Set Up MX and A Records for cPanel Email
This article explains how to activate your cPanel Email by setting up the correct MX and A records.
To activate cPanel Email for your domain, you must add the following DNS records. These records ensure that incoming emails are routed to your cPanel Email mailbox. Without them, your email will not function at all.
MX Record
The MX record tells the internet which mail server should receive emails for your domain.
| Name / Host / Alias | Record Type | Priority | Destination / MX Server |
|---|---|---|---|
|
( |
MX |
0 or 1 |
mail.( |
A Record
The A record connects mail.(yourdomain.com) to your cPanel Email server’s IP address. You need this record so that emails sent to your domain can reach your mail server correctly.
| Name / Host / Alias | Record Type | IP Address |
|---|---|---|
|
mail.( |
A |
(cPanel Email server IP address) ex. ( |
DNS zone specific instructions
The steps to add MX and A records for your cPanel email depend on the DNS zone you are using. Please follow the instructions for your DNS zone:
- Account Manager DNS
- cPanel DNS (by default, the MX and A record for cPanel email are already configured in cPanel DNS zone)
General instructions
If your DNS is hosted with another provider, follow these general setup instructions:
- Go to the DNS settings of your domain.
- Find the existing MX record for your domain.
- Update or add the MX record.
- If an MX record exists, replace its value with the cPanel Email MX record.
- If no MX record exists, create a new MX record using the cPanel Email MX record value.
- Do the same with the A record.
- Wait for the changes to take effect. DNS update may take up to 72 hours to work.