MX Records, short for Mail eXchanger records, are DNS records that facilitate email delivery to your email address.
An MX record tells other servers on the internet where emails sent to your domain should be routed and which mail server you use to receive them. If your MX records are not pointed to the correct location, you will not receive any emails.
For example, when you type www.sendx.io into your web browser, DNS looks up that record to find the IP address of the server to connect to. The domain name in this example is sendx.io.
A similar process happens when you send an email to an @sendx.io address. The sending mail server performs a DNS lookup for the MX record to determine where to deliver the email.
If you change your MX records, it not only changes the email address routing but also the mail server location responsible for receiving messages.
You can check DNS MX records using bold link placeholder: MXToolbox or through the nslookup command-line tool.
There are two essential parts to any MX record: priority and mail server address, both required for successful email delivery.
Example:
0 mail.example.com
In this case, the 0 represents the priority of that mail server. The lower the number, the higher the priority for that domain.
Here is an example of a DNS lookup for the google.com domain:
google.com
Server: UnKnown
Address: 10.0.1.9
Non-authoritative answer:
google.com MX preference = 30, mail exchanger = alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
google.com MX preference = 50, mail exchanger = alt4.aspmx.l.google.com
google.com MX preference = 40, mail exchanger = alt3.aspmx.l.google.com
google.com MX preference = 20, mail exchanger = alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
google.com MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = aspmx.l.google.com
alt2.aspmx.l.google.com internet address = 74.125.115.27
alt1.aspmx.l.google.com internet address = 74.125.91.27
aspmx.l.google.com internet address = 74.125.157.27
The next part, mail.example.com, represents the address of the server that connects to your inbox. The actual address varies depending on your email host.
The priority determines which MX server to connect to first. If multiple addresses share the same priority, one is chosen randomly.
You can modify your MX records whenever necessary (for example, when switching hosting providers).
The MX system allows multiple mail servers for a single domain, determining the order in which they are used. This ensures better reliability and load distribution.
MX record preference is applied when multiple MX records exist for a single domain. This setup enables primary and backup mail servers. The lower the preference number, the higher the priority.
When a remote client performs an MX lookup for a domain, it receives a list of servers and their priority values. The server with the lowest number is tried first, followed by others until the message is successfully delivered or permanently rejected.
Mail eXchanger (MX) priorities are represented as integers. The lowest number is the most preferred.
If two MX records have the same priority value, mail servers choose one at random. It is generally recommended to have at least two MX records for redundancy.
For example:
An MX server with a value of 2 has a higher priority than one with 15.
A value of 0 represents the highest possible priority.
1) What are MX (Mail eXchanger) records, and how do they work?
MX Records, or Mail Exchange records, are DNS records necessary for the delivery of emails. They identify which server mail should be delivered to and where messages for your domain should be routed. Without properly configured MX records, you won’t receive emails.
2) What are the parts of an MX record?
An MX record has two components:
Priority Number: Determines which server should be used first.
Mail Server Address: The hostname of the mail server that receives emails for your domain.
3) What happens if I change my MX records?
Changing your MX records updates where incoming emails are directed. This means your email messages will be routed to a new mail server or provider.
4) What is MX preference?
MX preference defines the order in which mail servers should be used when multiple servers exist. The lowest preference number indicates the highest priority.
5) What is MX priority 0?
The lowest number corresponds to the highest-priority server. A server with a priority value of 0 will be used before others, ensuring it handles email delivery first.
