MX record (Mail eXchange record)
MX stands for Mail Exchange.
What Is an MX Record?
An MX record is a type of DNS (Domain Name System) record that tells the world:
“Here’s the mail server responsible for accepting incoming email for this domain.”
So when someone sends an email to you@bluefox.email, their mail server asks DNS:
Hey, who handles mail for bluefox.email?And the MX record answers:
Send it to smtp.google.com (priority 10)🧠 MX = Mail Exchange
| Term | Stands For | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| MX record | Mail Exchange | Points to the mail server(s) for a domain |
🔍 What an MX Record Looks Like
To look it up from the command line:
bash
dig MX bluefox.emailExample output:
bluefox.email. 3600 IN MX 10 smtp.google.com.Breakdown:
10→ Priority (lower = higher priority)smtp.google.com.→ the mail server to receive email
📢 Multiple MX Records (For Redundancy)
MX 10 smtp1.mailserver.com.
MX 20 smtp2.mailserver.com.Email servers will try smtp1 first. If it's down, they fall back to smtp2.
✅ TL;DR
| MX stands for | Mail Exchange |
|---|---|
| Used for | Incoming email routing |
| Found in | DNS records |
| Controls | Where email should be delivered for a domain |