What is an MX Record? Email Routing & Setup Guide for 2025

Key highlights  

• Many businesses face email delivery issues without realizing that improperly configured MX records could be the root cause.  
• Understanding what is an MX record and how it functions can help prevent lost or misrouted emails.  
• Small mistakes in MX record configuration can lead to serious communication failures, but a few best practices can ensure seamless email flow.  
• Keeping MX records updated and optimized is crucial, especially for businesses relying on multiple mail servers for redundancy.  
• Verifying and troubleshooting MX records regularly can help avoid common pitfalls and keep email communication smooth and secure.  

Introduction  

You set up your business email expecting seamless communication with clients, only to realize something isn’t right. Your messages aren’t reaching potential customers, replies are nowhere to be found, and important emails keep bouncing back. This leads to frustration, confusion and most critically, business miscommunication. 

Email delivery issues don’t happen randomly—they often stem from misconfigurations in your email setup. When your business email isn’t functioning properly, it can cost you opportunities, customers and credibility. 

Before troubleshooting blindly, it’s important to understand the key factors that determine how emails are sent and received within your domain. This is where MX records come in. If you’ve ever wondered what an MX record is and why it matters, this guide will provide the answers you need. 

What is an MX record? MX record definition and importance  

As a crucial part of your domain’s DNS server settings, MX (Mail Exchange) records are responsible for directing incoming emails to the right mail server. The absence of an MX record can lead to failed deliveries and communication issues. 

Its functions include  

• Acts as an email routing system: When an individual sends an email to your domain, their mail server checks your MX record to determine where the message should be delivered.  
• Tells email servers where to send messages: It specifies the exact mail server responsible for handling your emails, ensuring smooth and efficient delivery.  
• Ensures reliable email communication: Without an MX record, your domain cannot receive emails, making it an essential setup for businesses and individuals alike.  

Understanding MX records: Importance in email delivery  

MX records assist with email delivery in the following ways:  

• Ensures emails reach the right place: A properly configured MX record plays a vital role in efficient email routing. It ensures that emails sent to your domain are delivered correctly instead of being lost or rejected. 
• Stops all unnecessary email failures: Setting up MX records correctly ensures that messages don’t bounce back to the sender or fail to be delivered altogether.  
• Improves email security and filtering: With MX records, only authorized mail servers can process your emails. This reduces the risk of spam and phishing attacks.  

Related post How to Get Secure Business Email Services  

Components of a DNS MX record  

Before you start working on MX records, it is crucial to understand the basic building blocks of a DNS MX (Mail Exchange) record.   

Here’s a breakdown of each element:  

1. Priority settings  

• Determines the order of mail servers: Each MX server record has a priority value (usually a number) where lower values indicate higher priority. When multiple mail servers are listed, emails are directed to the server with the lowest value first. 
• Provides redundancy: By prioritizing levels to multiple servers, emails will be routed to the next available server if the primary server is unavailable.  

2. Hostname specifications  

• Identifies the mail server: The hostname, often represented by an “@” symbol or a specific subdomain (like “mail. [yourdomain].com”), specifies the exact server responsible for handling your emails.  
• Must resolve correctly: This hostname should point to a valid A (Address) or AAAA (IPv6 Address) record, ensuring that it resolves to the correct IP address of your mail server.  

3. Destination mail server  

• Specifies where emails are sent: This component indicates the domain name of the mail server that will receive emails for your domain. It’s essential that this points to a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) rather than an IP address.  
• Ensures proper routing: Accurate configuration ensures that incoming emails are directed to the correct server, preventing delivery issues.  

4. TTL (Time to live)   

• Controls DNS caching duration: TTL defines how long DNS information is cached by DNS resolvers, servers and devices. A shorter TTL means changes to your MX records update faster, but it may increase DNS query traffic. 
• Balances performance and flexibility: Setting an appropriate TTL helps ensure that updates to your mail server settings are recognized promptly. This helps balance performance and efficiency without straining your DNS infrastructure.  

Get rid of all your email delivery issues by configuring each MX record component correctly.   

How to set up and configure MX records for email routing  

Here’s a straightforward guide to set up Mail Exchange (MX) records for directing emails to your domain’s designated mail server:  

1. Accessing your DNS management interface  

• Log in to your domain registrar or hosting provider: Use your credentials to access your account where your domain is registered. For this guide, we’ll walk through the process using Bluehost as the domain registrar.   
   

