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What is an MX record?

By Ash, Founder, HosteazePublished 1 min read

The short answer

An MX (mail exchange) record is a DNS setting that tells the internet which mail server receives email for your domain. Each record has a priority number and a server name, and senders try the lowest number first. If your MX records are missing or wrong, email sent to your domain can't be delivered.

Three wall-mounted letterboxes in black, green and red, each one a different place post can be delivered
Credit: stux via Pixabay

When someone emails hello@yourbusiness.co.uk, their mail server has one question: where do I take this? The MX record is the answer. It's the forwarding address for your domain's post, and it lives in your DNS alongside the records for your website.

What does an MX record look like?

Here's Google's own, which we looked up in October 2026:

google.com.   MX   10 smtp.google.com.
PartMeaning
google.com.The domain receiving the email. In most DNS panels you enter this as @.
10The priority. Lower numbers are tried first.
smtp.google.com.The mail server that accepts the email.

A domain with a backup server might have two records, 10 mail1.example.com and 20 mail2.example.com. Senders try mail1 first and only use mail2 if it doesn't respond. Two records with the same number share the load.

When do I need to change my MX records?

When you move your email to a different provider, such as switching to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Your new provider gives you the exact values. Remove the old MX records when you add the new ones, or some email will keep going to the old provider.

Changing MX records doesn't move your old emails, it only changes where new ones arrive. Changes usually take effect within an hour, but can take longer; see how long DNS propagation takes.

What are the common MX mistakes?

  1. Leaving old records behind after switching provider, so email splits between two inboxes.
  2. Pointing the record at an IP address. MX records must name a server, not a number.
  3. Adding the domain twice by typing yourdomain.com in a panel that already appends it, giving yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com.

MX records decide where your email arrives. Whether your outgoing email is trusted is a different job, handled by SPF and DKIM.

Frequently asked questions

Can a domain have more than one MX record?

Yes, and most do. Senders try the lowest priority number first and move to the next if that server doesn't answer.

Can an MX record point to an IP address?

No. It must point to a hostname, such as mail.example.com, which in turn has an A or AAAA record. It also shouldn't point to a CNAME.

Do MX records affect my website?

No. MX records only handle incoming email. Your website uses A and CNAME records, so you can host your site and your email with different companies.

Sources

  1. RFC 5321, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (section 5, address resolution)
  2. RFC 2181, Clarifications to the DNS Specification (section 10.3)
  3. Google Workspace, Set up MX records

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