Mail that silently vanishes is usually an MX problem: the sender’s server never learned where to deliver. This page covers how the records work, the two setups most Indian businesses run, the one-command check, and the mistakes that break delivery during a migration.
What MX Records Do
MX records are the address plaque of your mail system: DNS entries that tell the world which server receives email for your domain. Without them, senders have nowhere to deliver — mail bounces or vanishes.
- An MX record maps yourdomain.com to a mail server hostname, with a priority number.
- Lower priority numbers are tried first; equal numbers share the load.
- Backup MX servers queue mail when the primary is down.
- Changing providers means repointing MX — the cutover of every email migration.
- MX works with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, which authenticate what that server sends.
Records live in the zone editor of your domain registration account or your business email hosting setup.
Priority and Backup Mail Servers
Every MX record carries a priority value from 0 to 65535, and lower wins. A typical pair looks like:
yourdomain.com. MX 10 mail.yourdomain.com
yourdomain.com. MX 20 backup.yourdomain.com
A sending server tries priority 10 first; only if that host does not answer does it fall to 20 — that second record is the backup MX, and its server queues mail until the primary returns. Two records with the same number instead share traffic roughly evenly, a deliberate load-balancing choice. Common practice spaces values in tens (10, 20, 30) so a new server can slot in between later.
Common MX Setups: cPanel and Google Workspace
Two setups cover most Indian businesses:
- cPanel hosting mail — one record: yourdomain.com. MX 0 mail.yourdomain.com, where the hostname has an A record pointing at the hosting server.
- Google Workspace — the current setup is a single record: yourdomain.com. MX 1 smtp.google.com. Older guides still show the five-record set (aspmx.l.google.com at 1 with alt1–alt4 at 5 and 10); both patterns work, but never mix them.
- Microsoft 365 — one record: yourdomain.com. MX 0 yourdomain.mail.protection.outlook.com.
Whichever provider you choose, copy its records exactly — the hostnames are provider-specific and one typo stops delivery.
Checking MX Records (dig, nslookup)
One command shows what the world sees. On Linux or macOS:
dig yourdomain.com MX +short
On Windows:
nslookup -type=mx yourdomain.com
Each output line reads "priority hostname", in the order senders will try them. Prefer a web tool instead? Any MX lookup lists the same records in priority order against the authoritative name server, so recent changes appear immediately. Run the check after every provider change — do not assume the panel saved what you typed.
Common MX Mistakes That Break Email
- Pointing MX at a CNAME. RFC 2181 forbids it — the target must be a hostname with an A or AAAA record.
- Stale records after a migration. Old provider records left in the zone split deliveries between two systems, and some mail lands on the dead one.
- High TTL before a cutover. Long cache times mean the old record keeps circulating for hours; drop the TTL to 300 seconds a day before you switch.
- Missing SPF, DKIM and DMARC alignment. Records that deliver mail to your new server without authenticating it land in spam folders.
- Two providers live at once. Both companies claim the domain, replies scatter, and lookups fail.
Every one of these is fixable in the zone editor — the check command above confirms the fix within minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an MX record?
An MX (Mail Exchange) record is a DNS entry that tells sending mail servers which hostname receives email for your domain. Each record carries a priority number, and the lowest value is tried first.
What does priority mean in MX records?
Priority is a number from 0 to 65535 that sets the order senders follow. The lowest number is tried first; if that server does not answer, the next-lowest is used. Equal numbers share incoming mail between servers.
How do I check my domain's MX records?
Run dig yourdomain.com MX +short on Linux or macOS, or nslookup -type=mx yourdomain.com on Windows. Any web-based MX lookup tool shows the same records, listed in priority order.
Which MX records does Google Workspace need?
The current setup is a single record: yourdomain.com at priority 1 pointing to smtp.google.com. Older guides list five records (aspmx.l.google.com and alt1 through alt4); use one pattern or the other, never both.
Can a domain have two MX records?
Yes — multiple records are normal. Different priorities create a primary and backups; equal priorities share the load. Records for two different email providers should never be live at the same time, though.
What happens if my MX records are wrong?
Senders cannot find your mail server, so messages bounce or silently drop. Stale records after a migration split deliveries between old and new systems. Fix the records in the zone editor and re-check with dig or nslookup.
Is WebJi® an Indian company?
Yes. WebJi® is headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan and has operated since 2005. Billing, support and governance all run from India.
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