What is an MX Record?
An MX (Mail Exchange) record is a type of DNS record that specifies which mail servers are responsible for receiving email for a domain. When someone sends an email to you@example.com, the MX records for example.com tell the sending server where to deliver the email.
How Does MX Record Work?
MX records include a priority value (also called preference) that determines the order in which mail servers are tried. Lower numbers indicate higher priority. If the primary mail server (priority 10) is unavailable, email will be delivered to the secondary server (priority 20). This provides redundancy for email delivery and ensures messages are not lost due to temporary server outages.
Configuring MX records correctly is essential for email delivery. Common configurations include pointing MX records to email hosting providers like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or your own mail server. Incorrect MX records can result in bounced emails or lost messages. Unlike A records that point to IP addresses, MX records point to domain names of mail servers, which are then resolved to IP addresses through their own A records.