MX Record Checker: Why Your Domain Isn't Receiving Email (and How to Fix It)

MX records tell the rest of the internet which server accepts email for your domain. If your website works but mail to you@yourdomain.com bounces or never shows up, MX is the first thing to check. Here's how to look them up yourself and fix what you find.

Step 1: Look up your MX records

From a terminal (macOS, Linux, or Windows with WSL):

dig +short MX yourdomain.com

On Windows without WSL:

nslookup -type=mx yourdomain.com

A healthy result lists one provider, for example:

1 smtp.google.com.                        (Google Workspace)
0 yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com.   (Microsoft 365)

The number is the priority. Lower numbers are tried first. Several records from the same provider are normal; records from two different providers are not.

Step 2: Match the result to a fix

• Nothing comes back. No MX record exists, it was deleted, or you just added it and it hasn't spread yet. Add the MX records your email provider gives you, in the DNS host that's actually live (see Step 3).
• It points to your old email provider or web host. Common after switching from cPanel or GoDaddy email to Google or Microsoft. Delete the old MX records so only the new provider's remain.
• Two providers are mixed. Some mail lands in one inbox and some in the other. Keep one provider's records and delete the rest.
• The target is an IP address. MX must point to a hostname, not an IP. Use the hostname your provider gives you.
• The target doesn't resolve. Run dig +short A smtp.google.com (with your MX target). If it returns nothing, there's a typo in the record.
• It shows 0 . That's a "null MX," which tells senders the domain accepts no mail on purpose. Remove it if you want to receive email.

Step 3: Make sure you edited the right DNS host

The most common reason a correct-looking record "doesn't work" is that it was added somewhere that isn't live. Find out who answers for your domain:

dig +short NS yourdomain.com

If that shows Cloudflare nameservers, edit DNS in Cloudflare, not at your registrar. If it shows Wix or Squarespace, edit there. Records added anywhere else are ignored.

Step 4: Get the Host field right

For the root domain, some hosts want @ in the Host or Name field and some want it left blank (Route 53 and Wix, for example). If you typed your full domain into a host that adds it automatically, you may have created yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com. Re-run the lookup in Step 1 to confirm the record sits on the root domain.

Step 5: Wait, then read the bounce

MX changes usually show up within an hour but can take up to 48 to 72 hours, and senders may keep using the old server until their cache expires. During a switch, keep the old mailbox open for a few days. If mail still fails, the bounce message tells you why:

• "No MX records" or "Host not found" means a DNS problem, so recheck Steps 1 to 4.
• "Recipient not found" or "Mailbox unavailable" means DNS is fine, but the address or license doesn't exist at your provider.
• "SPF/DKIM/DMARC failure" is about sending, not receiving. See our SPF checker guide and DMARC guide.

A domain that only sends mail

If a domain or subdomain is used only for sending (for example send.yourdomain.com for a newsletter tool), having no MX record is fine. What matters there is SPF and DMARC, so receivers can tell your real mail from spoofed mail.

Note: our scanner doesn't test MX records. Use the lookups above for MX, and use the scan for the records that decide whether your outgoing mail is trusted.

Check it the fast way

Want a second opinion in under a minute? Scan your site free with SiteShield. It checks your SPF record and DMARC policy (the records that stop others from spoofing your domain), plus SSL, security headers, and privacy basics and shows your score and every issue found. If you'd rather skip the trial and error, the $14 fix bundle gives you copy-paste fixes written for your exact site.

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