MX Record Checker
Check MX records and mail servers for any domain. See if a domain can receive emails.
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What are MX Records?
MX (Mail Exchange) records are DNS records that specify which mail servers handle incoming emails for a domain. They're essential for email delivery - without valid MX records, a domain cannot receive emails.
How MX Records Work
Sender Sends Email
You send an email to user@example.com. Your mail server needs to find where to deliver it.
DNS Lookup
Your mail server queries DNS for the MX records of example.com.
Get Mail Servers
DNS returns a list of mail servers (like mail.example.com) with priority numbers.
Connect to Server
Your mail server connects to the highest priority (lowest number) mail server.
Deliver Email
The email is delivered to the mail server, which routes it to the recipient's mailbox.
MX Record Priority
MX records include a priority number. Lower numbers mean higher priority:
example.com MX 10 mail1.example.com example.com MX 20 mail2.example.com example.com MX 30 backup-mail.example.com
In this example, mail servers will try mail1.example.com first (priority 10). If that fails, they'll try mail2.example.com (priority 20), and so on.
Why Check MX Records?
Validate Email Domains
Confirm a domain can actually receive emails before sending messages or accepting signups.
Troubleshoot Email Issues
Diagnose why emails to a domain are bouncing or not being delivered.
Verify Business Emails
Ensure business email addresses are from domains with proper mail infrastructure.
Prevent Bounces
Catch invalid domains before sending, protecting your sender reputation.
API Integration Testing
Test email service configurations during development and deployment.
Domain Due Diligence
Research domains for business partnerships or email marketing campaigns.
Common MX Record Providers
Google Workspace (Gmail)
Microsoft 365 (Outlook)
Zoho Mail
ProtonMail
What If MX Records Are Missing?
If a domain has no MX records, several things can happen:
Emails Will Bounce
Mail servers can't deliver messages because they don't know where to send them.
Fallback to A Record
Some mail servers will try the domain's A record as a fallback, but this is unreliable.
Domain Appears Inactive
The domain looks unprofessional or abandoned to potential partners and customers.
Form Rejections
Smart forms and validation services will reject email addresses from this domain.
MX Record vs Email Validation
MX Record Check
- •Checks if domain can receive email
- •Domain-level validation
- •Finds mail servers
- •Quick DNS lookup
- •Doesn't verify specific mailbox
Full Email Validation
- •Checks if specific email exists
- •Email-level validation
- •Includes MX check + more
- •SMTP verification
- •Verifies mailbox exists
Using Command Line
You can check MX records using command-line tools:
Using nslookup (Windows/Mac/Linux)
nslookup -type=mx example.com # Output example: example.com mail exchanger = 10 mail1.example.com example.com mail exchanger = 20 mail2.example.com
Using dig (Mac/Linux)
dig example.com MX +short # Output example: 10 mail1.example.com 20 mail2.example.com
Using host (Mac/Linux)
host -t MX example.com # Output example: example.com mail is handled by 10 mail1.example.com example.com mail is handled by 20 mail2.example.com
API Integration
Check MX records programmatically using our API:
// Using the free validation API
async function checkMXRecords(domain) {
// Use a test email with the domain
const testEmail = `test@${domain}`;
const response = await fetch(
`https://verifyforge.com/api/validate/free?email=${testEmail}`
);
const data = await response.json();
if (data.success && data.data.isValid) {
console.log('MX records found! Domain can receive email.');
} else {
console.log('No MX records or domain invalid.');
}
}
// Usage
checkMXRecords('example.com');Frequently Asked Questions
Can a domain have multiple MX records?
Yes! Most domains have multiple MX records for redundancy. If the primary mail server is down, email will be delivered to backup servers.
What does MX record priority mean?
Priority determines which mail server to try first. Lower numbers = higher priority. Servers with priority 10 are tried before priority 20.
How long does it take for MX record changes to propagate?
DNS changes typically propagate within 1-24 hours, though it can sometimes take up to 48 hours depending on TTL settings.
Can I send emails if my domain has no MX records?
Yes, you can send emails from a domain even without MX records. However, you won't be able to receive replies since your domain can't accept incoming mail.
What's the difference between MX and A records?
A records point to IP addresses for websites. MX records specifically point to mail servers. They serve different purposes in the DNS system.
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Check MX records and mail servers for any domain