# DomainRef - domain and email security check (remote · domainref.dev)

Pay-per-call domain and email security check: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, TLS, DNSSEC, BIMI, with exact fixes.

- Trust score: 81/100 (high trust)
- Change this week: +4
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-11-05

## Components

- remote · `domainref.dev`: 81/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-domainref-domainref/domainref.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-domainref-domainref/domainref)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://domainref.dev/mcp`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `none`
- Version: `1.0.0`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-11-05.

- **Endpoint Security**: 83/100
  - The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key.
  - No authorisation is required to call this server. Every tool declares its destructiveHint and none is destructive, so open access doesn't expose one.
  - HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path.
  - The HSTS (Strict-Transport-Security) header is present.
  - DNSSEC is configured correctly; the domain's records validate against the full chain to the root.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 100/100
  - Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 66/100
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 541 tokens (~270/item across 2 items; 2 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 53/100
  - Stability observed for 16 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
  - Structured output schemas are declared (100% of tools); any adoption earns full credit.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - We read all 2 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 2 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.

## Install

### How do I install the DomainRef - domain and email security check MCP server?

DomainRef - domain and email security check is a hosted endpoint at https://domainref.dev/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http dev-domainref-domainref 'https://domainref.dev/mcp'
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-domainref-domainref": {
      "url": "https://domainref.dev/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "dev-domainref-domainref": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://domainref.dev/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.dev-domainref-domainref]
url = "https://domainref.dev/mcp"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "dev-domainref-domainref": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://domainref.dev/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add dev-domainref-domainref --url 'https://domainref.dev/mcp' --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  dev-domainref-domainref:
    url: "https://domainref.dev/mcp"
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "dev-domainref-domainref": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://domainref.dev/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add dev-domainref-domainref -t streamable-http -u 'https://domainref.dev/mcp'
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-domainref-domainref": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://domainref.dev/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-11-05 (score 81, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 50 to 53. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 15 days of observed history at the previous scan, 16 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-11-03 (score 80, +50)

- [security improvement] Transport: unverified → pass
- [security improvement] Injection markers: unverified → pass
- [security improvement] HTTPS: unverified → pass
- [security improvement] Authorization: fail → partial
- [security improvement] HSTS header: fail → pass
- [functional improvement] Endpoint reachability: behind authorisation → reachable
- [functional improvement] Stability: unverified → 0.47
- [functional improvement] MCP protocol: unverified → pass
- [functional improvement] Tool coverage: unverified → 100

### 2026-11-02 (score 30, −49)

- [security regression] Endpoint reachability: reachable → behind authorisation
- [security regression] Tool safety: pass → unverified
- [security regression] HTTPS: pass → unverified
- [security regression] Stability: 0.40 → unverified
- [security regression] Transport: pass → unverified
- [security regression] Authorization: partial → fail
- [security regression] HSTS header: pass → fail
- [functional regression] Capabilities: pass → unverified
- [functional regression] Tool coverage: 100 → unverified
- [functional] First check of Schema quality: unverified

### 2026-11-01 (score 79, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 37 to 40. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 11 days of observed history at the previous scan, 12 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-30 (score 78, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 30 to 33. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 9 days of observed history at the previous scan, 10 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-28 (score 77, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 23 to 27. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 7 days of observed history at the previous scan, 8 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-26 (score 76, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 17 to 20. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 5 days of observed history at the previous scan, 6 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-24 (score 75, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 10 to 13. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 3 days of observed history at the previous scan, 4 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

## MCP tools (2)

### `domain_check` (~291 tokens)

PAID ($0.01). Use when mail lands in spam, before an email campaign, for vendor due diligence or to confirm a Microsoft 365 tenant: graded SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MX, MTA-STS, DNSSEC, CAA, TLS and domain age, plus BIMI and blocklist info, each with the exact fix record. Non-intrusive. $0.01 per domain. Returns a 0-100 score and, per check (spf, dkim, dmarc, mx, tls = website certificate, m365, registration, mta_sts, tls_rpt, dnssec, caa, bimi, dnsbl = UCEPROTECT blocklist), a pass/warn/fail/info grade, the finding and the exact record or step that fixes it. Info checks do not move the score. Invalid, nonexistent or private-only domains are refused free. MCP: pass api_key (an Afriref key, card credit at https://afriref.dev/pricing); per-call x402/MPP payment is HTTP only, so without a key the result is an api_key_required error naming the HTTP endpoint.

