What is a MX Record?

What is MX Record, and how does itwork?

A mail exchange record, also known as an MX record, is a resource record or settings within the Domain Name System (DNS) that directs email to a particular mail server that accepts email on behalf of a domain or users. Mail exchange records are also known as MX records. You are able to specify routing priorities inside of an MX record by utilizing preference values to determine which mail server will be used in the event that there are multiple servers.

MX records let everyone know which server your email should go to and where emails sent to your domain should be sent. If your MX records don't work right, you won't be able to get any emails.

What is MX Priority?

Priorities for MaileXchanger (MX) are expressed as integer values. The smallest number is favored. If two MXs have the same number, other mail servers will randomly select one. It is suggested that a domain have at least two MXs.

The server with the lowest number has the highest priority. Therefore, an MX server with a value of 2 is more important than one with a value of 15. A "0" indicates the highest possible priority.

What happens if I change my MX Records?

When you change your MX records, you are not only changing the address of your email but also the location where the mail will be directed in order to be delivered.

Updating an MX Record

To learn more about updating an MX Record, please see How to Update MX Records - Mail Exchange Record 

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