Hey Sales.Rocky 👋
If you’re setting up your domain and came to the part where you need to add MX records in your domain provider DNS, then you’ve come to the right place 😎 Let’s see what an MX record is, what it does and how to set it up for your domain ⬇️
What is an MX record?
An MX (Mail Exchanger) record is a DNS resource record that identifies the email server responsible for receiving incoming emails for your domain.
❗ If your domain doesn’t have an MX record already set up or it points to the wrong location, then you won’t be able to receive emails ❗
What is the purpose of an MX record?
Think of an MX record as a digital address for your inbox. The MX record signals email-sending servers where to route emails intended for your domain.
An MX record contains a hostname and a preference value. The hostname designates the email server while the preference value indicates its priority when receiving incoming emails. In short, the lower the preference value an MX record has, the higher priority it is assigned.
Can you set up multiple MX records?
The answer is yes, you can. Every additional MX record acts as a backup in case the primary server can’t receive incoming emails. Moreover, backup MX records always have lower priority.
The preference value determines the order in which the sending email server selects a receiving email server to deliver the email to, in case the primary email server is unreachable.
Also, it is worth mentioning that if you have multiple backup MX records, not all of them will receive a copy of the email. Only the next one on the priority list will receive incoming emails and the rest continue to act as backups.
How to check your MX records
Make sure your MX records are set up correctly and that you’ll be able to receive emails by doing a quick check. You can use this neat tool to check your domain’s MX records 👀
How to set up MX records for your sending domain
Setting up MX records for your domain is easy.
If you’re using Google (Gmail), Microsoft Office 365 (Outlook) and Zoho Mail, we got you covered. You can just copy the MX records and follow the guide for your domain provider to add them in the right place. We covered a couple of popular domain providers and we also included a general set-up as well as a cPanel guide which you’ll find handy if you're using another service.
On a side note, if you’re a Gmail user and don’t see your domain provider, check this convenient domain host list 👀
Google, Microsoft Office 365 & Zoho MX records setup:
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General MX record setup for all domain providers
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MX records setup for cPanel
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MX records setup for Cloudflare
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MX records setup for Bluehost
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MX records setup for GoDaddy
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MX records setup for Namecheap
1. General MX records setup for all domain providers
1. Log in to your domain providing service
1. Go to the DNS settings
2. Add a new record
3. Select the MX record type
4. Add "@" in Host or Name field
5. In the Value/ Points To and Priority fields add the following MX records, based on your email provider:
Gmail MX records setup
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 1
ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
Microsoft Office MX records setup
yourdomain.mail.protection.outlook.com priority 0
Zoho MX records setup
US region:
mx.zoho.com priority 10
mx2.zoho.com priority 20
mx3.zoho.com priority 50
EU region:
10 mx.zoho.eu
20 mx2.zoho.eu
50 mx3.zoho.eu
2. MX records setup for cPanel
1. Log in to cPanel
2. Navigate to the Domains section
3. Select the Zone Editor
4. Click the Manage button next to your domain name
5. Click the Add Record button
6. In the Name field select the domain
7. Select the MX record type
8. In the Destination and Priority fields add the following MX records, based on your email provider:
Gmail MX records setup
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 1
ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
Microsoft Office MX records setup
yourdomain.mail.protection.outlook.com priority 0
Zoho MX records setup
US region:
mx.zoho.com priority 10
mx2.zoho.com priority 20
mx3.zoho.com priority 50
EU region:
10 mx.zoho.eu
20 mx2.zoho.eu
50 mx3.zoho.eu
9. Click the Add Record button and you’re done!
3. MX records setup for Cloudflare
1. Log in to Cloudflare
2. Click the DNS button
3. Click the Add record button
4. Select the MX record type
5. Set Name to @
6. In the Mail server and Priority fields add the following MX records, based on your email provider:
Gmail MX records setup
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 1
ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
Microsoft Office MX records setup
yourdomain.mail.protection.outlook.com priority 0
Zoho MX records setup
US region:
mx.zoho.com priority 10
mx2.zoho.com priority 20
mx3.zoho.com priority 50
EU region:
10 mx.zoho.eu
20 mx2.zoho.eu
50 mx3.zoho.eu
7. Click the Save button and you’re done!
4. MX records setup for Bluehost
1. Log in to Bluehost
2. Go to Domains and select your domain
3. Click the Manage button
4. Select the DNS tab
5. Click Add Record in the MX (Mail Exchanger) section
6. Set Host Record to @
7. Under Points To and Priority add the following MX records, based on your email provider:
Gmail MX records setup
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 1
ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
Microsoft Office MX records setup
yourdomain.mail.protection.outlook.com priority 0
Zoho MX records setup
US region:
mx.zoho.com priority 10
mx2.zoho.com priority 20
mx3.zoho.com priority 50
EU region:
10 mx.zoho.eu
20 mx2.zoho.eu
50 mx3.zoho.eu
8. Click Save and you’re done!
5. MX records setup for GoDaddy
1. Log in to GoDaddy
2. Under the My Products, find your domain
3. Click the DNS button
4. Click the ADD button
5. Select the MX record type
6. Set Host to @
7. Under Points To and Priority add the following MX records, based on your email provider:
Gmail MX records setup
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 1
ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
Microsoft Office MX records setup
yourdomain.mail.protection.outlook.com priority 0
Zoho MX records setup
US region:
mx.zoho.com priority 10
mx2.zoho.com priority 20
mx3.zoho.com priority 50
EU region:
10 mx.zoho.eu
20 mx2.zoho.eu
50 mx3.zoho.eu
8. Click Save and you’re done!
6. MX records setup for Namecheap
1. Log in to Namecheap
2. From Domain list, select your domain
3. Click the Manage button
3. Click on the Advanced DNS tab
4. Scroll to the MAIL SETTINGS section
5. Select the Custom MX option or Gmail for automatic configuration
6. Set Host to @
7. Under Value and Priority add the following MX records, based on your email provider:
Gmail MX records setup
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 1
ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 5
ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM priority 10
Microsoft Office MX records setup
yourdomain.mail.protection.outlook.com priority 0
Zoho MX records setup
US region:
mx.zoho.com priority 10
mx2.zoho.com priority 20
mx3.zoho.com priority 50
EU region:
10 mx.zoho.eu
20 mx2.zoho.eu
50 mx3.zoho.eu
8. Click on SAVE ALL CHANGES and you’re done!
Now that you have your MX records properly configured and pointing incoming emails to your inbox, you’re in the clear. You can be sure that all incoming emails will be directed to where they need to go so you won’t miss out on good newsletters or good promo offers 😎
Setting up your MX records is usually part of a process that also includes SPF and DKIM configuration. If you haven’t set up your SPF record and DKIM record, it’s a good idea to do it as soon as possible to ensure there are no issues with your email deliverability, so check out our related articles to assist you along the way!