If you have ever set up email on a domain, you have probably come across MX records. MX stands for Mail Exchange. These DNS records tell the internet which server should receive email addressed to your domain. Without the correct MX records in place, emails sent to your domain addresses simply cannot be delivered — they bounce back to the sender with an error.

How MX Records Work

When someone sends an email to you@yourdomain.co.uk, their email server needs to find out which server to deliver that email to. It does this by performing a DNS lookup on your domain's MX records. The MX record provides the hostname of the mail server that accepts incoming email for your domain — for example, mail.yourdomain.co.uk or an external service like aspmx.l.google.com (Google Workspace).

The sending server then connects directly to that mail server to deliver the message. The whole process happens automatically and invisibly every time someone sends you an email.

Priority Values

Each MX record has a priority value — a number that indicates which server should be tried first. Lower numbers mean higher priority. For example:

  • MX record 1: mail.yourdomain.co.uk — priority 10
  • MX record 2: mail2.yourdomain.co.uk — priority 20

Sending servers will always try the record with the lowest priority number first. If that server is unavailable, they try the next. Many domains only have one MX record; others have multiple for redundancy. Most hosting providers and email services provide specific MX values to use.

How to Check Your MX Records

You can check what MX records are currently set for any domain using a free online tool. Search for "MX record lookup" and use any of the available tools — enter your domain name and the tool will show you your current MX records. This is useful for diagnosing email delivery problems.

If someone tells you they cannot send email to your domain address, the first thing to check is your MX records.

Setting Up MX Records

Your MX records are managed in the DNS settings for your domain — usually in your domain registrar's control panel or your hosting provider's DNS management section.

When you set up email hosting (either through your hosting provider or a third-party service like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365), the provider will give you the MX record values to add. You then:

  1. Log in to your domain's DNS management panel
  2. Delete any existing MX records
  3. Add the new MX records with the specified hostname and priority values
  4. Save the changes and wait for DNS propagation

Always follow the specific instructions provided by your email service, as values differ between providers.

Common Issues and Mistakes

  • Multiple conflicting MX records. If you have MX records pointing to two different email services, email delivery will be unreliable. When switching email providers, remove the old MX records before adding the new ones.
  • Forgetting to update MX records when changing email providers. If you move to a new email hosting service and do not update your MX records, email will continue going to the old server — or bounce entirely if that server is no longer configured for your domain.
  • Confusing MX records with A records. MX records point to a hostname (like mail.yourserver.com), not an IP address. The hostname in an MX record must itself resolve to an IP address via an A record. Do not put an IP address directly in an MX record.
  • Setting MX records to your domain itself. The value in an MX record must be a hostname, not a bare domain. mail.yourdomain.co.uk is correct; yourdomain.co.uk is not.

Quick MX Record Checklist

  • MX records exist for your domain (check with an online lookup tool)
  • Only one set of MX records — no conflicting entries from old email services
  • MX values match exactly what your email provider specified
  • Priority values are set correctly
  • Changes saved and propagation time allowed

MX records are simple once you understand their purpose. If you ever have email delivery problems, they are the first DNS record to check.

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