• Navigate to the DNS management section: Look for options like “DNS Settings,” “DNS Management” or “Zone Editor.” Manage your domain’s DNS records here.  

2. Adding a new MX record  

• Locate “add a new record” option: This is typically labeled as “Add Record” or “Add New Record.”  

• Select “MX” as the record type: From the dropdown menu, choose “MX” to indicate you’re adding a Mail Exchange record.  
• Enter the hostname: In the “Host” or “Name” field, input @ to represent the root domain or specify a subdomain if needed.  

• Specify the mail server: In the “Points to” or “Destination” field, enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of your mail server (e.g., mail.[yourdomain].com).  
• Set the priority: Assign a priority value; lower numbers indicate higher priority. This determines the order in which mail servers are used.  
• Configure TTL (Time to Live): Set the TTL value, which dictates how long the record is cached. The default is often sufficient, but you can adjust it as needed.  

Configuring mail delivery preferences  

• Determine your mail delivery method: Decide whether you’ll use local mail servers or external (remote) servers.  
• Set up multiple MX records for redundancy: If using multiple mail servers, add additional MX records with appropriate priority values to ensure backup servers are available if the primary server fails.  

Saving changes and understanding propagation  

• Save your new MX record: After entering all necessary information, click “Save” or “Add Record” to apply the changes.  
• Allow time for DNS propagation: Normally, DNS record changes take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to take effect globally.  

Also read: Easy Steps to Set Up MX Records for Your Domain’s Email Service  

Editing and managing existing MX records  

Say you are switching to a new business email provider or making changes to your mail server. Understanding what is an MX record and how it routes incoming emails to the right mail servers is essential.  

A well-configured MX record ensures smooth updates without any disruptions to communication. To ensure your email functions correctly, it is crucial to make changes to your Mail Exchange (MX) records. 

Here’s how you can modify your MX records:  

1. Accessing the DNS zone editor  

• Log in to your domain hosting account: Use your credentials to access your domain registrar or hosting provider’s dashboard.  
• Navigate to the DNS management section: Look for options labeled “DNS Settings,” “DNS Management,” or “Zone Editor.” This is where you can view and edit your domain’s DNS records.  

2. Modifying MX record details  

• Identify the existing MX record: In the list of DNS records, locate the MX record you wish to change.  

• Edit the record: Click on the “Edit” option next to the MX record. Update the following fields as needed:  

1. Priority: Set the priority level; lower numbers indicate higher priority.  
2. Host/Name: Typically, this is set to “@” to represent the root domain.  
3. Points to/Destination: Enter the new mail server’s domain name (e.g., “mail.[yourdomain].com”).  
4. TTL (Time to live): Specify how long the record remains cached. The default value is usually sufficient.  

3. Saving updates and anticipating propagation delays  

• Save your changes: After updating the necessary fields, click “Save” or “Update” to apply the modifications.  
• Understand propagation time: DNS changes aren’t instantaneous. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours for the updates to propagate across the internet, depending on various factors.  

MX record verification and troubleshooting: Fixing common email issues  

Once you have set up a business email, it is essential to configure your Mail Exchange (MX) records correctly for seamless email delivery. Wrong configurations can lead to bounced emails or messages landing in spam folders.   

Here’s how you can verify and troubleshoot your MX records effectively:  

1. Using online MX lookup tools  

• Access MX lookup services: Use online DNS lookup tools like MXToolbox to check your domain’s MX records. These platforms provide detailed insights into your email server configurations, including MX record information. 

• Enter your domain name: Input your domain (e.g., [yourdomain].com) into the tool to retrieve current MX records. This will display the mail servers responsible for handling your emails and their priority levels.  
• Analyze the results: Review the listed MX records to ensure they point to the correct mail servers with appropriate priority settings. Any discrepancies could indicate misconfigurations affecting email delivery.  

2. Common issues and their solutions  

• Missing MX records: Without MX records, your domain cannot receive emails. To resolve this, add the correct MX records to your DNS settings, specifying the mail servers designated to handle your domain’s email.  
• Incorrect priority settings: Improper priority configurations can mislead emails. Ensure that primary mail servers have the lowest numerical priority value, with backup servers assigned higher values.  
• MX records pointing to CNAMEs: MX records should direct to A records (which map to IP addresses) instead of CNAME records. Adjust your DNS settings to point MX records to the appropriate A records to prevent delivery issues.  
• Propagation delays: After modifying MX records, changes may take time to propagate across the internet, typically up to 48 hours. Plan accordingly and inform users of potential delays during this period.  

