DNS records that tell the internet which mail servers accept email for your domain.
⚡ Monitored by EmailExacto IntelligenceMX (Mail Exchanger) records are DNS records specifying which mail servers are responsible for accepting inbound email for a domain. When someone sends to you@yourdomain.com, the sending server queries DNS for your MX records to determine where to deliver the message. Without MX records, no one can send email to your domain.
MX records have two components: a priority value and a hostname. Lower priority numbers are preferred. Multiple MX records provide redundancy.
The sending server queries MX records, sorts by priority, and attempts delivery to each in order. The hostname must resolve to an IP via an A record — MX records cannot point to IPs or CNAME records directly.
MX records affect deliverability two ways: your MX host IP reputations matter, and many spam filters use MX presence as a basic legitimacy check — domains without MX records are treated with suspicion. The provider behind your MX records is also visible to senders and influences trust signals.
EmailExacto checks MX records daily and monitors MX host IP reputations against 12 DNSBL blacklists.
✓Use at least two MX records with different priorities for redundancy.
✓Ensure MX hostnames have valid A records — names that don't resolve cause delivery failures.
✓Never use IP addresses directly in MX records — always use hostnames.
✓Monitor MX host IPs for blacklist listings.
✓Keep MX records updated when changing email providers.
✓Match your MX records to your SPF record — each MX host should be in your SPF policy.
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