Without a correctly configured MX record, your business email address simply does not work, no matter how perfectly everything else on your website is set up. Here is exactly how to add one properly.
What An MX Record Actually Does
MX, short for Mail Exchange, is a specific type of DNS record that tells the wider internet which mail server should handle incoming email for your domain. When someone sends a message to [email protected], the sending server looks up your domain’s MX record to know exactly where to deliver that message.
Without this record pointing to the correct destination, incoming email has nowhere valid to go, and messages will bounce or simply fail to arrive.
Step 1: Determine Where Your Email Is Actually Hosted
Before adding anything, confirm where your business email service actually lives, since this determines the exact MX record values you need to enter.
- If you are using email included with your hosting plan, your host will provide specific MX record values matching their mail servers.
- If you are using a separate service like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, that provider issues its own specific MX record values you need to use instead
Using the wrong provider’s values, or mixing them incorrectly, is one of the most common reasons business email stops working after a DNS change.
Step 2: Access Your Domain’s DNS Management Panel
Log in to wherever your domain’s DNS is actually managed, either your domain registrar’s dashboard or your hosting provider’s DNS panel, depending on where your nameservers currently point.
Step 3: Locate The DNS Records Section
Within your DNS management panel, find the section for managing individual records, often labeled “DNS Zone Editor,” “DNS Management,” or simply “DNS Records.”
Step 4: Add Your MX Record With The Correct Values
Click to add a new record, then select MX as the record type. You will typically need to enter:
- Host or name, usually just your domain itself or left blank to represent the root domain, depending on your specific DNS panel’s format
- Points to or mail server, the exact mail server address provided by your email service, entered precisely as given.
- Priority, a number indicating which server to try first if multiple MX records exist, with lower numbers typically indicating higher priority
Enter these values exactly as provided by your email service, since even small formatting differences can cause mail routing to fail.
Step 5: Remove Any Old, Conflicting MX Records
If you previously used a different email service, old MX records pointing to that previous provider may still be present. Leaving these in place alongside your new record can cause confusing, inconsistent mail delivery, with some messages routing correctly and others failing unpredictably. Remove outdated MX records once you have confirmed your new ones are correctly configured and working.
Step 6: Save Your Changes And Allow Time For Propagation
Once saved, your new MX record needs time to propagate across the internet, similarly to any other DNS change. This can take anywhere from a few minutes up to around 24 hours to fully take effect everywhere, so avoid assuming something is broken if email does not start flowing instantly.
Step 7: Test That Mail Is Actually Being Delivered
Once you believe propagation has completed, send a test email from an external address, like a personal Gmail account, to your business email address, and confirm it arrives successfully. Also send a test email from your business address outward, confirming outgoing mail works correctly too, since a misconfiguration can sometimes affect one direction without affecting the other.
Step 8: Verify The Record Using A DNS Lookup Tool
If you are unsure whether your MX record has actually propagated or was entered correctly, use a DNS lookup tool set specifically to check MX records for your domain. This shows you exactly what the internet currently sees, confirming whether your configuration is correct and live.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Entering the wrong mail server values, often by mixing up settings between different email providers.
- Leaving old MX records in place after switching email providers, causing inconsistent delivery.
- Assuming the change is broken immediately after saving, without allowing normal propagation time to pass.
- Never testing actual delivery, assuming a correctly saved record automatically means working email.
Adding an MX record correctly is a small, specific task, but it is the exact setting that determines whether your business email actually functions. Get the values right, remove any conflicting old records, and test thoroughly before considering the setup complete.
Need hosting with straightforward DNS tools for managing your business email setup? Get hosting with reliable email and DNS management from HoganHost and get your MX records configured correctly from the start.
