MX record: what it does and how to change it
Understand what MX records and their priority do, then change them without losing any email.
·4 min read
An MX record tells the world which servers receive email for a domain name, with a priority: the lowest number is tried first. To change it at Upkyo, open Domains, your domain, DNS tab, then add or edit the MX record with the value and priority given by your email provider, or apply the matching template.
When someone writes to hello@yourdomain.com, their sending server looks up your domain's DNS zone to find out where to deliver the message. It reads the MX (Mail eXchanger) records. Without a correct MX, your email goes nowhere. This guide explains how MX records work and how to change them, for example to move your email to Upkyo or to another provider.
How does an MX record work?
An MX record holds two pieces of information:
- The value: the name of the server that receives email, for example
mx1.example.com. It must be a host name, never an IP address. - The priority: a number. The lower it is, the higher the server's priority.
A domain often has several MX records. With one at priority 10 and another at 20, the sending server tries the 10 first, then the 20 if the first does not answer. Two MX records with the same priority share the load.
MX records only cover receiving. Sending is handled by your email app and your SMTP server, helped by the SPF, DKIM and DMARC TXT records that prove your messages are genuine.
Before you start
- Make sure your mailboxes exist at the new provider before changing the MX records. At Upkyo, see Create an email address.
- Get the exact MX values and their priorities from your email provider.
- Write down your current MX records: if something goes wrong, you can put them back.
- If possible, set the MX TTL to 5 min a few hours before the change.
Change an MX record step by step
- Open Domains and click your domain.
- Open the DNS tab.
- Find the existing MX records for
@. - For a common provider, open Templates and pick the matching email template (Upkyo email, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail…), then apply it.
- Otherwise, click Add a record and choose the MX type.
- In Name, enter
@(or leave it empty) for addresses ending in@yourdomain.com. - In Value, enter the receiving server's name, and in Priority the number given by your provider.
- Click Add, then delete the old provider's MX records.
- Check with Propagation that the new MX records are visible.
Do not keep the old MX records next to the new ones: part of your email would keep arriving at the old provider.
Domain bought elsewhere, email at Upkyo
If your domain stays with another registrar, you do not change the MX records at Upkyo but at that registrar. Upkyo shows you the records to add (MX, SPF, DKIM…) and tracks their progress, see Use Upkyo Mail with a domain bought elsewhere.
MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC: how do they relate?
- MX: where your email arrives.
- SPF (TXT starting with
v=spf1): which servers are allowed to send for your domain. - DKIM (TXT or CNAME): a signature proving the message was not altered.
- DMARC (TXT on
_dmarc): what recipients should do with a message that fails the checks.
When you switch email provider, also update SPF and DKIM. Otherwise, your messages may land in spam.
Common errors and how to fix them
- "Priority required": an MX record always needs a priority. Enter the one given by your provider, for example
10. - IP address in the value: an MX record expects a host name. Use the name given by your provider.
- Name set to
mailinstead of@: the MX then applies tomail.yourdomain.com, not to your main addresses. - Old and new MX records mixed: delete the old provider's records.
- An MX pointing to a CNAME: the target of an MX must be a name with an A or AAAA record, not an alias.
- Some email still arrives in the old mailbox: that is DNS caching. Keep the old mailbox for a few days, see Why is my DNS change not visible yet?.
Frequently asked questions
What is an MX record used for?
It tells sending servers where to deliver email addressed to your domain. Without a valid MX, messages sent to your addresses bounce back to the sender or are lost.
What does MX priority mean?
It is the order in which servers are tried. The server with the lowest number is tried first, the others act as backups.
How long does an MX change take to work?
Usually a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the old MX's TTL. During the transition, some messages may still reach the old provider.
Can I have my email with one provider and my website with another?
Yes. The website depends on A and CNAME records, email on MX records. Each can point to a different provider, see Point a domain name to a website (A and CNAME records).
How do I check my domain's MX records?
Open your domain's DNS tab and look at the MX records, then click Propagation to see what servers around the world return.