MX record: meaning and explanation
MX record: the meaning
MX stands for Mail Exchange. It's a line in your domain's DNS that says: "email for @yourbusiness.com belongs to this mail server." Without a correct MX record, the rest of the internet doesn't know where your mail should go.
Explanation
When someone emails you, the sending server looks up your domain's MX record and delivers the message there. Switch email provider and you change the MX records so that mail now arrives at the new server. At Mailflux you're given the right records; you set them up in your domain management. See setting up MX records for the steps.
Example
Someone sends an email to you@yourbusiness.com. The sending server checks the DNS of yourbusiness.com, finds the MX record pointing to the Mailflux mail server, and delivers the message there. If the record is wrong, the mail never arrives.
Why an MX record matters
Without a correct MX record, incoming email simply doesn't arrive, or ends up at the wrong server. It's therefore one of the first things you sort out when you want email on your own domain. Often there are several MX records with a priority value: the lowest value takes precedence, the others serve as a backup should the first server be unreachable. If you change a record, it can take a few hours before that change is visible everywhere.
Related terms
Ready to set them up? Setting up MX records guides you through it calmly, step by step.