What is an MX Record? How It Works and Why It Matters
Have you ever wondered what happens after you hit “send” on an email? Behind the scenes, an MX record acts as the delivery instruction for your email, telling the system exactly where to route the message. If this record isn’t set up correctly, your email could bounce back or fail to deliver entirely.
To understand this clearly, let’s use a simple analogy:
Imagine you’re sending a letter to a friend.
You know your friend’s address, but you’re not sure which post office should handle the delivery. MX records serve as a special signpost that directs the postal service to the right post office responsible for your friend’s address.
In the same way, MX records tell the email system which “post office” (mail server) to send your email to. If the MX records are incorrect, your email might get lost or sent to the wrong place.
How do MX records work with your mail server?
An MX record is part of the domain name system (DNS), which acts like the phonebook of the internet. It helps find where mail servers are located so that your message can be delivered to the right place. When you send an email, the DNS looks up the MX record to find the IP address of the server that will handle your message. This ensures that your communication reaches the correct destination.
To explain the relationship between MX records and the DNS and IP addresses further, here’s a quick breakdown:
- DNS. The domain name system acts like the internet’s directory. It helps turn easy-to-read names, like “example.com,” into machine-readable IP addresses (a special code that computers understand). MX records work alongside DNS in finding the correct mail server for your email.
- IP address. Every server has a unique IP address, much like a home address. MX records point to the IP address of the mail server that will handle your email, so the email system knows exactly where to deliver it.
Now that we’ve covered how DNS and MX records work, let’s take a look at what happens after you hit “send” on your email:
MX record look-up
When someone sends you an email, the sender’s mail server first “looks up” your domain’s MX records, similar to how you’d look up a contact in your phonebook. The MX records direct the email to the correct mail server for delivery.
Server priority
Each mail server listed in your MX records has a priority number. The server with the lowest number receives the email first. If the highest-priority server is unavailable, the system moves to the next server.
Take this example. Your MX records list two servers:
- mail1.example.com (priority 10)
- mail2.example.com (priority 20)
The system will attempt to deliver the email to mail1.example.com first. If that server is down, mail2.example.com will step in to handle the delivery.
Load balancing
If multiple servers share the same priority number, the system sends emails to each server using the round-robin configuration. The concept is like taking turns at a checkout line. Each server gets a chance to handle the emails to ensure that not even one of them gets overwhelmed. Hence, spreading the workload evenly to keep everything running smoothly.
Common issues with an MX record
Any MX record can cause problems if they’re not set up properly. Here are some common issues and how you can fix them:
| Problem | Solution |
| Missing MX record | Add the MX record to your DNS settings to ensure emails reach your domain. |
| Incorrect server address | Double-check your DNS settings and update any incorrect server addresses. |
| Improper priority settings | Assign the lowest number to your primary mail server and higher numbers to backups. |
| Server downtime | Set up backup servers to maintain email delivery during outages. |
| Propagation delays | Allow time for DNS updates or reduce the TTL value for faster propagation. |
Note: A consistent review of your MX record can avoid these issues and keep incoming messages flowing smoothly. So, do it routinely.
Ensure smooth email delivery with Domain.com
MX records are essential for keeping your emails reliable and on track. They make sure your messages get to the right place, even during server glitches.
Domain.com simplifies DNS MX record management with a robust Google Workspace integration. The platform not only guarantees smooth and hassle-free email communication, but it also enables access to professional email addresses, enhanced storage, and productivity tools optimized to support your needs.
If you’re ready to take the hassle out of email management, let Domain.com help keep your emails on track and never miss a message again.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
If an MX record is missing, email servers won’t know where to send messages for your domain. Without this specific DNS record, emails might fail to reach their destination and return to the sender.
An MX record directs email to the preferred mail server for a domain, ensuring proper delivery. In contrast, other DNS records, like A records, route web traffic to the correct IP address. MX records focus on email routing, while other records handle website or service connections.
An MX record for Gmail routes your domain’s emails to Google’s backup mail server and primary mail servers when using Google Workspace. It leverages the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) to make sure emails reach the right Gmail inbox tied to your domain.