Input parameters:

- `api_key` (string): API key (bypasses x402; metered for invoicing)
- `domain` (string, required): Domain or hostname, e.g. example.com (no URL, no IP)

Output parameters:

- `checked_at` (string)
- `checks` (array)
- `diagnosis`
- `domain` (string)
- `error`: Present on a free refusal or error; no charge
- `explanation`
- `fix` (string|null)
- `how_to_pay` (array)
- `http_endpoint` (string)
- `letter` (string)
- `no_charge` (boolean)
- `notes` (array)
- `price_usd` (number)
- `score` (number)
- `summary` (string)

### `domain_age` (~250 tokens)

PAID ($0.005). Not for registries without RDAP, e.g. .za/.co.za, .me, .de, .io, .eu: refused free (422). Use when you need to know which registrar holds a domain, how old it is, and whether it is a risky newly-registered domain. $0.005. From the registry's RDAP: registrar name and IANA ID (no registrant or contact data), created, expires, last changed, status flags, DNSSEC delegation, nameservers; fail under 30 days old or expired, warn under 180 days, expiring within 30 days or on hold. A registry without RDAP is refused free. MCP: pass api_key (an Afriref key, card credit at https://afriref.dev/pricing); per-call x402/MPP payment is HTTP only, so without a key the result is an api_key_required error naming the HTTP endpoint.

Input parameters:

- `api_key` (string): API key (bypasses x402; metered for invoicing)
- `domain` (string, required): Domain or hostname, e.g. example.com (no URL, no IP)

Output parameters:

- `checked_at` (string)
- `diagnosis`
- `domain` (string)
- `error`: Present on a free refusal or error; no charge
- `explanation`
- `finding` (string)
- `fix` (string|null)
- `grade` (string)
- `how_to_pay` (array)
- `http_endpoint` (string)
- `no_charge` (boolean)
- `notes` (array)
- `price_usd` (number)
- `registration`

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-domainref-domainref/domainref#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-11-05: 81
- 2026-11-04: 80
- 2026-11-03: 80
- 2026-11-02: 30
- 2026-11-01: 79
- 2026-10-31: 78
- 2026-10-30: 78
- 2026-10-29: 77
- 2026-10-28: 77
- 2026-10-27: 76
- 2026-10-26: 76
- 2026-10-25: 75
- 2026-10-24: 75
- 2026-10-23: 74
- 2026-10-22: 74
- 2026-10-21: 74
- 2026-10-20: 72

## Common questions

### What is the DomainRef - domain and email security check MCP server?

DomainRef - domain and email security check is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as dev.domainref/domainref. Pay-per-call domain and email security check: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, TLS, DNSSEC, BIMI, with exact fixes. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://domainref.dev/mcp).

### Is the DomainRef - domain and email security check MCP server safe to use?

DomainRef - domain and email security check scores 81 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the DomainRef - domain and email security check MCP server expose?

DomainRef - domain and email security check exposes 2 tools: domain_check, domain_age. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 541 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Does the DomainRef - domain and email security check MCP server require authentication?

No. We connected to DomainRef - domain and email security check without credentials and it answered, so anything it exposes is reachable by anyone who knows the address.

### Is the DomainRef - domain and email security check MCP server still maintained?

DomainRef - domain and email security check is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 5 November 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://domainref.dev/mcp
- Website: https://domainref.dev/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-domainref-domainref/domainref.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-domainref-domainref/domainref.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-domainref-domainref/domainref