MX Records

MX (Mail Exchange) records are DNS (Domain Name System) records that specify which mail servers are responsible for handling email messages for a particular domain.

When someone sends an email to an email address on a particular domain (e.g. user@example.com), the sender’s email server looks up the domain’s MX records to determine which server(s) are responsible for handling email for that domain. The sender’s email server then delivers the email message to one of the MX servers specified in the MX record.

MX records consist of a priority value and one or more domain names or IP addresses of mail servers. The priority value is a number that specifies the order in which the sender’s email server should attempt to deliver email to the mail servers listed in the MX record.

For example, a domain might have multiple MX records, each with a different priority value and corresponding mail server. If the sender’s email server fails to deliver the email to the first mail server listed in the MX record, it will attempt to deliver the email to the next mail server in the list, and so on, until the email is successfully delivered or all mail servers in the list have been tried.

Why it is required?

MX records are required because they allow email to be delivered reliably and efficiently between email servers. When someone sends an email, the sender’s email server needs to know where to send the email in order for it to reach its intended recipient.

By specifying the mail servers responsible for handling email for a particular domain, MX records ensure that email messages are delivered to the correct destination. They also provide a way to prioritize delivery of email to different mail servers, which can be helpful in ensuring that email is delivered quickly and efficiently.

Without MX records, email delivery would be much less reliable and efficient. Emails would need to be sent directly to the recipient’s mail server, without any information about which server is responsible for handling email for the recipient’s domain. This could result in emails being lost, delayed, or delivered to the wrong destination. MX records help to avoid these problems and ensure that email is delivered reliably and efficiently.