What is an MX record? How email finds your mailbox

An MX record tells other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain. Without one, senders do not know where your mail should go.

What an MX record contains

Each record has a priority number and the name of a mail server. A domain can have several records, one per server.

How priority works

The server with the lowest number is tried first. If it does not answer, the sender tries the next one. Records with the same number share the load.

Rules worth knowing

The target of an MX record should be a name that has an address record. It should not be an IP address. Changing MX records changes where all new email for the domain arrives.

What usually goes wrong

A leftover record from a previous provider sends some mail to the wrong place. A missing or mistyped record means mail bounces or never arrives. After a provider change, it is worth checking that only the new provider's records remain.

DNS Domain Detective shows the MX records of your domain in one view. Open DNS Domain Detective

Related tips

DNS Domain Detective is now available on the App Store.

Last reviewed: 2026-11-02

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