Bluehost DNS Records for Email Services
This article lists every DNS record required to route email for a domain hosted on Bluehost, across the three most common configurations: Professional Email (powered by Titan), Google Workspace, and Bluehost's native cPanel Email. Use it as a quick reference when auditing, migrating, or troubleshooting email delivery for a domain.
Before You Begin
Important: Only one email provider's MX records should be active for a domain at a time. Mixing MX records from different providers (for example, Titan and Google Workspace together) causes unpredictable mail routing and lost messages.
- Always delete conflicting MX records before adding a new provider's records.
- DNS changes typically propagate within 1–4 hours but can take up to 48–72 hours in rare cases.
1. Professional Email (Titan) DNS Records
Professional Email on Bluehost is powered by Titan. These records point incoming mail to Titan's mail servers and authorize Titan to send mail on the domain's behalf.
MX Records
Professional Email (Titan):
| Host / Name | Type | Points To / Value | Priority | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| @ | MX | mx1.titan.email | 10 | 1 Hour |
| @ | MX | mx2.titan.email | 20 | 1 Hour |
TXT / SPF Record
TXT/SPF record for Professional Email (Titan):
| Host / Name | Type | Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ | TXT | v=spf1 include:spf.titan.email ~all | 1 Hour |
DKIM Record
DKIM record for Professional Email (Titan):
| Host / Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
| <selector>._domainkey | TXT | v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=<public key string> |
DKIM adds a digital signature to outgoing mail so receiving servers can confirm it genuinely came from the domain and wasn't altered in transit. Both the selector (the host prefix, e.g. titan1._domainkey) and the public key value are generated per domain — they are not static and must be copied from Titan directly:
- Log in to the Titan Email Control Panel (manage.titan.email).
- Go to Email Reputation → Add DKIM record → Add, then scroll down to view the generated DNS Host Name and TXT record value.
- Create a new TXT record in the domain's DNS zone using that exact Host Name and value.
- Return to the Titan Control Panel, select "I've added TXT records in my DNS control panel," and click Verify Changes.
Important: Only one DKIM TXT record is allowed per selector — a duplicate under the same selector will cause verification errors.
DMARC Record
DMARC record for Professional Email (Titan):
| Host / Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
| _dmarc | TXT | v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected] |
DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM, telling receiving servers what to do with mail that fails those checks and where to send reporting data. The value above is a safe starting policy — replace the rua mailbox with one that's actually monitored on the domain. Recommended phased rollout:
- Phase 1 — p=none: monitor only; no mail is blocked. Review the incoming aggregate reports to confirm legitimate senders are passing.
- Phase 2 — p=quarantine (optionally add pct=10 through pct=50 to ramp gradually): failing mail is routed to spam.
- Phase 3 — p=reject: failing mail is rejected outright. Move here only once SPF and DKIM are confirmed passing consistently.
2. Google Workspace DNS Records
Google Workspace supports two valid MX configurations. Either works — use whichever the domain's Google Workspace setup tool provided. Do not mix the two.
MX Records — Option A: Single Record (current default for new setups)
Google Workspace single MX record option:
| Host / Name | Type | Points To / Value | Priority | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| @ | MX | smtp.google.com | 1 | 3600 |
MX Records — Option B: Legacy 5-Record Set (still fully supported)
Google Workspace legacy 5-record MX set:
| Host / Name | Type | Points To / Value | Priority | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| @ | MX | ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM | 1 | 3600 |
| @ | MX | ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM | 5 | 3600 |
| @ | MX | ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM | 5 | 3600 |
| @ | MX | ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM | 10 | 3600 |
| @ | MX | ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM | 10 | 3600 |
TXT / SPF Record
TXT/SPF record for Google Workspace:
| Host / Name | Type | Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ (domain root) | TXT | v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all | 14400 |
CNAME Records (for Workspace subdomain features)
CNAME records for Google Workspace subdomain features:
| Host / Name | Type | Points To / Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNAME | ghs.google.com | 14400 | |
| calendar | CNAME | ghs.google.com | 14400 |
| docs | CNAME | ghs.google.com | 14400 |
| sites | CNAME | ghs.google.com | 14400 |
| contacts | CNAME | ghs.google.com | 14400 |
Note on domain verification: Google also requires a one-time domain ownership verification, typically a TXT record (google-site-verification=...) generated uniquely per domain in the Google Workspace Admin console during setup. Publish it exactly as provided; it is not a static value.
cPanel-Specific Steps for Google Workspace
- MX records: In the Bluehost Portal, go to Hosting → cPanel Email → MX Entry, select the domain, add each record above, then set Email Routing to Remote Mail Exchanger last (editing MX records can reset this setting).
- TXT/CNAME records: Use cPanel's Advanced DNS Editor (Zone Editor) to add the SPF TXT record and the five CNAME records.
3. cPanel Email (Bluehost Native/Local Mail) DNS Records
cPanel Email is Bluehost's built-in mailbox service. When a domain uses Bluehost nameservers, mail is handled locally by default — no external MX record is required unless you're restoring it after testing a third-party provider.
Default (Local Mail) MX Record
Default local mail MX record for cPanel Email:
| Host / Name | Type | Points To / Value | Priority | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| @ | MX | yourdomain.com (server's local IP) | 0 | 14400 |
This is created automatically when a domain lives on Bluehost's nameservers — you don't need to add it manually. If it's missing or was overwritten by a third-party provider's records, restore local delivery from cPanel:
- Log in to the Bluehost Portal → Hosting → cPanel Email → MX Entry.
- Delete any MX records pointing to an external provider.
- Under Email Routing, select Local Mail Exchanger and click Change (do this last, after MX records are corrected).
Recommended SPF Record (for Local Mail)
Recommended SPF record for local mail delivery:
| Host / Name | Type | Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ | TXT | v=spf1 +a +mx include:hostinger... (auto-generated per server — use the SPF value shown in cPanel → Email Deliverability) | 14400 |
cPanel Email's SPF and DKIM values are generated per-server and per-domain. In the Bluehost Portal, go to Hosting → cPanel Email → Email Deliverability, select the domain, and cPanel will show the exact SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records it expects — with one-click Install/Update buttons that publish them automatically.
4. Email Routing Setting Reference (cPanel)
Whenever MX records are changed for a domain on Bluehost nameservers, the matching Email Routing setting in cPanel must also be confirmed. This setting tells the Bluehost server how to handle mail for that domain.
Email Routing settings and when to use them:
| Routing Setting | When to Use It |
|---|---|
| Local Mail Exchanger | Domain uses cPanel Email (default local mailboxes). |
| Remote Mail Exchanger | Domain uses an external provider — Titan/Professional Email or Google Workspace. |
| Automatically Detect Configuration | Let cPanel infer routing from the domain's current MX records (use with caution after a provider switch). |
Quick Decision Guide
- Using Professional Email? → Publish the 2 Titan MX records + SPF TXT, generate and publish the DKIM TXT record from the Titan Control Panel, optionally add the _dmarc TXT record, then set Email Routing to Remote Mail Exchanger.
- Using Google Workspace? → Publish either the single MX record or the 5-record legacy set (not both) + SPF TXT + CNAMEs, then set Email Routing to Remote Mail Exchanger.
- Using cPanel Email? → Leave the default local MX in place (or restore it), set Email Routing to Local Mail Exchanger, and publish SPF/DKIM/DMARC from Email Deliverability.
If you need further assistance, Bluehost Chat Support is available 24 hours a day, 7days a week while Bluehost Phone Support is available 7 days a week from 7 am-12 midnight EST.
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You may also refer to our Knowledge Base articles to help answer common questions and guide you through various setup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps.