Your own domain: DNS records for email
So that email to your domain arrives and your own email does not end up in spam, your domain needs a few DNS records. With business email I can take care of this for you. If you prefer to do it yourself, here is the overview.
You receive the exact values for your domain with your setup email. The values below are examples for the domain
example.ch.
Where do I add DNS records?
With the provider where your domain is registered, or the one that manages your DNS zone. Look for “DNS”, “DNS zone” or “DNS records” in your customer account. The name @ usually stands for the domain itself.
MX: where email is delivered
| Type | Name | Value | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| MX | @ |
vaultmail.ch. |
10 |
Only change the MX record once your new mailbox is ready. Then remove the MX records of your previous provider.
SPF: who may send for your domain
| Type | Name | Value (example) |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | @ |
v=spf1 mx ~all |
A domain may only have one SPF record. If you already have one, for example for a newsletter tool, the entries are merged.
DKIM: the digital signature of your email
| Type | Name | Value (example) |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | <selector>._domainkey |
v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBgkqh… |
The selector and key are generated for your domain. You receive one or two such records.
DMARC: what happens to forged email
| Type | Name | Value (example) |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | _dmarc |
v=DMARC1; p=none |
Start with p=none. If everything works after two to three weeks, switch to p=quarantine. Forged email using your sender address then lands in the recipient’s spam folder.
How long does it take?
DNS changes usually take effect within minutes to hours. In rare cases it takes up to 48 hours.
Checking the records
On Mac and Linux, check the records in the terminal:
dig +short MX example.ch
dig +short TXT example.ch
dig +short TXT _dmarc.example.ch
On Windows, use nslookup -type=MX example.ch and nslookup -type=TXT example.ch.