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Glossary

MX record

An MX (mail exchanger) record is a DNS entry that names the servers which accept incoming mail for a domain.

Updated · By Otman Ounana · How we research

Why it matters when you send from your own Gmail

It decides where replies and bounces arrive, and it is the first thing worth checking about a recipient's domain: a domain with no mail servers cannot receive email at all, so a message to it can only bounce. Sending from your own Gmail does not depend on your MX record, but receiving replies does, so a domain on Google Workspace needs Google's MX records in place. A wrong MX record is a common reason for replies that never arrive.

Example

The domain example.com lists two servers in its MX records, and mail for it goes to the one with the lower priority number first. A prospect whose domain lists none will not receive your email.

What to do

Look up a domain's MX records with any free DNS lookup tool before you write to it. No records usually means the address is dead, and a quick check saves a bounce.

Related terms

All terms are on the glossary.

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