Look up MX mail exchanger records for a domain, showing mail server priority and hostname
• Domain: enter a bare domain without https:// (e.g. gmail.com)
• Lower priority numbers indicate higher-priority mail servers
• MX records determine which server receives email for this domain
An MX (Mail Exchanger) record lookup queries DNS for the mail exchange records of a domain, returning each mail server hostname and its priority. MX records tell the Internet where to deliver email addressed to a domain — the server with the lowest priority number receives mail first.
Common uses include verifying that mail server configuration is correct after a migration, confirming that a newly added mail service has propagated, diagnosing mail delivery failures by checking which server is expected to receive mail, and auditing a domain's email infrastructure before setting up SPF, DKIM, or DMARC.
Lower numbers have higher priority. Sending servers try the lowest-numbered MX record first. Multiple records with the same priority are tried in random order for load balancing.
Without an MX record the domain cannot receive email. You need to add at least one MX record through your DNS provider pointing to a mail server. Some providers also require an A record for the mail server hostname.
DNS changes propagate based on the TTL of the record, usually between 5 minutes and 48 hours. You can use this tool to monitor propagation from multiple resolvers.
After MX records propagate, also verify that SPF includes the new mail server and that DKIM keys are published for the new provider. Use the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC tools to check email authentication configuration.