What Is MX Record?
An MX (Mail Exchange) record is a type of DNS record that specifies which mail server is responsible for receiving email sent to addresses at your domain. When someone sends an email to you@yourdomain.com, the sending server looks up the MX records for yourdomain.com to find where to deliver the message.
MX records include a priority value — lower numbers indicate higher priority. Multiple MX records can be set up for redundancy: if the primary mail server is unavailable, email is routed to the secondary server. This ensures email delivery even during outages.
Common MX record configurations point to email providers like Google Workspace (aspmx.l.google.com), Microsoft 365 (outlook.com), Zoho Mail, or other email hosting services.
MX records pointing to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 enable professional email on your custom domain.
Why This Matters for Startups
Setting up MX records is one of the first things you'll do after registering your startup's domain — it enables professional email addresses (you@yourcompany.com) instead of generic Gmail addresses. Most email providers (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) provide exact MX record values and step-by-step setup instructions. Professional email is important for credibility — investors and customers take you@yourcompany.com more seriously than yourstartup@gmail.com.
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