches this exactly, including MS= and without extra spaces or quotes.

Microsoft explicitly calls out that a very common issue is missing the MS= prefix or not copying the value exactly.

“Double-check that you've copied and pasted the exact value into the TXT verification record at your DNS host. One common issue is not including the "MS=" part of the record. We need that too!”

Find and fix issues after adding your domain or DNS records

2. Verify the TXT record is really visible on the internet

Use an external DNS lookup to confirm the record exists and is correct.

1. Open the Dig web interface: https://www.digwebinterface.com/
2. In Type, select TXT.
3. Under Nameservers, select Authoritative.
4. In Hostnames or IP addresses, enter: praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl
5. Select Dig.

Check the output:

• For a domain verification TXT record, you should see a line containing something like "MS=msXXXXXXXX".
• If this line is missing, the TXT record is either not saved correctly in Squarespace or is added under the wrong name.

If the expected TXT record does not appear in this authoritative lookup, Microsoft 365 will not be able to verify the domain.

"Sorry, we can't find the record you created" error message when you try to verify a domain in Office 365

3. Check common DNS entry mistakes in Squarespace

Typical issues at DNS hosts (including Squarespace) that prevent verification:

1. Wrong host/name field
   • For the root domain, the host/name should usually be @ or left blank, depending on Squarespace’s UI.
   • If the TXT record is added as praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl.praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl or under a subdomain (like www), Microsoft will not see it when verifying the root domain.
2. Record not saved or published
   • Some DNS UIs require an explicit Save or Save zone action after adding a record.
   • Microsoft notes this as a common cause:

     “At some DNS hosts, you have to take an extra step to save the zone file (where the DNS record is stored) so that it will update across the Internet. Make sure you've saved your changes so Microsoft 365 can see and verify the record.”

3. Multiple TXT records with conflicting values
   • Having multiple TXT records is allowed, but ensure the Microsoft MS=... record is present as its own TXT record and not merged or altered.
4. Using MX instead of TXT (or vice versa)
   • Microsoft allows verification via TXT or MX, but the type must match what is configured in the admin center.
   • If the admin center shows a TXT record, ensure the record type in Squarespace is TXT, not MX or CNAME.

4. Confirm nameserver configuration

If the domain’s nameservers are not pointing to Squarespace, any DNS records added in Squarespace will be ignored.

To verify:

1. In the same Dig web interface, set Type to NS.
2. Query praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl.
3. Check which nameservers are returned.

If the nameservers are something like ns1.bdm.microsoftonline.com, ns2.bdm.microsoftonline.com, etc., then DNS is managed by Microsoft 365, not Squarespace. In that case:

• The TXT verification record must be added in Microsoft 365 DNS, not in Squarespace.
• Go to Microsoft 365 admin center > Settings > Domains > select the domain > DNS records / Manage DNS, and add the TXT record there.

This scenario is similar to cases where domains use Microsoft nameservers and records added at the registrar (like Squarespace) are ignored because Microsoft 365 is the authoritative DNS.

5. Allow time for DNS update and retry verification

Microsoft notes that:

• DNS changes typically take about 15 minutes to be visible, but sometimes a few hours.
• In rare cases, propagation can take up to 48–72 hours.

After confirming via an authoritative DNS lookup that the TXT record is present and correct:

1. Return to Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Go to Settings > Domains.
3. Select praktijkvanbinnennaarbuiten.nl.
4. Choose Start setup or Continue setup.
5. On Verify domain, select Verify.

If the record is correct and visible from the authoritative nameservers, verification should succeed.

If it still fails after the TXT record is clearly visible in an authoritative lookup, use the built-in health check and support:

• Go to Setup > Domains in the admin center.
• Check the Status column and select Check health for the domain.
• If issues persist, open Help & Support in the admin center and then Contact support.

Summary of likely causes in this scenario

Based on Microsoft’s documented behavior, the most likely causes are:

1. TXT record value not exactly matching (especially missing MS=).
2. TXT record added under the wrong host/name in Squarespace.
3. Nameservers not actually pointing to Squarespace (DNS managed elsewhere, such as Microsoft 365), so Squarespace records are ignored.
4. DNS record not yet visible from authoritative nameservers.

Using an authoritative TXT lookup and checking the nameservers will quickly show whether the issue is with the record content, where it is hosted, or propagation.

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References:

• Find and fix issues after adding your domain or DNS records
• "Sorry, we can't find the record you created" error message when you try to verify a domain in Office 365
• Troubleshoot domain verification issues in Office 365
• Change nameservers to set up Microsoft 365 with any domain registrar
• Connect your DNS records at Network Solutions to Microsoft 365
• Connect your domain by adding DNS records