MX Record Not Found: How to Fix Missing Email Records

Short answer: an MX record is the DNS entry that tells the internet which server receives email for your domain. If it is missing or wrong, mail sent to you bounces. Fix it by adding the exact MX records your email provider lists, in the DNS zone that is actually live for your domain.

If the domain does not resolve at all, start with DNS not resolving. If only email is broken, work through the steps below.

Step 1: check what exists today

Run a lookup from any computer:

nslookup -type=MX example.com
dig MX example.com +short

An empty result means no MX record is published. A result pointing at an old provider means mail is going to the wrong place. Also check that you are editing DNS where the domain's nameservers point. Many people add records at their registrar while the nameservers are set to a host or Cloudflare, so the change never goes live.

Step 2: get the records from your email provider

Your provider publishes the exact values, usually under "set up MX records" in its help pages. Do not guess them. Typical examples:

Check your provider's current documentation, since targets change. Microsoft 365 uses a value unique to your domain.

Step 3: add the record

In your DNS panel, create an MX record with:

• Host/Name: @ (the root domain)
• Value/Mail server: the target from your provider
• Priority: the number your provider gives (lower numbers are tried first)

The value must be a hostname, not an IP address, and should not point at a CNAME. Remove any old MX records from a previous provider, because mixed records send some mail to the wrong place.

Step 4: add the companion email records

MX only handles incoming mail. To keep outgoing mail out of spam, also set up SPF and DMARC, plus DKIM from your provider.

Step 5: test and wait

Look up the MX record again after a few minutes. Then send a test message to the address from an outside account (such as a free webmail account) and confirm it arrives. If it still bounces, read the bounce message, which usually names the exact problem.

Common mistakes

• Editing DNS at the registrar when the nameservers point elsewhere.
• Typing the MX target with a typo or adding the domain name twice.
• Leaving old provider records in place alongside the new ones.
• Using an IP address or a CNAME as the mail server.
• Changing MX without lowering the TTL first.