In the Domain Name System (DNS), Mail Exchange (MX) records are one of the most common types of entries. When you receive an email for a custom address, the DNS records determine exactly where to send it. Consequently, setting them correctly and changing them as necessary is an important task. There are many users who want to check the server which will receive the emails for a particular domain. You need to use an MX lookup tool such as iplocation.io/mx-lookup.
Unfortunately, there are many networking users who are unaware of MX records and don’t know how to change their MX records. If you’re one of those and want to learn about it, then read this article thoroughly. In this article, we will discuss the details of the MX record.
What is MX Record?
Essentially, MX records are entries in the DNS ledger. The MX record informs email clients where to route emails, as opposed to the primary “A” name record, which matches domains with IP addresses.
In order to provide a more concrete understanding of this concept, let’s break down an email’s journey once it has been sent as follows:
- When you send an email to [email protected], your email client checks the domain’s nameservers.
- When a client requests an MX record from a nameserver, the nameservers respond.
- These MX records point your domain’s address to the email servers.
Generally speaking, MX records are a vital component of a DNS system. In the absence of MX records, email would not be able to get anywhere – and this would result in the need to hold meetings for everything.
Before changing MX records, it is useful to know what email servers are associated with specific domains. In order to accomplish this, you can use a public lookup tool such as an MX lookup tool. To perform an MX lookup, enter a domain name and click on MX Lookup:
- You will see a list of the email servers associated with the domain on the next screen. There are some domains that will only have one, and others (such as Google) will have several
- If you are using a hosting email service, their documentation should provide the server addresses and priority values you require
How to Set Up or Change MX Records?
The process of setting up a new MX record is generally similar in most cases. However, the process can change depending on where you set up those records. As a start, let’s examine how the process works using a registrar such as Namecheap.
Change MX Records Through Your Domain Registrar
By logging into your Namecheap account and going to the Advanced DNS section, you can add new MX records for any domain you own. In this tab, you can find all the custom records you have created for your domain. As an example, you should see an A name record and one or more CNAME records.
When you scroll down to the MAIL SETTINGS section, you can enter a custom MX address by selecting the Custom MX option from the drop-down list. In the new window, type “@” into the Host field and then select the priority level that your mail server recommends. There may be a difference depending on the email service. As an example, Google recommends setting a priority level of one for its email server (the minimum is ten, and the maximum is zero).
It is also important to note that the URL you enter in the Mail Server field is determined by the service you are using. This example points our domain to the Gmail G Suite servers. Additionally, you will notice that the TTL has been set to Automatic. Using the Time to Live (TTL) value, your nameservers determine how often to update your DNS records. We recommend using the automatic settings as a general rule.
You should be aware that you can configure multiple MX records for one domain. For instance, Google suggests that you add records for its secondary mail servers just in case. However, it is always a good practice to assign higher priority numbers to secondary records.
In addition, your registrar or web host may be able to provide pre-set configurations for different email solutions. Additionally, Namecheap allows you to create MXE records, which allow you to configure email delivery towards a specific IP address
The registrar provides the option to configure email delivery to Gmail directly, without any additional effort on your part.
When updating your MX records, see if your registrar or web host offers pre-configured options to simplify the process.
Bottom Line
Now, you clearly know how the MX records system works and how to change the MX records using your domain registrar.
In order to check your MX records details, there are many online MX lookup tools. You can use them and get the relevant details.
