A beginner-friendly guide to MX records, how they route domain email and what to check when setting up email hosting.
An MX record is a DNS record that tells other mail servers where to deliver email for your domain. If your MX records are wrong, your website may still work but your email may fail.
MX records are essential for business email because they connect your domain name to the mail server that receives messages.
An MX record tells email systems where to deliver messages for your domain. It is one of the most important DNS records for business email hosting.
When someone sends an email to your domain, the sending mail server checks DNS for MX records. Those records list the mail servers responsible for receiving messages.
The sending server then tries to deliver the email to the listed mail server. If the MX records are missing or wrong, delivery can fail.
MX records usually include a priority number. Lower numbers have higher priority. If you have multiple MX records, the sending server normally tries the lowest number first.
Backup mail servers can use higher priority numbers so they are only used if the primary server is unavailable.
Your website and email can be hosted in the same place, but they do not have to be. A domain can point the website to one server and email to another provider using MX records.
This is why moving website hosting does not automatically mean email has moved. DNS controls each service separately.
MX records receive email, but they are not the only email DNS records. SPF, DKIM and DMARC help with authentication and deliverability. A good business email setup often needs all of these configured correctly.
If your MX records are correct but emails still go to spam, authentication records may be the next area to check.
If you are not sure which option is right for your website, start with our Start Here page or compare our UK Web Hosting services.
You can also explore VPS Hosting UK and VDS Hosting UK if your website needs more control, dedicated resources or room to grow. If you are moving hosting, check MX records before changing nameservers so email keeps working.
MX records are the routing instructions for your domain's email. They are simple in concept but extremely important. If your business relies on email, always treat MX changes carefully.