Regularly monitoring and verifying your MX records helps maintain optimal email performance and prevents potential communication disruptions.  

MX record best practices: Ensuring reliable email delivery  

Ensuring your emails reach their intended recipients requires careful setup of your Mail Exchange (MX) records.   

By following these best practices, you can enhance the reliability and efficiency of your email delivery system.  

1. Ensuring redundancy with multiple MX records  

• Set up backup mail servers: Configure additional MX records with higher priority values to serve as a backup MX record measure against email delivery failures. This way, if your primary mail server encounters issues, emails will automatically route to a secondary server with equal priority, reducing disruptions. 
• Distribute server load: Utilize multiple MX records to balance the email traffic across various servers. This approach enhances performance and provides resilience against server failures.  

2. Regular monitoring and updates  

• Conduct consistent audits: Regular review of your MX records ensures they align with your current email infrastructure. Changes in your mail server’s IP address or domain can call for updates to your MX records.  
• Monitor server health: Analyze the performance and uptime of your mail servers daily. Promptly address any issues to prevent email delivery interruptions.  

3. Avoiding common pitfalls  

• Verify record accuracy: Ensure that your MX records point to valid hostnames with corresponding A or AAAA records, not CNAME records or IP addresses. Incorrect configurations can lead to failed email deliveries.   
• Set appropriate TTL values: Configure the Time to Live (TTL) settings to balance between propagation speed and DNS query load. While shorter TTLs allow for quicker updates, they can increase DNS traffic.  
• Remove obsolete records: Eliminate outdated or unused MX records to prevent potential conflicts. This ensures that emails are routed only through intended servers.  

For expert support and reliable email hosting, choose a service that simplifies management and ensures seamless communication. The right solution makes email setup effortless.  

Recommended: How to Choose a Professional Email Address for Your Business  

How Bluehost assists with MX record configuration  

Even with the best understanding of what is an mx record, maintaining a reliable email system requires ongoing management. Misconfigurations, outdated records and lack of redundancy can lead to disruptions that hurt communication and business operations.   

That’s where Bluehost professional email services come in.   

We offer the tools and support you need to keep everything running smoothly.  

1. Professional email services  

• Branded email addresses: A domain- specific email that matches your domain and enhances professionalism and credibility.  
• Seamless email management: Manage your inboxes and templates seamlessly with custom inbox. Easily configure, update and manage MX records without dealing with complex DNS settings.  
• Security-first approach: Advanced spam filtering and virus protection keep your inbox secure.  

2. Google Workspace integration with Bluehost  

• Professional email, powered by Google: With Bluehost Google Workspace email, get a domain-matching, branded email seamlessly integrated with Gmail and managed effortlessly through your Bluehost Control Panel.  
• Collaboration made simple: Access Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Meet alongside Bluehost’s built-in productivity tools, ensuring your team stays connected from anywhere.  
• Security and reliability in one place: Benefit from Google’s spam filtering and encryption, along with Bluehost’s SpamExperts and CodeGuard for extra email security and data protection.  

Related post: Easy Steps to Set Up MX Records for Your Domain’s Email Service  

3. User-friendly DNS management  

• Straightforward control panel: Bluehost makes managing DNS settings, including MX records, easy with its intuitive dashboard.  
• Step-by-step guidance: If you’re unsure what is an MX record or how to set it up, Bluehost provides simple, clear tutorials to walk you through the process.  

4. Comprehensive support resources  

• 24/7 expert assistance – Whether you’re troubleshooting an issue or adjusting your email configuration, Bluehost’s support team is always available via chat or phone.  
• Extensive knowledge base – Access in-depth guides and resources that make configuring email settings effortless, even without technical expertise.  

A well-configured MX record system is the foundation of reliable email delivery. However, ongoing support and easy management takes it to the next level.   

With Bluehost, your business email is optimized, secure and fully supported. 

Know more: How to Buy a Domain and Email for Your New Business  

Final thoughts  

A well-configured MX record is the backbone of smooth email communication. Without it, emails can bounce, disappear or never reach the right inbox. This can lead to lost opportunities and disrupted workflows. Understanding what is an MX record and ensuring they are properly set up is essential for reliable email delivery. 

With Bluehost Professional Email Services, managing MX records becomes effortless. Whether you’re building a business or optimizing your email system, Bluehost provides a secure, professional and hassle-free solution. Choose a Bluehost WordPress hosting plan to smoothly manage your website while enjoying seamless email management. 

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