MX Record
A DNS record that tells the internet which mail server handles email for a domain.
An MX (Mail Exchange) record is a DNS record that directs email to the correct mail server. When someone sends an email to [email protected], the sending server looks up the MX records for example.com to find which mail server to deliver to. MX records include a priority number: lower numbers are tried first, and higher numbers serve as backups. If you use Gmail, your MX records point to Google's mail servers. If you use Microsoft 365, they point to Microsoft's.
Reference
Related terms
See also
Referenced on
- DNS Hijacking Explained: How Attackers Take Control of Your Domain's Resolution
- DNS Propagation Checker
- DNS Propagation Myths Debunked: It's Really About Cache Freshness
- Email Tools
- Free DNS Lookup Tool
- Home
- How DNS Queries Work: A Developer's Guide to the DNS Protocol
- How to Set Up a Custom Domain for Your Email (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365)
- MX Record Lookup
- Privacy Policy - DNS Checker
- SMTP Diagnostics
- Understanding DNS Record Types: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and More
- What Is DNS Cache Poisoning? How It Works and How to Prevent It